Stage Scholars: Literature, Character & Storytelling Through Theatre

STAGE SCHOLARS: ENGLAND

WITH EDUCATOR

Lisé Whitfield

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JUNIOR TEACHING ASSISTANT

Meda Rackauskaite

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TUITION:
$2,950 ($650 non-refundable deposit)

AGE GROUP:
• 9–14 years old

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PERFECT FOR:
Curious, creative students aged 9–14 who love stories, characters, performance, music, or the arts—and students who may not think they love analyzing literature yet! No previous acting or theatre experience is required.

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• THE ADVENTURE

  What makes a character unforgettable? Why does a playwright give a character a particular line—or leave something important unsaid? Why does a scene happen exactly when it does? And how can the same words on a page become something entirely different in the hands of different actors, directors, and designers?

  Stage Scholars is a five-week immersive academic exploration of literature through the living world of theatre—all based in London, one of the world’s great theatre cities. Students investigate character, conflict, motivation, subtext, theme, language, and dramatic structure through three theatrical lenses: Shakespeare, modern plays, and musical theatre.

  Rather than approaching complex literature solely from behind a desk, students will read it, question it, discuss it, watch it performed, step inside its characters, and experiment with bringing it to life themselves.

  Throughout the five weeks, London itself becomes an extension of our classroom. Students will attend selected professional productions and learn from theatre practitioners working across different aspects of the art form. Alongside our own literary study and rehearsals, students will explore how actors, directors, designers, choreographers, musicians, fight directors, stage managers, and technical teams transform words on a page into a living experience.

  Why did an actor interpret a character that way? What did the director choose to emphasize? What can a costume communicate before a character says a word? Why does a character suddenly sing instead of speak? How can posture, movement, scenery, lighting, music—or even silence—completely change our understanding of a scene?

  These questions lead students back to the text.

  Approximately two days each week will be devoted to our own classroom and rehearsal work: reading closely, discussing and debating interpretations, writing, experimenting with scenes, developing characters, rehearsing, and building toward our final project. On other days, we will step into London’s extraordinary theatre world for professional productions, workshops, backstage experiences, and opportunities to learn directly from people whose work brings stories to the stage.

  Hands-on workshops may introduce students to areas such as acting and character development, voice and singing, musical theatre dance and movement, directing, stage combat, set and costume design, lighting and sound, stage management, Shakespearean performance, and other elements of theatrical production. Each offers students another way to investigate literature. What does a costume designer need to understand about a character before designing what they wear? How does a fight director turn conflict written on a page into physical storytelling? What clues does an actor use to understand something a character never says aloud?

  Students then bring those ideas back into our own rehearsal room and test them for themselves.

  The purpose is not to train young actors. Theatre is our hook—and our laboratory—for understanding sophisticated literature. To perform, direct, design, or stage a scene, students first have to understand it: Who are these characters? What do they want? What are they hiding? Why did the writer create them this way? What does the text tell us directly, what must we infer, and what evidence supports our interpretation?

  A shift in posture can become an interpretation. A costume can become an argument about character. A pause can reveal subtext. A lighting choice can change the meaning of an entire scene. Students discover that close reading isn’t simply about finding the “right” answer; it’s about gathering evidence, developing an interpretation, testing it, and making thoughtful choices they can defend.

  In other words, Stage Scholars is complex literary analysis in disguise.

  Across the five weeks, students move continually between page and stage, analysis and experimentation, audience and creator. The adventure culminates in a final theatrical project in which students use performance, direction, movement, design, music, technical elements, or other theatrical forms to make their own interpretations of literature visible to an audience.

  The program runs Monday through Thursday for five weeks in London, April 12–May 13, 2027. Students also receive approximately two hours of small-group math tutorials each week.

ACADEMIC LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Our interdisciplinary curriculum draws on recognized academic standards, with learning adapted to students’ ages, abilities, and prior knowledge. The objectives below highlight the academic knowledge and skills students will develop throughout Stage Scholars, with particular emphasis on close reading, literary analysis, critical thinking, and evidence-based interpretation.

