Hampshire Shakespeare Co. received a grant to fund scholarships for its weeklong program for children 7 to 12 called “Social Emotional Growth Through Theater.”

Drama therapist Carissa Dagenais will run this pilot program this summer allowing children to explore social skill building and practice emotional awareness and empathy through theater. Carissa, who has been a lead teacher for Hampshire Shakespeare’s annual summer camps at Williston Northampton School, says the pilot program, if successful, could open the door to more drama therapy-based programming in the Pioneer Valley.

The grant will fund scholarships for three children who otherwise would not be able to attend the camp.

Emily participated in Hampshire Shakespeare camps as a child, was a member of the first Young Company, played many roles over the years on the mainstage and taught workshops as a young adult. She would love knowing that one of her grants is going to help this organization that she loved so much.