In the first week of January, Hopkins Drama teacher Mike Calderone had the opportunity to travel to Nassau, Bahamas, to help a new non-profit theatre company develop an educational outreach program.

In the first week of January, Mike Calderone had the opportunity to travel to Nassau, Bahamas, to help a new non-profit theatre company develop an educational outreach program.  The company, Shakespeare in Paradise, presented The Tempest as their first production this past fall and wanted to supplement their show with small drama residencies for the local Bahamian public schools.  Originally, Mike's undergraduate director from Rutgers University, Joseph Hart, was scheduled to conduct workshops intended to train native Bahamians drama techniques so they could then teach the local children.  Due to an unfortunate biking accident, Hart was unable to conduct the teacher workshops and suggested Mike go in his place.  Teaching thirteen arts educators in the unfinished loft of a Shakespeare in Paradise founder's house, Mike followed the curriculum of his 2009 HILL workshop, "Drama in the Classroom", and infused a few style techniques developed by Hart's performance company, The Shoestring Players.  Although the weather was unusually colder for Nassau that time of year, Mike found a warm reception from the participants and looks forward to future workshops in paradise.