English Language ArtsLiterature, Close Reading, Critical Analysis & Communication

• Develop close-reading skills: Identify significant words, phrases, patterns, and details in dramatic texts, using careful rereading to develop deeper understanding. (CCSS RL.5.1; RL.5.4; RL.6.1)
• Analyze character motivation and development: Examine how dialogue, actions, relationships, and conflict reveal characters’ intentions and influence their development. (CCSS RL.5.3; RL.6.3)
• Interpret subtext and inference: Distinguish between explicit statements and implied meaning, supporting interpretations with specific textual evidence. (CCSS RL.5.1; RL.6.1)
• Analyze themes and central ideas: Explain how playwrights develop themes through character relationships, conflicts, dialogue, and dramatic events. (CCSS RL.5.2; RL.6.2)
• Interpret literary language: Analyze figurative language, imagery, symbolism, irony, and wordplay, including unfamiliar vocabulary and linguistic conventions in Shakespearean texts. (CCSS RL.5.4; L.5.4; L.5.5; RL.6.4)
• Analyze dramatic structure: Examine how the organization and sequence of scenes, conflicts, and turning points influence meaning, pacing, and dramatic tension. (CCSS RL.5.5; RL.6.5)
• Compare literary forms: Investigate how different dramatic genres and conventions influence characterization, storytelling, and thematic development. (CCSS RL.6.9; RL.7.5, supporting connections)
• Analyze musical theatre texts: Examine how dialogue and song lyrics communicate characterization, emotion, narrative development, and theme. (CCSS RL.5.2; RL.5.3; RL.5.4)
• Construct evidence-based interpretations: Develop and defend claims about characters, themes, and authorial choices using quotations and specific details from the text. (CCSS RL.5.1; RL.6.1)
• Compare textual and theatrical interpretations: Evaluate how different performance choices communicate, emphasize, or alter the meaning of a dramatic text. (CCSS RL.6.7; RL.7.7)
• Participate in analytical discussions: Ask thoughtful questions, build on others’ ideas, consider alternative interpretations, and support arguments with textual evidence. (CCSS SL.5.1; SL.6.1)
• Communicate literary understanding: Present clear, organized explanations of textual interpretations and defend conclusions through discussion and oral presentation. (CCSS SL.5.4; SL.6.4)

Theatre ArtsDramatic Interpretation, Acting & Performance

• Apply textual analysis to performance: Use evidence from a script to inform choices about characterization, delivery, movement, and dramatic interpretation. (NCAS TH:Pr4.1.5.a; TH:Pr4.1.5.b)
• Develop character interpretation: Communicate character motivations, relationships, and emotional development through purposeful vocal and physical expression. (NCAS TH:Pr4.1.5.a; TH:Cr3.1.5.b)
• Explore subtext through acting: Experiment with contrasting interpretations of dialogue, evaluating how changes in emphasis, expression, and gesture influence meaning. (NCAS TH:Pr4.1.5.a; TH:Cr3.1.5.b)
• Analyze staging and dramatic composition: Examine how blocking, spatial relationships, pacing, and transitions influence an audience’s interpretation of a scene. (NCAS TH:Pr4.1.5.b; TH:Cr3.1.5.a)
• Develop physical storytelling skills: Use controlled movement, gesture, and choreographed action to communicate dramatic conflict and character relationships. (NCAS TH:Pr4.1.5.b; TH:Cr3.1.5.b, supporting connections)
• Interpret literature through puppetry: Investigate how puppet movement, physical characterization, and visual expression communicate narrative and emotional meaning. (NCAS TH:Cr1.1.5.b; TH:Pr5.1.5.b, supporting connections)
• Refine collaborative performance skills: Apply feedback, self-evaluation, rehearsal techniques, and ensemble cooperation to improve the clarity and effectiveness of a shared interpretation. (NCAS TH:Cr3.1.5.a; TH:Cr2.5.b)
• Communicate interpretations to an audience: Demonstrate literary understanding through purposeful theatrical choices and collaborative performance. (NCAS TH:Pr6.1.5.a)

