Prospective Student FAQ
"Over nine weeks, we devoted ourselves to just three plays, returning to them again and again, reading deeply and then deeper still. With each return, new questions emerged, and for the first time, I had the freedom to ponder them rather than feel compelled to arrive at an answer. Most importantly, however, spending what amounted to hundreds of hours with these plays reaffirmed, again and again and with renewed certainty, how much I truly love this work.”
-Libby Hayhurst, Class of 2026
- Why Winedale?
“Winedale has its own ambience, it's clear. Being separated from town obviously provides focus for what we’re doing. It isolates the students and really gets them into not only the play’s spirit but the play. They learn it from the inside out, by painting the picture while they’re in it. It accomplishes a lot of other things in the process, but the intent is to study the play through performance.” - Doc Ayres, Founding Director
"Being on such a small campus and with such a small class, you really have the time to get to know yourself on a deeper level. While you are in that self-reflection, you are also quite literally studying the life of another person and copying all that they say. The interesting part is that you're studying literature and experiencing personal growth where by the end of the summer, it's a connection of pure empathy between you and your characters." - David Patridge, Class of 2026
- Who Should Apply To Winedale?
"If you love being outside and learning about Shakespeare, you should apply! I was not a theatre major and had never performed in a play before applying to Winedale, and learned so much from the experience and from my peers, very few of whom were theatre majors either" - Madeleine Johnson Class of 2023 and 2024
Shakespeare at Winedale is intended for students from all disciplines who are prepared to take risks and commit themselves to a creatively and intellectually demanding style of performance. Application is by interview, not audition.
Students from any college or university will be considered, with some preference given to undergraduates. The keys to success at Winedale are a fertile imagination, an eagerness to learn, a willingness to play, and a high level of dedication and stamina. The program is designed for all abilities and performance experience.
We're committed to ensuring Winedale stays accessible to everyone. Each student will receive a scholarship to apply to the activity fee — additional need-based scholarships are always available.
Applications will be posted here in January 2027.
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- What is a Typical Day at Winedale?
“The level of intensity and immersion at Winedale is truly unlike any other academic program. On most days, I spent ten to fourteen hours analyzing texts, conducting dramaturgical research, studying both Elizabethan theater and adaptation, rehearsing and performing Shakespeare, and contributing to nearly every aspect of performance, from costumes, playbills, and lighting to directing.”
—Libby Hayhurst, Class of 2026
Daily Scheldue (pre-performance weekends)
7:45 morning movement (volleyball, Ultimate Frisbee, soccer, yoga)
8:15 breakfast and community chores
9:00 morning session in and around the barn: workshopping scenes, exploring Shakespeare through performance
12:30 lunch and nap time
1:45 line review time
2:30 afternoon session in (air conditioned!) classroom and craft room, which can include: reading and class discussion; skill-building workshops; one-one-one sessions with director; project time to work on costumes, props, and music
5:30 indoor fitness: dance, Pilates, yoga
6:00 dinner
6:45 evening barn session, until around 10pm: performing the days scenes and refining them further
Sundays are a later start (9:30 am) and include journalling time in the morning and a movie night in the evening.
Students live in updated dorms on site with very nice AC.
- What do Winedalers Go on To Do?
What starts in a hay barn changes the world.
Winedale alumni take the program's unique, rigorous training and use it to succeed across countless fields. Here are a few:
John Rando - Tony award winning theatre director
Michael Barker - Co President of Sony Picture Classics
Bruce Meyer - President of the Jefferson Health System
Mike Godwin - Creator of "Godwins Law" and the notion of the "Internet Meme"
The Founding Four Rude Mechs - The iconic multi award winning Austin theatre company
James Loehlin - Literary historian, professor, stage director and Director of Shakespeare At Winedale (2000-2024)
Robert Faires - Legendary Arts Editor of the Austin Chronicle
and countless other professionals, educators, and artists across the world.
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If you have any questions or concerns you would like to express before registering for the class, please feel free to reach out to shakespeare@austin.utexas.edu.