"I just loved this camp - and loved the way it allowed kids to build friendship and create an imaginative piece they could share with their families. Our favorite camp!" - Parent

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We offer year-round classes for all ages

Below is our core mission when it comes to teaching classes:
Shaking the Tree Studio is a laboratory for tomorrow's theatre makers. By using the same principles we hold dear for play-making, we seek to provide students with rich and varied literature, allow them to explore it through immersion, and witness them experience a deeper connection of thought, feeling, and action, as a result.

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Fall classes 
​October 5th - November 21st
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Offerings for Elementary Students

Fairytales from around the World (Ages 5-8)

$199.00

Saturdays 10am - 12pm

October 5th - November 16th

Final Performance 11/16 at 11:30am

Explore a treasure trove of tales from around the world, where magic abounds, and things are never what they seem. Young heroes and heroines must use their wits, and if they're are lucky, they'll be aided by mysterious beings, or objects, along their journey. Students will work on a different story each week, and present their favorite one to family and friends during the final class.

Instructor: Liz Hayden

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Greek Myths- Stories of Sun, Stone and Sea (Ages 8-11)

$199.00

CLASS FULL

Wednesdays 4:00pm -5:30pm
October 9th - November 20th
Final Performance: 11/20 at 5pm


Atalanta is the fastest runner in the world but will only marry the man who can beat her in a race; Perseus must destroy the snake-headed gorgon, Medusa; Pandora has been given the gift of curiosity, what will happen if she opens the forbidden magic jar? Pegasus, the miraculous flying horse, has never been tamed. Can Bellerophon catch him? Students will explore ten of the greatest stories from the world of Greek Mythology, starring mischievous Gods and Goddesses, Brave Heroes, and Heroines, and amazing magical animals, and choose their favorite to perform for family and friends.


Instructor: Samantha Van Der Merwe

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Beginning Improv (Ages 8-11)

$199.00

Saturdays 1:00pm - 2:30pm

October 5th - November 16th

Final Performance 11/16 at 2:00pm

Have a blast learning the basics of Improvisation through tons of fun games and group activities! Discuss the fundamentals of what makes a scene fun and learn to apply it to your own acting, while learning skills that are crucial in theatre and life. The class will culminate in a showcase during the final class, to show off your new skills to loved ones.

Instructor: Emma Stewart

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Offerings for Middle and High School Students

Tales of the Greek Heroes (Ages 11-14)

$199.00

Mondays 4:30pm - 6:00pm

October 7th - November 18th

Final Performance: 11/18 at 5:30pm

The beautiful land of Greece is haunted by more than three thousand years of legend and history. In this gripping retelling of the Heroic Age, you'll meet the mighty Poseidon, God of the Sea; Zeus, the king of Heaven and Earth; Hades, Lord of the Dead; Artemis the Huntress; Aphrodite, Immortal Lady of Beauty and Love; and many more mortals and gods. Their adventures are some of the oldest and most famous stories in the world.

Students will explore a different story each week and share their favorite one with family and friends at the final class.

Instructor: Liz Hayden

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Intermediate Improv (Ages 11-14)

$199.00

Saturdays 3:00pm - 4:30pm

October 5th - November 16th

Final Performance 11/16 at 4:00pm

Expand your skills in comedy and improvisation through improv games and ensemble based activities. Work as a team to improve your awareness and group mind onstage, while learning skills that are useful in theatre and life. The class will culminate in a showcase during the final class, to show off your new skills to loved ones.

Instructor: Emma Stewart

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Antigone (Ages 14 & up)

$398.00

Tues and Thurs 4:00pm - 5:30pm

October 8th - November 21st

Final Performance: 11/21 at 5pm

The premise of the play is simple enough. Antigone, the daughter of Oedipus, buries her brother’s body, although it is decreed unlawful, and Kreon, the king of Thebes, sentences her to death. Each character is inextricably connected to another, and each action comes to affect the life of another character.

We will use Anne Carson's interpretation of Antigone as a bouncing off point to create scenes from the play, and present those scenes to family and friends at our final performance.

