SLAM is a high school program that celebrates the power of play, community, language, and imagination. It is an ensemble program that provides an opportunity for high school students from schools across Chicago and the wider metropolitan area to come together to build community and play with language. SLAM teams participate in a workshop with CST to learn performance techniques and tools for working with Shakespeare’s text. Back at school, they prepare two scenes to then perform at the Regional Bout. Twelve total teams will then advance to the Final Bout where all teams gather to show support for the entire SLAM community. Friends, family, peers and members of the community are invited to the Final Bout at Chicago Shakespeare Theater to experience and celebrate the journey of these teams!
Participating Schools:
Intrinsic Schools – Belmont, Chicago
Lincoln Park High School, Chicago
Little Village Lawndale High School, Chicago
Mather High School, Chicago
Oak Park and River Forest High School, Oak Park
O-School, Chicago
Prosser Career Academy, Chicago
Senn High School, Chicago
Sullivan House High School, Chicago
Taft High School, Chicago
Universal School, Bridgeview
University of Chicago Lab School, Chicago
Warren Township High School, Warren
Meet Our Educator Artists
Kevin Long Educator Artist
Kevin Long is a professor of theatre at Harper College, co-author of the book Bring on the Bard, the recipient of the Illinois Theatre Association’s 2012 Award for Excellence in College Theatre Teaching, and an associate member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society. He was nominated for the 2015 Tony Award® for Excellence in Theatre Education and was the recipient of the 2017 Motorola Solutions Foundation Endowed Award for Teaching Excellence. Kevin has worked professionally in various equity and summer stock theatres in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Indiana, and Illinois. He has been teaching acting and theater classes for over twenty-five years and has directed over sixty productions. He frequently presents his workshop “Shakespeare Whispers in Your Ear,” which explores the language and theater of Shakespeare through the use of the First Folio. Kevin holds an MA in speech and performing arts from Northeastern Illinois University.
Charence Higgins Educator Artist
Charence Higgins is an actor and teaching artist from central Mississippi. Charence recently made her Chicago Theatre debut in Steppenwolf’s production of Describe the Night by Rajiv Joseph and is excited to continue to grow roots in this incredible artistic community. Regionally, Charence has taken the stage in A Raisin in the Sun at American Player’s Theatre, Hairspray at New Stage Theatre, Crumbs from the Table of Joy at Theatre at Monmouth and many more. As a teaching artist, Charence has created course materials and taught a number of theatre, musical theatre, and dance classes through Columbia College Community Schools Program, Madison Square Center for the Arts, UIUC, and currently Porchlight Music Theatre. She views the classroom as a space for exploration, elevation, emancipation, and elation! She holds bachelor’s degrees in psychology, speech communication, and theatre from Jackson State University and an MFA in acting from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. https://www.charencehiggins.com/
Ariya Hawkins Educator Artist
Ariya Hawkins is a Chicago-based actor, singer & theatre educator. She began her training in the ChiArts Musical Theatre program and is a graduate of Millikin University with a BFA in Musical Theatre. In addition to teaching with Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Ariya also works with Goodman Theatre, Chicago Children’s Theatre, A.B.L.E Ensemble, Congo Square Theatre, and South Chicago Dance Theatre. When she isn’t teaching, Ariya enjoys working as an actor & performer with companies all over the country. Recent regional credits include Cabaret (The Studio Theatre at Tierra Del Sol), Haven (Outer Loop Theater Experience), a hit dog will holler (Artemisia Theatre), Shut Up Kiss Me (PrideArts), A Raisin in the Sun & A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Olney Theatre Center, National Players Tour 72). Ariya is proud to empower people of all ages through the use of theatre, all of her work centers on the idea that this art form is for all of us!
Maureen YaskoEducator Artist
Maureen Yasko is a Chicago-based actor, fight choreographer, and theater educator. CHICAGO: Macbeth, Twelfth Night (Midsommer Flight); Julius Caesar, Titus Andronicus, The Duchess of Malfi, S Paradox, The Mark (Babes With Blades Theatre Company); The Factory Theater, A Crew of Patches, Mary-Arrchie Theatre Company. REGIONAL/TOUR: Atlanta Shakespeare Company; Alliance Theatre, Aurora Theatre, Synchronicity Theatre, American Family Theater, National Theatre for Children, Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire, Tecumseh! Outdoor Drama. FIGHT/INTIMACY DIRECTION: First Folio Theatre, City Lit Theater, Lakeside Shakespeare, Idle Muse Theatre Company, Citadel Theatre, Promethean Theatre Ensemble, The Plagarists, Babes With Blades Theatre Company, Midsommer Flight, The Factory Theater. EDUCATION: BA in theatre, music minor, Georgia Southern University-Armstrong; Apprenticeship at Atlanta Shakespeare Company. AWARDS: Jeff Nominated Fight Director, Non-Player Character (Red Theater). Yasko is a Certified Teacher with the Society of American Fight Directors, a Certified Yoga Instructor, and an Adjunct Professor at Columbia College.
Beric Orion Educator Artist
Beric Orion is a Chicago-based actor and fight choreographer. CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE: Short Shakespeare! Hamlet. CHICAGO: A Midsummer’s Night Dream, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Lottery Day (The Theatre School at DePaul University). INTERNATIONAL: Hamlet, Twelfth Night, Two Noble Kinsmen (Prague Shakespeare Company). EDUCATION: BFA in acting, The Theatre School at DePaul University. AWARDS: Society of American Fight Directors Certified with Recommendation in Hand to hand, Knife, Rapier and Dagger, Two-handed Sword, Sword and Shield, and Quarter Staff.
Arik Vega Educator Artist
CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE: The Lord of the Rings, A Musical Tale; Measure for Measure; Chicago Shakespeare Slam Emcee ‘22, ‘23. CHICAGO: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao; Clyde’s (Goodman Theatre) In The Heights; Gypsy (Marriott Theatre); Sister Act; Evita; Holiday Inn (Drury Lane Theatre). REGIONAL: Theatre Under the Stars, Cleveland Play House, The Fireside Theatre, Studio Tenn, The Warehouse Theatre. TELEVISION: Chicago Fire (NBC). EDUCATION: BFA in Musical Theatre, Belmont University; SAFD Certification in Unarmed and Knife. AWARD: 2019 ALTA Award
Tafadzwa Diener Educator Artist
Tafadzwa Diener (Emcee) is thrilled to be returning to Chicago Shakespeare Theater. Shakespeare Theater credits include Shakespeare in the City. Chicago credits: Sound of Music, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown (Marriott Theatre); Anything Goes (Porchlight); Rock of Ages (Mercury Theater); 1919 (Steppenwolf Theatre Company); An Educated Guess (Definition Theatre); A Christmas Carol (Goodman Theatre). Regional: Ragtime, Pirates of Penzance (Utah Shakespeare Festival) TV: Chicago PD.
“I learned to be more confident in myself and my abilities.”
-Student, Lincoln Park High School
“Taking risks is one of the best ways to show yourself.”
-Student, Tri-Point High School
“I felt confident to the goal of being heard, being able to articulate my voice with the scene we are doing.”
-Student, Prosser Career Academy
“My students enjoy coming because SLAM allows them to show their confidence in a WELCOMING environment.”
-Teacher, Tri-Point High School
LEAD SLAM SPONSORS
Kimberlee S. Herold