Tred Avon Players (TAP) and the Oxford Community Center (OCC) are excited to invite youth to participate in Shakespeare Midsummer Stage, an immersive four-day Shakespeare workshop for students entering grades 5–12. This exciting new program runs July 28–31, 2025, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. each day at the Oxford Community Center, culminating in a free showcase performance for family and friends on Thursday, July 31 at 6:30 p.m.
As part of their shared mission to educate and inspire, TAP and OCC are launching this unique summer experience to offer students a fun, engaging, and educational opportunity to explore the timeless works of William Shakespeare.
Participants will work with veteran actor, director, and school teacher David Cherry to develop their skills in acting, voice, movement, and scene study—building confidence, creativity, and stage presence in a supportive and collaborative environment.
“This is not just about learning Shakespeare,” said Cherry, who leads the program. “It’s about connecting with the language, the characters, and with each other. Students will gain tools that apply both onstage and off—and they’ll have a blast doing it.”
“We’re thrilled to bring this kind of meaningful arts education to young people in our community,” said Liza Ledford, Executive Director of Oxford Community Center, and Melissa Barcomb-Doyle, President of Tred Avon Players, in a joint statement. “This partnership reflects our shared commitment to providing opportunities that spark creativity, nurture talent, and build community through the arts.”
The workshop fee is $200 per student and includes a Shakespeare Midsummer Stage t-shirt. Space is limited. Registration closes May 31, 2025 or until full. To learn more and register, visit https://www.tredavonplayers.
About Tred Avon Players
Founded in 1982, Tred Avon Players is a nonprofit community theater dedicated to enriching, educating, and entertaining audiences with high-quality productions. For more than four decades, TAP has thrived thanks to the dedication of local performers, stagehands, audience members, and donors. To learn how you can get involved or purchase tickets for upcoming shows, visit www.tredavonplayers.org and follow TAP on Facebook, X and Instagram.
Narrator Harnell Chesterton takes us to visit a small community theater group staging a play set in the Deep South. The play’s characters are all in an uproar because Fat Daddy, the patriarch of the family, is about to change his will. Is Fat Daddy the target of the killer? Is his wife, Sweet Mamma, looking to do him in? Or is it his son Earl, daughter-in-law Savannah or daughter Hyacinth? Maybe it’s the hired hand Clete! But — is it really Fat Daddy who is dead? Just wait until local police sleuth Officer Bainbridge begins his investigation!