If a person were to pick up a copy of “Antigonick,” by Anne Carson, the cover will say it is a translation of Sophocles’s “Antigone.” The script of “Antigonick,” however, is more than a translation; it is an interpretation intertwined with artistic renderings, an odd mix between a graphic novel and a lyrical retelling—more a contained, visual experience than a traditional read.

The class will also be enhanced by 5 guest artists, all collaborators at Shaking the Tree, who will each visit one session and teach a specialized skill to students. Those new skills will be applied to the telling of Antigone.

Primary Instructor: Ted Gold

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Can't pay the full price right now?

We have options for you:
​If you would like to make two separate payments for a class, EMAIL US HERE and we will bill you once on sign up, and again on the first day of class. 
No student will be turned away for lack of funds. If you would like to apply for a scholarship for your child, please EMAIL US HERE

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Photos from Summer Camp 2019

To see more pics, visit our Shaking the Tree Flickr page
If you attended this year's summer camp, please fill out our survey so that we can offer the best possible experience for students and families.

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Shaking the Tree's Teachers

Nicole Accuardi
Nicole Accuardi is a local actor and theatre teacher. She has performed in many shows throughout Portland, including three Shaking the Tree shows; Mask of the Red Death and Head, Hands, Feet, both directed by Samantha Van Der Merwe, and, most recently Made to Dance in Burning Buildings, directed by Jaimie Rai. Nicole is a passionate theatre teacher, gratefully working at Young Musicians and Artists, Portland Public Schools Summer Arts Academy, but she dedicates most of her creative time and energy to the stage and classroom at da Vinci Arts Middle School, where she has taught for the past six years. She holds a MAT from Concordia University, a BFA in acting from Point Park University, and is a graduate of The Pacific Conservatory for the Performing Arts. 

Ted Gold
​(Visit the ABOUT page)

Liz Hayden
In 2003, Liz Hayden began teaching down in Santa Monica.  She began with teaching adults at the Piero Dusa Acting Conservatory, and decided to dip her toes into working with children, teaching Fairy Tale theater classes.  This turned her whole post graduate plan in a different direction. Since moving to Portland in 2005, she has taught children's drama. She runs her own program Kid's Create at Lakewood Theater in Lake Oswego, teaches at Northwest Children's West Hills Montessori school.   She is a member of Hand2Mouth theatre where she creates, tours, and collaborates. She has a B.A. in Theater From SOU and an MFA in performance from NIU.

Emma Stewart Emma Stewart is a student and PSU getting her bachelors in english, on the pre-elementary education track. She did theatre from a young age and is an alumni of Young Professionals Impulse Team, She loves that theatre teaches empathy and collaboration in a way that nothing else can.

Samantha Van Der Merwe
​(Visit the ABOUT page)

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Shaking the Tree Policies

Please CONTACT US if you have any questions, concerns or feedback on Shaking The Tree policies.

Class Cancellations and Refunds
During the regular school term (Fall, Winter, and Spring) tuition may be refunded until one week before the class starts. If a student withdraws less than one week before the start of a class and no more than two days after that class begins, Shaking The Tree will issue a pro-rated credit good toward any camp or class, which expires twelve months after the date issued. If a student withdraws three days after a class begins or later, no credits or refunds will be issued.

During the Summer term a refund on tuition may be issued until one week before the beginning of camp. In the week before camp, if a student withdraws Shaking The Tree will issue a credit good toward any camp or class. If a student withdraws after the first day of camp, no credit will be issued.

Observing Classes
New parents are welcome to observe on the first day of class (for the first 15 minutes) but after that, parents, siblings & friends will not be allowed to sit and observe students during class, even if hidden in the waiting area. We have learned by experience that it is very distracting, and sometimes stressful for students if people are watching and it is not conducive to the creative process. Please do your best to arrive at the end of class and not before.

Class Size Limit
In order for students to get the most out of their time at Shaking The Tree, the class size is limited to no more than 10 students for elementary aged students.

Missed Classes
Shaking The Tree does not offer make-up classes or credits for missed classes.