Off Canvas Desktop

Off Canvas Mobile

Royal Shakespeare Company Partnership

A group of people stand in the foreground with a wooden wall and red soundproofing panels in the background.
A tour guide gestures to a seated audience in the wooden tiered seating of an open-air theater, with more spectators visible in the background.
A man in a blue sweater gestures while reading from a book, with two teenagers holding books in the foreground and a hallway with other students in the background.
In the foreground, a group of teenagers stand in a circle holding papers, while in the background, a teacher gestures towards a projector screen in a classroom.
Two people are high-fiving in the foreground, with a blurred background of a room with recycling bins and a door.
A young man holds a script in the foreground of a theater rehearsal space, while a director gestures to a group of students in the background.
A woman in the foreground holds open a colorful book while a screen in the background displays an image of dolphins.
Four people in casual clothing are practicing a dance routine on a wooden floor, with red acoustic panels and chairs visible in the background.
A group of people stands on a stone path in front of a half-timbered building with a thatched roof.
In the foreground, people sit in chairs, while in the background, a woman stands and gestures towards a screen displaying a beach scene.
Two women are sitting on a wooden floor, one reading from a paper while the other gestures, with a blurred background of a room with red walls and a table of items.
A group of children sit in a circle on a grassy lawn, listening to an adult instructor, with trees and a building in the background.
Three women stand in a large room with red curtains and a piano in the background, while the foreground shows a section of a circular design on the floor.
In the foreground, an older woman with glasses and gray hair gestures with her right hand, while a younger woman smiles in the background, with artwork and a window visible.
A woman gestures while speaking to a seated audience in a room with red acoustic panels on the walls.
A group of seven people hold hands in a circle around a large wooden table covered in papers and books, with a whiteboard and projector screen visible in the background.
Two boys duel with toy swords on a stage with a black backdrop, while other children watch from behind them.
A group of people stand in a circle on a wooden floor in a room with red acoustic panels on the walls.
A group of nine people stands in the foreground of a theater with rows of empty red seats stretching into the background.
A teacher leads a group of young children in a circle game on a patterned rug, with shelves of educational materials and a window visible in the background.

Since 2015, Horace Mann School has partnered with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) to transform teaching and learning across the school. This collaboration has become a key element of HM's instructional approach and brings powerful professional development to teachers in all divisions.

Horace Mann School’s partnership with the RSC brings their signature pedagogy based on rehearsal-room techniques to N-12 faculty, introducing strategies that invite students to explore Shakespeare’s complex stories, situations, and language, bringing the plays to life in the classroom. While rooted in the study of Shakespeare, these techniques have proven effective far beyond English classrooms, enriching instruction in history, modern languages, and early childhood education.

Throughout the school year, RSC teaching artists visit HMs campuses to train faculty and lead students through lively, hands-on exercises based on how actors and directors explore a play. Through a combination of the RSC’s one-on-one training, work in classrooms, and curriculum development tailored to each program and grade level, HM faculty have transformed these approaches into powerful classroom tools for close reading, collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, and social-emotional development, skills that enhance learning across grades and disciplines.

Read Faculty Testimonials About their RSC Experience

Working with True Experts

My favorite aspect of the on-site training in Stratford was getting the opportunity to work with true experts. They are incredibly gifted and were very prepared for our visit. It’s rare for me to experience that feeling for four days straight! There was a lot of warmth through it all.

Power of Words

The power of words and the emphasis on tone and emotion is something we worked on a lot. Being able to help my students see the importance of telling stories is something I will take back with me to the classroom. So many of the writing/acting exercises and games we learned will make sense in our classrooms.

Grateful

I’m very grateful to have had this experience for so many reasons, including the quality time I had with my colleagues. I really appreciated getting to know the people I work with all the time so much better as well as others I really didn’t know at all. It meant a lot to travel and spend time with a group of very inspiring and impressive teachers. I learned a lot from them.

The key elements of the Horace Mann School and the Royal Shakespeare Company partnership include:

  • RSC educators leading student workshops integrated into classroom instruction
  • Teacher training between HM faculty and RSC educators, including one-on-one professional development and on-site, department-wide sessions
  • Curriculum consultation and planning 
  • Playwriting projects leading to performances of student-written work by RSC actors, directly involving them in the page-to-stage process
  • A week-long summer residency experience in Stratford-upon-Avon, England for a cohort of faculty on the RSC's campus, to study with RSC teaching artists
  • Conferences and professional learning events, such as the 2025 "Teaching Shakespeare Today" conference, co-hosted by HM and the RSC open not only to HM faculty but also to independent and public school educators across the tri-state area

This unique partnership reflects Horace Mann School's commitment to innovative teaching, meaningful professional growth, and joyful learning. By fostering the exchange of ideas and practices between two renowned institutions, the collaboration continues to enrich classroom instruction and deepen students' engagement at every stage of their education at HM.

Questions or Need Assistance?

For questions and assistance, please contact Dr. Adam Casdin, RSC Coordinator, at adam_casdin@horacemann.org or (718) 432-3772.