FDU: Backstage with the Bard

Fairleigh Dickinson University, with two campuses in northern New Jersey as well as campuses in Vancouver, Canada and Wroxton, England, is always on the hunt for new and exciting ways to expand its opportunities for hands-on student learning inside and outside the classroom. Most recently, FDU announced a five-year partnership between Wroxton College/UK and the Royal Shakespeare Company. The program, called FDU at the RSC, is exclusive to FDU and provides a unique experience for students while they’re abroad. “I can’t help but be excited to be part of FDU Theater’s pilot program,” says Selena Jean Pierre, a junior theater major, “It’s another opportunity to improve my skills as an actor.”

Tom King, RSC Learning Partnerships Manager, says that the program “will allow students to experience how our actors and directors engage with Shakespeare’s language and the craft of theater.” Alongside FDU, the Royal Shakespeare Company aims to “inspire the next generation of theater makers.” And inspire it has: “Having a connection with the RSC means stepping into the life I so desperately want to lead one day.” Says Kayla Holmes, a sophomore majoring in musical theater, “With countless opportunities to talk back with other actors, I rejoice to look my dreams in the face. When I return to the US, I will have developed an enhanced perspective of my craft because of the RSC.”