HistoryHistorical Context & Theatrical Traditions

• Analyze historical influences on literature: Examine how social values, political structures, cultural beliefs, and historical circumstances influence dramatic works. (NCAS TH:Cn11.1.5.a)
• Understand Elizabethan theatrical traditions: Investigate how historical performance practices, audience expectations, and cultural conventions shaped Shakespearean drama. (NCAS TH:Cn11.1.5.a)
• Compare theatrical traditions: Identify how dramatic conventions and approaches to storytelling differ across historical periods and cultural contexts. (NCAS TH:Cn11.1.5.a, supporting connection)
• Evaluate changing interpretations: Explain how theatrical works can be interpreted differently as cultural perspectives and social expectations evolve. (NCAS TH:Cn11.1.5.a; TH:Re7.1.5.a, supporting connections)

Physical EducationMusical Theatre DanceOne hour per week

• Develop dance technique and coordination: Improve movement accuracy, rhythm, balance, spatial awareness, and the ability to perform coordinated movement sequences. (NCAS DA:Pr5.1.4.a; DA:Pr5.1.5.a; SHAPE America 1.5.5; 1.8.2)
• Interpret musical structure through movement: Respond to rhythm, tempo, phrasing, and changes in musical energy through purposeful physical expression. (NCAS DA:Pr4.1.4.b; DA:Pr4.1.5.b)
• Communicate character through movement: Explore how gesture, posture, timing, and movement quality can express character, emotion, and intention. (NCAS DA:Re8.1.5.a; DA:Pr4.1.5.a, supporting connections)
• Analyze choreography as storytelling: Interpret how movement sequences communicate narrative meaning, relationships, and emotional development. (NCAS DA:Re8.1.4.a; DA:Re8.1.5.a)
• Develop ensemble coordination: Practice synchronization, spatial relationships, responsiveness, and collaborative movement within a group. (NCAS DA:Pr5.1.4.c; DA:Pr5.1.5.c)

Visual ArtsCostume Design, Puppetry & Visual Interpretation

• Interpret character through visual design: Use evidence from a dramatic text to inform choices about costume, appearance, and visual characterization. (NCAS TH:Cr1.1.5.b)
• Analyze visual symbolism: Investigate how color, shape, texture, materials, and visual composition communicate character, setting, mood, and theme. (NCAS TH:Cr1.1.5.b; TH:Re9.1.5.b)
• Apply artistic design principles: Develop sketches, plans, and constructed elements that communicate an intentional interpretation of a dramatic text. (NCAS TH:Cr1.1.5.b; VA:Cr1.2.5.a, supporting connection)
• Explore puppet design and construction: Investigate how form, articulation, materials, and visual features influence a puppet’s expressive possibilities. (NCAS TH:Cr1.1.5.b; TH:Pr5.1.5.b)
• Evaluate theatrical design choices: Explain and justify how visual elements support characterization, dramatic meaning, and audience interpretation. (NCAS TH:Re9.1.5.b)

MathematicsIndividualized Mathematics InstructionTwo hours per week

• Progress at an individual pace: Develop mathematical understanding, accuracy, and fluency through individualized instruction adapted to each student’s current level, learning needs, and pace. (CCSS Mathematics: Individualized grade-level content standards)
• Strengthen mathematical reasoning: Solve problems, explain strategies, check solutions, and apply mathematical understanding to unfamiliar challenges. (CCSS MP1, MP3)

Students continue working at their own mathematical level rather than following a single grade-level curriculum.

Academic Standards Note

WorldWise curriculum draws on recognized educational frameworks, including the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), National Core Arts Standards (NCAS), and SHAPE America’s National Physical Education Standards.

Learning objectives are adapted to students’ ages, abilities, and prior knowledge. Standards references identify relevant academic expectations and supporting connections rather than guaranteeing mastery of every component of a standard.

