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Free Performance Workshops
Learn from our professional network!
Shakespeare in the Wild is a nonprofit bringing free, professional Shakespeare and acting workshops to the Denver metro area.
Workshops take place at the brand-new rehearsal studio 1400 Dallas Arts in Aurora and are 18+ only. (Youth workshops coming soon—stay tuned!)
Reserve your spot today.
Space is limited!
Clowning with Nick Trotter
March 1–2 | 6–9 PM | 1400 Dallas Arts
Led by Nick Trotter
Two-day workshop!
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Clown is a state of being — a vital, vibrant way to act in the world.
This workshop is for performers who want to dig into their own, ridiculous humanity, be present in the moment, and risk laughter and joy. We will work on reducing tension (in the body AND the mind), and expand our circles of comfort.
We will play without language, to focus on presence and action, and explore how the subtlest interactions are rife with drama and comedy.
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We will cover the basics of physical comedy, including the Clown’s special relationship with the audience, and finally develop characters, games, and the comic routines that result.
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Handmade, custom, latex red noses will be provided.
Nick Trotter has been Clowning for over twenty-five years, in theaters across America and in Canada, Mexico, and Brazil. His Clown Ferdinand the Magnificent played at the Boulder and Victoria Fringe Festivals, and the New York Clown Theater Festival, and he performed a Butoh-inspired Clown piece, Idiopathic, at the People’s Building in Aurora in 2019. He has taught mask work, Commedia dell’Arte, Bouffon, and puppetry in California, Utah, and all over the Front Range, and has been teaching and playing in the improv comedy scene around Denver since 2010. He has an MFA in physical theater from Dell’Arte International, and currently makes puppets and props at Casa Bonita.
Monologue Prep
with Leigh Miller
March 16th | 6–9 PM | 1400 Dallas Arts
Led by Leigh Miller
​Wanna improve your audition pieces? Do you feel like working with Shakespeare's text can be tricky? Join Leigh Miller for an evening to get some tricks of your own. Learn how to prep your monologue, how to make strong choices that help you stand out in auditions, and how to breathe life into the poetry.
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​Bring a printed copy of your monologue, a pencil and paper, and some water.
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​Leigh Miller is the Founder and Producing Artistic Director of Shakespeare in the Wild. He has an MFA from the National Theatre Conservatory and has performed Shakespeare from coast to coast. He is a teaching artist at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts and the Denver School for the Arts.
Viewpoints
with Aaron Vega
March 30th | 6–9 PM | 1400 Dallas Arts
Led by Aaron Vega
Actor/Producer and Director of The Comedy of Errors, Aaron Vega will be leading a training session for anyone interested in learning to create dynamic compositions on stage, build an ensemble, or become more physically connected in their acting work. Based on The Physical Viewpoints Technique, established by Anne Bogart, Tina Landau, & the City Company, participants will get on their feet, learn the technique's 9 physical viewpoints, and activate the physical and psychological aspects of performance in the context of ensemble staging.
The exercises are designed for artists with a strong knowledge of themselves and their physical abilities.
Unarmed Combat
with Chrys Duran
Unarmed Combat Workshop
May 4th | 6–8 PM | 1400 Dallas Arts
Led by Chrys Duran
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Chrys will be teaching a 2-hour unarmed stage combat workshop, teaching the basic building blocks of stage violence. With an emphasis on safety and partnering, you will learn pushes, falls, slaps, and punches, and be able to put it all together in a choreographed combination at the end.
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​Chrys is an Advanced Actor-Combatant and Associate Instructor with Dueling Arts International, certified to teach six weapon disciplines. Chrys has choreographed stage combat all over Denver, having recently won the 2026 OSCA award for Choreography for The Legend of Anne Bonny (Shifted Lens Theatre Company). Other credits include 237 Virginia Avenue (Local Theater Company), Head Over Heels (Shifted Lens Theatre Company), and numerous children's theatre and high school productions. Chrys implements their teaching at a stage combat intensive every spring, certifying actors in six weapons at the first level.
