Shakespeare in the Schools (SITS)

About SITS

Touring Outreach Program

Shakespeare-in-the-Schools (SITS) was the touring outreach program of the Department of Theatre Arts at the University of Pittsburgh.

SITS educated, engaged and entertained students and teachers throughout the tri-state region with touring shows of Shakespeare and other classic works, artist residencies, teacher workshops, and school matinees.

 To achieve that mission, Shakespeare-in-the-Schools specifically:

  • brought the experience of professionally performed, classical dramatic literature—including Shakespeare—to students in public and private schools throughout the tri-state region;
  • created customized in-school residencies, with alternative co-curricular experiences to help students gain confidence through the acquisition and refinement of theatrical and life skills;
  • trained K-12 educators in the possibilities of using dramatic techniques in the teaching of curricular material, as well as methods to demystify and clarify the artistic, literary, cultural, and historical significance of the Shakespearean canon and other classic works to students;
  • acclimated students who attended school matinees at the University of Pittsburgh to the customs and pleasures of attending live performances; and offered affordable, high-impact events that provide exposure to theatre as an art form and to Shakespeare as dramatic literature.

History of SITS