• THE FINAL PROJECT

  Throughout the five-week adventure, students work toward a culminating theatrical production that brings together the literary, artistic, and technical skills developed throughout the program.

  Rather than simply memorizing lines for a play, students approach their performance as literary interpreters. Drawing from Shakespeare, modern drama, and musical theatre, students analyze, rehearse, design, and perform selected scenes that demonstrate different approaches to theatrical storytelling.

  Students consider not only what happens in each scene, but why. What does each character want? What is the central conflict? What is happening beneath the words? What choices did the playwright make, and why? How might acting, movement, music, costume, scenery, lighting, and staging communicate an interpretation to an audience?

  Students also experience the collaborative nature of theatre by contributing both onstage and behind the scenes. Depending on interests, ages, and production needs, students may contribute through performance, directing, stage management, design, technical elements, music, movement, or other production roles.

  Throughout the program, students maintain their signature WorldWise field journals, combining literary notes, character studies, reflections, sketches, design concepts, production observations, written analysis, and documentation of their learning journey.

  On the final program day, families will be invited to a Stage Scholars final performance and celebration of learning.

• TUITION INCLUDES

  Program fee: USD $2,950 per student

  A non-refundable enrollment deposit of $650 is included in the total tuition.

  • Five-week educational program led by WorldWise educators with Junior Teaching Assistant Meda

  • Monday–Thursday programming for five weeks

  • Classroom/studio-based literary study, rehearsals, workshops, and field-learning experiences

  • Developmentally differentiated learning for ages 9–11 and 12–15 where appropriate

  • Interdisciplinary instruction in literature, writing, theatre, performance, visual design, music, movement, and technical theatre

  • Approximately two hours of small-group math tutorials each week

  • Student tickets to WorldWise-organized professional theatre productions in London

  • WorldWise-organized theatre workshops and learning experiences

  • Workshops in selected areas such as acting, musical theatre, movement, singing, stage combat, set and costume design, lighting, and stage management

  • Required student entry fees for organized program excursions

  • Classroom materials and standard production/project supplies

  • WorldWise field-journal work

  • Rehearsals and preparation for the culminating theatrical production

  • Final Stage Scholars performance and celebration of learning

  • Ongoing parent communication and program coordination

• TUITION DOES NOT INCLUDE

  • Family accommodations in London

  • International or domestic travel to and from England

  • Local family transportation, including airport/train-station transfers and daily travel to program meeting points

  • Meals and snacks; students bring a packed lunch, snacks, and water each day

  • Personal clothing and supplies

  • Travel and medical insurance

  • Optional family theatre tickets or performances not included in the WorldWise student program

  • Parent tickets or participation costs for activities where parent attendance may be available

Interested in joining this adventure? Select ‘Enquire Now’ to complete our Family Questionnaire. We’ll review your inquiry and follow up with information about availability and next steps.

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ACCOMMODATION & TRAVEL PLANNING NOTE

Families will need accommodation in London for the five-week program, April 12–May 13, 2027.

WorldWise will provide enrolled families with guidance about recommended neighborhoods and convenient transport connections once our primary classroom, rehearsal, and workshop locations are finalized. We recommend waiting for this guidance before booking accommodation so that families can choose a location with a convenient commute to the program.

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FAQs ABOUT THE STAGE SCHOLARS LEARNING ADVENTURE

• WHO IS THIS PROGRAM FOR?

  Stage Scholars is designed for curious students aged 9–15 who enjoy stories, characters, reading, writing, theatre, music, visual arts, movement, or creative expression.

  Students do not need previous acting, singing, dancing, or theatre experience. This is not an acting camp or performing-arts intensive. It is an interdisciplinary academic learning adventure that uses theatre as an engaging pathway into literature, character analysis, writing, interpretation, and creative thinking.

  Students will be divided into age groups of 9–11 and 12–15 for portions of the academic and workshop program so that texts, expectations, and analysis can be appropriately differentiated.

• WHERE IS THIS PROGRAM BASED?

  Stage Scholars is based entirely in London.

