History

1996 Renée Bucciarelli develops YOU GOTTA HAVE BARD! summer “playshop” for kids 8-13 with Kings County Shakespeare Co. co-sponsored by the Prospect Park Alliance in Brooklyn, NY.

1999 The program officially becomes YOU GOTTA HAVE BARD! at The Shakespeare Playground™ and is featured on NY1 News (’99).

2000 Dubbed the “hottest” summer theatre workshop for kids by
The New York Post. With MIDSUMMER IN THE KEY OF DREAMS: Renée Bucciarelli develops, co-writes, and directs an urban hip-hop, jazz, and pop version of Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream with teens at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music. The production is featured at:

B.A.X. (Brooklyn Arts Exchange)
Teen Arts Festival
Welcome Back to Brooklyn annual civic event
Kings County Shakespeare Company’s Festival 2000
WNYC’s National Public Radio show Studio 360
Television NY1’s Shelly Goldberg’s Parenting Report

2001 The Shakespeare Playground™ s a featured event at the
Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s Springfest 2001 Shakespeare Celebration.

’99-2003 After-school, vacation, & specially-designed programs for
kids and teens at:

Brooklyn Conservatory of Music
Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture
Kings County Shakespeare Company
Public School 38
Middle School 51
The Brooklyn New School
St. Anne’s School
Brooklyn Technical High School
and NYCHEA
(a home-school organization).

2004 Renée Bucciarelli chairs panel on Innovative Educational Outreach for Shakespeare Theatre Association of America Annual Conference. Joins Advisory Board of Kings County Shakespeare Company.

2004-’06 After-School and vacation sessions held at Montclair Elementary School in Oakland, California (’04-’05), and in conjunction with Woman’s Will Shakespeare (’06).

2005 The Shakespeare Playground™ is featured in all but name at California Shakespeare Theater.

2004-’11 Summer “playshops” at Shakespeare on the Sound-
Rowayton, Connecticut.

2006-2019 in New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada:

New Westminster Secondary School (2006)
Art in the Park (2007)
Hume Park Elementary Artstarts Artist in Residence, co-developed 2 year-long  interdisciplinary Shakespeare programs for grades k-5, (2008-2010)
Lord Tweedsmuir Community School (2009-16)
Homerlearners of New Westminster (2010-14; 2019)
Connaught Heights Elementary (2011-17)
Quayquayt Elementary (2016)
Glenbrook Middle School (2016)
Anvil Centre (2014-17)
Vancouver Foundation Small Neighbourhood Grant recipient. Volunteer director:  A Midsummer Night’ s Bollywood Dream, free programming for ages 4-18, embracing Indo-Canadian dance & culture. (2014)

2010 Renée Bucciarelli joins Advisory Board of Brave New World Shakespeare in Brooklyn, NY

2011 Maple Ridge Arts Centre Theatre, BC

2012-2020 Surrey Arts Centre, BC

More updates coming soon…