D. G. Menchetti Young Shakespeare Program

Since 2002 Young Shakespeare has served over 49,000 children and their families. 

In honor and recognition of our Chair Emeritus, Geno Menchetti, we renamed our educational outreach performances the D. G. Menchetti Young Shakespeare Program in 2004.  

Each year the D.G. Menchetti Young Shakespeare Program presents an interactive, one hour interpretation of a Shakespeare Classic created with the young audience member in mind.   Taking the work of the bard to several venues throughout the Reno/Sparks, Minden and Tahoe/Truckee area.

This FREE educational outreach program offers audience members a great live theatre experience and provides a wonderful opportunity to young aspiring actors from regional Middle and High Schools who, through auditions are selected to join a cast of professional actors, director and production team.

Join us for the 2012 D.G. Menchetti Young Shakespeare Program's production of
The Two Gentlemen of Verona...

The D.G. Menchetti Young Shakespeare Program's production of The Two Gentlemen of Verona promises to be a highly energetic, fun and interactive experience for all the family.

"Love is blind..." 

This production, set in the 1920's, is a tale of friendship, love, betrayal and reconciliation. With great costumes, music, audience interaction and of course some of Shakespeare’s most hilarious characters it promises to be fun for all the family!

Click here  to visit our YS Two Gentlemen of Verona page for a synopsis and character breakdown!

Coming to a D.G. Menchetti Young Shakespeare performance at Sand Harbor

Here are a few tips on coming to Sand Harbor for the performances of the D.G. Menchetti Young Shakespeare Program.

Weather: 

Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival's theatre at Sand Harbor is a great venue to enjoy the wonderful works of the Bard. However, it is an outdoor venue so it's sensible to thnk about the weather. The show starts at 10am which means it can go from cool to warm to hot in a short space of time, so it's important to remember to bring protection from the sun (hats, sunglasses, sunscreen and water) and also a long sleeve T-shirt/sweater if the weather is cooler. You can also purchase  t-shirts, water and many other wonderful items at our merchandise booth!

Parking: 

Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival's theatre is within Sand Harbor Nevada State Park -  the park charges a parking fee: $10 in state, $12 out of state - they don't take cards!! Come to Sand Harbor State Park early - the Park Rangers operate the entrance to the park and it can get very busy over the summer months which can mean a line of cars waiting to get in. Carpooling is a great way to help reduce the line of cars coming into the park and save money on the entrance fee!

Food and Beverages: 

We encourage you to bring snacks and water to our shows but please spare a thought for the lovely LTSF staff and volunteers who have to make sure the theatre is ready for the mainstage performances at night. You can also purchase water from our merchandise booth!

Belongings: 

Check you have everything before you leave the theatre - each year we collect a large number of hats, sunglasses, cameras, video cameras and all manner of forgotten things. Come meet the cast after the show to say hello! Make sure to bring your beach attire so you can enjoy the lake after the show!

Donations:

While the D.G. Menchetti Young Shakespeare Program is FREE to attend unfortunately it does cost money to make it happen every year! The production is made possible in-part by grants from the Nevada Arts Council, the Robert Z. Hawkins Foundation. However we rely of donations from the community to make this wonderful program for both aspiring actors and young audience theatre goers possible. Please consider making a donation on the day you attend to help make future performances and productions possible. Our suggested donation is: $5 per adult and $1 per child.

Suggested Donation $5 per adult $1 per child

Performance schedule

See the table below for a schedule of venues. We will do six performances at our home venue, Sand Harbor State Park, and tour the Reno/Sparks/Tahoe region with additional shows. Although the performances are free, reservations are required to limit capacity at each venue. 

Reservations are required due to capacity limits at each venue and are available through this website.

Please call 775.832.1616 if you are ordering tickets for a group of 10 or more.

  Video of The Tempest 2010

Suggested Donation $5 per adult $1 per child