Mission Statement of Shakespeare at the Castle As a former board member of the well-known Annandale Troupe for 17 years, and an avid reader of Shakespeare, I have, over the last 3 years, begun to explore a new way to introduce the works of the Bard to children of all ages, in a fun and educational way. Shakespeare at the Castle is a summer camp, held in the open air, at my home, which is known as Wing’s Castle. It is intended to be a break from the rigors of schoolwork yet an educational theatrical experience. Most importantly, it is intended to be a safe and enjoyable way for children to learn some facts about the life and works of William Shakespeare, within a historical context, against the backdrop of the Hudson River Valley and cool swims in our castle “moat”. As most of you may know, William Shakespeare is one of the most written about people in human existence yet, in truth, there is really not much known about him at all. Most of what is known is merely conjecture. The elusive William has been placed in a mere four or five places in the annals of history, through legal documents. There are only six signatures attributed to his hand. The first Folio itself was not even produced by Shakespeare himself but by two friends John Heminges and Henry Condell, seven years after his death. In 2009, a portrait of Shakespeare was discovered in an attic in Ireland belonging to the descendents of a literary patron and personal friend of William Shakespeare called Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton. Even the authentification of this portrait is still in hot debate, according Caroline Wamsler, Phd., a Columbia University Art Historian and professor who visited with our children last summer. In my humble opinion, I believe that William Shakespeare is routinely re-discovered by readers, scholars, students, and theatre companies alike. My own role in this process now presents itself as Shakespeare at the Castle. This year, on the heels of Shakespeare’s Frankenstein, and Richard III set in 1937, I intend to present Frankenstein’s Dracula, written in the words of William Shakespeare and edited and directed by myself and others. The camp will be directed by a theatre professional and educator. A full theatrical experience will be applied to the camp in the form of improvisation games, voice projection exercises, movement, dance, music, prop making, costuming, make-up application, lighting and sound direction, and last but certainly not least, the rehearsal process for four performances. So we do hope your family will join us up at the castle for another fun filled season of Shakespeare at the Castle. Yours sincerely, Peter Wing, Esq.