Youth Programs

Youth Programs is part of African-American Shakespeare Company and focuses on making the arts more accessible for Bay Area students through free performances and educational programs. The organization produces work from the canon of classical theatre, including Shakespeare and plays by American and world playwrights, with an approach that is lively, entertaining, and relevant. Its work has at its core an African-American aesthetic, grounded in an American sensibility and a commitment to artistic and cultural experience.

African-American Shakespeare Company was introduced in 1994. Youth Programs are supported by the company’s mission to make classical theatre more inclusive by centering Black and diverse voices, creating opportunities for artists of color, and bringing Shakespeare and other timeless stories to wider audiences. The Arts Education Program Coordinator, Nazeerah Rashad, has over 18 years of theatrical experience and has previously worked as a musical theater instructor and director, the Chair on the Board of Directors of the Cultural Arts and Diversity Resource Center, and a Live Studio Assistant at HWY17 Studios.

Last updated August 16, 2026.