FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 5, 2007

CONTACT:  Pat Verner Program & Communication Director

CABARRUS ARTS COUNCIL BRINGING NC SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL’S GLOBEWORKS TO LOCAL HIGH SCHOOLS MARCH 7-9

Local high school students will experience live performances of scenes from some of Shakespeare’s most famous plays this week (March 7-9), thanks to the Cabarrus Arts Council’s Students Take pART in the ARTs program.

The North Carolina Shakespeare Company’s Globeworks will perform at each high school in the Cabarrus County and Kannapolis City school systems. A cast of four professional actors will create scenes from Much Ado About Nothing, The Taming of the Shrew, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth and The Merchant of Venice. The performance will give students the opportunity to experience the excitement of the Bard’s plays in a live, interactive performance environment, the way Shakespeare intended his plays to be enjoyed.

Schools received a detailed study guide to help teachers incorporate the performance into their lesson plans. This will be the third time that the arts council has brought Globeworks to local high schools.

The Cabarrus Arts Council brings a curriculum-enhancing professional cultural arts performance to students in every grade in local schools each year. Last fall, students in middle school saw African-American storyteller Donna Washington or bluegrass musician Charles Pettee and fourth and fifth graders were captivated by the Open Dream Ensemble’s original production, The Amazing Adventure of Anna Marie. Later this spring, second and third graders will enjoy a musical version of Stuart Little and grades kindergarten and first and preschoolers will be treated to a concert by musician Roger Day.

Students Take pART in the ARTs is made possible by arts council sponsors CTC, First Charter and The Independent Tribune.

The Cabarrus Arts Council’s primary mission is to bring the arts to all of Cabarrus County’s citizens. Other programs include Pops in the Park concerts, Art Walks in downtown Concord and grants to artists and arts organizations. The arts council’s offices are located in the Historic Cabarrus Courthouse, which is undergoing renovation to include the Adam Crawford Grant Jr. Memorial Gallery and two other art galleries and the Davis Theatre for the performing arts. For more information, please call 704-920-ARTS (2787) or visit www.cabarrusartscouncil.org ###