Playhouse Studio

2026 Sessions

Shakespeare Session with Breshaun Joyner

6 weeks Monday nights
February 16 – March 23

Step into the world of Shakespeare with an immersive, beginner-friendly acting course designed specifically for adults. In this engaging six week class, students will break down and dissect Shakespeare’s rich and varied language and transform seemingly daunting texts into clear, dynamic performance pieces. Through a balanced mix of monologue work and scene study, students will develop essential skills in dialogue delivery, timing, and collaborative performance—all in a supportive format.

Shakespeare Session emphasizes hands-on exploration like analyzing key passages, unravelling the rhythm and meaning behind Shakespeare’s words, and experimenting with vocal and physical expression. Each student will receive a study guide to aid in understanding the language and context of the plays, ensuring a confident approach to the material.

The course concludes with a showcase for family and friends, providing a wonderful opportunity to celebrate progress and share, hopefully, a newfound passion for Shakespearean performance. Whether one is stepping onto the stage for the first time or seeking to reconnect with the classics, this class offers a dynamic, fun, and educational journey into the enduring works of Shakespeare.

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Actor’s Refresh Session

6 weeks- Monday 6pm-9pm

September 14 – October 26

No class on Indigenous People’s Day

Week 1: Bring in your own scene – something you love from TV, Film, or Theater, no need to be memorized.

Weeks 1 and 2: breaking down a scene, serving the script, finding the conflict, and world building; acting for theater vs tv/film

Week 3: Assigned scenes: subtext, active listening, and tricks to stay present and out of your head

Week 4: Emotional flexibility and caring for your instrument

Week 5: Assigned Scenes: the audition process from start to finish

Week 6: Putting it all together, taking (ie: translating) direction, and personalized “your acting business” Q&A

Master Class Series

$25 per ticket

Writers Panel –

March 1 from 12PM – 2PM on Playhouse Stage

Musical Theatre –

May 3 from 12PM – 4pm

FINANCIAL SUPPORT

The Santa Fe Playhouse believes all of our programs should be available and accessible. If you are in need of financial assistance, we offer scholarships and sliding scale pricing.

Scholarship applications are encouraged from students who identify as members of populations historically denied equity, access, inclusion, or belonging, or who have been marginalized or underrepresented.

Please email studio@santafeplayhouse.org to learn more. We do not want the price to be a barrier to participation—let us work with you to make it happen.

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Introducing Our Playhouse Studio Team:

Instructor Breshaun-Birene Joyner (Shakespeare Session)

Breshaun-Birene Joyner is a performer and educator living in Santa Fe, New Mexico. As a performer, her most recent work was Aphra Behn in Santa Fe Playhouse’s recent production of Liz Duffy Adam’s Or,. Breshaun is also an Associate Artist with the Incite Shakespeare Company. A few of her roles with ISC include Lady Percy in Henry the Fourth Part I, Casca in Julius Caesar, and Lady Capulet in Romeo and Juliet as well roles in the ISC’s BAR(d) program – Olivia (Twelfth Night), Macbeth (Macbeth) and Cleopatra (Antony and Cleopatra).

As an educator, Breshaun has taught for over twenty years in traditional and non-traditional learning environments from Shakespeare performance summer camps for kindergarten students (yes, kindergarten) to teacher education college classrooms. She was also the Education Director for several years at the Bloomington Playwrights Project, a non-profit performing arts theater dedicated to the production and development of new plays in Bloomington, Indiana. Breshaun currently teaches eighth grade English and the occasional Shakespeare honors course at Santa Fe Preparatory School. She holds a MA in Children’s Literature and is pursuing a doctorate in Shakespeare pedagogy, specifically designing curriculum applying Shakespeare in interdisciplinary contexts.

Instructor Kate Bergeron (Actor Refresh)

Kate Bergeron (she/her) is a working actor (Network TV, Film, Stage, Commercial), writer, singer, and teacher/coach with a BFA in musical theater from The Acting Conservatory at the Chicago College of Performing Arts. Kate has taught acting for both stage and screen in Chicago, Los Angeles, and now New Mexico. After performing in two Santa Fe Playhouse productions (You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, and The Thanksgiving Play), Kate is honored to join the team as an educator.

Instructor Kelsey Landon (Education Coordinator)

KELSEY LANDON (She, Her) is a member of Actors Equity. She has performed at Lincoln Center, Broadway’s New Victory Theater, and multiple touring productions across the United States. She teaches Shakespeare and the basics of acting for Masters in Directing students. She is a recent transplant to New Mexico and loves the community of artists in Albuquerque and Santa Fe.