Conservatory Celebrates 10 Years of Shakespeare

On Jan. 9, the SAG-AFTRA New York Conservatory celebrated a milestone: the 10th anniversary of Melinda Hall’s Shakespeare class. Hall and a group of Conservatory students gathered in the multipurpose room at the SAG-AFTRA New York office to celebrate the occasion with games, videos of Shakespeare inspiration and a dance lesson of a short, early modern jig by guest choreographer Bridget Bose.

“Congratulations to Melinda for a decade of providing exceptional education to her fellow union performers. The impact of Melinda’s teaching extends far beyond the generation of actors who are her students, but to the thousands of audience members who have been given the gift of Shakespeare by her pupils,” said SAG-AFTRA EVP and New York Local President Rebecca Damon. “It is this commitment to members by members that make the New York Conservatory an outstanding program for our union.”

New York Conservatory Chair Verania Kenton echoed the sentiment saying, “A decade is a long time. I’m honored and humbled that Melinda has stuck with us all this time. The SAG-AFTRA New York Conservatory is very fortunate to have her, and Conservatory members are better equipped because of the knowledge and skills that she shares with them every month. We take inspiration from the passion, hard work and loyalty that she has displayed throughout these years of service. Congratulations, Melinda, on your 10-year Conservatory anniversary!”

Photo: Melinda Hall, center, and students of her Shakespeare class celebrate 10 years as part of the New York Conservatory.