  Students will have a regular classroom and rehearsal home base for literary study, discussion, rehearsals, design work, and development of their final project. On other program days, we will use London itself as an extension of our classroom—attending selected professional productions, participating in hands-on workshops with theatre practitioners, visiting theatres and creative spaces, and exploring how different professionals bring literature from page to stage.

  Remaining in London for the full program allows students to move continually between studying literature, seeing professional interpretations, learning from theatre-makers, and testing their own ideas in the rehearsal room.

• IN WHICH AREA DO WE BOOK ACCOMMODATION?

  Families will need accommodation in London for Week 1–5. Because classroom, rehearsal, and workshop venues are still being finalized, we recommend waiting for WorldWise location guidance before booking non-refundable accommodation. Enrolled families will receive recommended neighborhoods and transportation information as soon as venues are confirmed.

• CAN YOU HELP US FIND ACCOMMODATION?

  WorldWise will provide enrolled families with suggested neighborhoods and guidance about convenient areas to stay in London. Families are responsible for researching, booking, and paying for their own accommodations.

• WHAT ARE THE PROGRAM HOURS?

  The program runs Monday through Thursday for five weeks. Typical days combine classroom/studio learning, rehearsals, workshops, and field experiences.

  Since the first week in London, theatre days may occasionally run later than normal program hours depending on the performance schedule. Families will receive a detailed schedule, including theatre dates and adjusted drop-off or pick-up times, before the program begins.

• HOW DO WE GET AROUND?

  In London, students and families should expect to rely primarily on public transportation and walking. Families are responsible for transportation to and from the daily WorldWise meeting location.

• WILL A MIDDAY MEAL BE PROVIDED FOR THE CHILDREN?

  No. Students should bring a packed lunch, snacks, and sufficient water each day unless families are informed otherwise for a particular excursion or theatre day.

• WHAT LANGUAGES ARE SPOKEN IN ENGLAND?

  English is the primary language, so there is no language barrier for English-speaking students.

• DOES MY CHILD NEED PREVIOUS THEATRE EXPERIENCE?

  Absolutely not. Stage Scholars is designed for students with a wide range of experience and interests. Some may love being onstage, while others may be fascinated by writing, literature, music, costume, visual design, technology, or what happens behind the scenes. Performance is one of the tools we use to understand literature—not a prerequisite for participating in the program.

• DOES MY CHILD HAVE TO PERFORM?

  Students should be willing to participate actively in the collaborative theatrical process, but Stage Scholars recognizes that theatre involves far more than acting. Students explore both performance and behind-the-scenes roles, including areas such as design, directing, stage management, movement, music, and technical theatre. All students will be expected to contribute meaningfully to the final collaborative production, but meaningful contribution does not necessarily mean playing a leading role onstage.

• WILL MY CHILD RECEIVE A CERTIFICATION?

  No formal certification is currently included. Students will complete a substantial body of interdisciplinary academic and creative work, including literary analysis, written reflections, field-journal work, character and scene studies, design work, theatre critiques, rehearsals, and contributions to the final production. A program summary or learning documentation can be provided to families upon request.

• WHAT SUPPLIES SHOULD MY CHILD BRING?

  Students will need comfortable clothing and shoes suitable for walking, movement, rehearsals, and England’s changeable spring weather, along with a comfortable daypack, reusable water bottle, and basic classroom supplies. Students may also be asked to bring simple rehearsal clothing or other performance-related items once the final production has been developed. A complete packing and school-supply list will be sent to families before the program begins.

• CAN PARENTS JOIN ANY PART OF THE PROGRAM?

  Parents may be able to purchase their own tickets and attend selected professional theatre performances in London alongside the WorldWise group when ticket availability allows. Parent tickets are not included in student tuition. Some additional activities may also be open to parents depending on venue capacity and program arrangements. Families will be invited to attend the final Stage Scholars performance and celebration of learning in London.

We have answered the most commonly asked questions about our Learning Adventures. You can take a look at them here.

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