Now in its 14th year, Willpower! is Burning Coal’s Education Outreach program for public and private schools throughout central North Carolina.  Willpower! was developed to educate elementary, middle, and high school students about the works of William Shakespeare. Led by NYU MFA and published playwright, Ian Finley, Willpower! places professional theatre artists in schools for residencies, workshops, and performances.  In addition to Shakespeare, Willpower! teaches students about the art of voice, movement, and playwriting. Read More »

Burning Coal’s Director of Education Ian Finley leads an eight-session class on acting and enjoying Shakespeare.  Get up on your feet and explore the Bard’s language!

Suitable for anyone interested in Shakespeare, no experience necessary.

To encourage the young writers of North Carolina, Burning Coal each year holds a festival of new plays, written by students from 6th grade to 12th grade from Wake and seven surrounding counties in North Carolina. We will be accepting submissions of one-act plays from students and producing a number of them in June 2012 at the Murphey School. Please help us spread the word and help our next generation of writers!

All original one-act plays, less than 45 pages in standard manuscript format and written by a student, grades 6 through 12, are eligible.  Please send submissions along with a letter including your name, address, email address or phone number, grade and school.

Submissions must be received by March 1, 2012.  Writers will be notified by mid-April.

Burning Coal will come to you! Have us perform a classical play (this year, Man of La Mancha by Darion, Leigh and Wasserman) at your school. Performances can take place morning or afternoon. The production is flexible and self-contained; all we need is a blank stage. Performances followed by a talkback with cast, and accompanied with a study guide to the performance.

To encourage the young writers of North Carolina, Burning Coal will hold its 5th annual festival of new plays, written by students from 6th grade to 12th grade. We will be accepting submissions of one-act plays from students and producing selected plays in June, 2012.  Please help us spread the word and help our next generation of writers! Read More »

A two week conservatory for students in grades 6-8 who want to explore all the possibilities the theatre offers.  Students learn techniques of movement, vocal production, and character study in the mornings and apply those techniques in rehearsing an original play in the afternoons, with a culminating production of that play created by the students themselves at the end of the session.  Taught by Burning Coal’s Director of Education, Ian Finley.

STC Sr. is our intensive, three-week conservatory for high school students interested in rigorous, professional training.

The conservatories are led by:
Ian Finley (NYU MFA & Burning Coal’s Education Director)

Last year, Ian Finley was joined by the Director of Education for the Folger Theatre in Washington, DC.  A similar quality educator will be hired again this year!  Students will learn a wide variety of subjects and techniques in classes with guest artists from fine educational institutions and professional theatres like:

Preston Lane, Triad Stage – The Business of Acting
John Gulley, UNC Greensboro – Meisner
Lori Mahl, professional Broadway actress
Greg Horn, Artistic Director of Transactors
Kirby Wahl, Elon College – The Fitzmaurice Method Read More »

Watch the STC Promo

Join Burning Coal’s Artistic Director, Jerome Davis, as he teaches his annual, eight-week scene study class based on the concepts expressed in Uta Hagen’s landmark book Respect for Acting. Davis studied with Uta Hagen at HB Studios in New York for seven years. Class will be founded in Hagen’s “object exercises.” Students will have the opportunity to work each week on scenes Read More »