Shakespeare in Action, a Toronto-based theatre company for young audiences, has recently launched their latest free educational online tool: the SIA Virtual Lab.

Part of a broader strategy to make Shakespeare accessible, the Virtual Lab is designed for teachers and students as well as for general enthusiasts, who can access Shakespeare’s plays and stories from their cell phones, mobile devices, their computers at home or in the classroom.

Virtual Lab features include:

• Language exercises and games to help students understand the words
• Instructional videos that demonstrate how teachers and students can adapt commonly used rehearsal techniques to help bring Shakespeare alive in the classroom
• Interactive videos that allow participants to perform their favourite Shakespeare characters with professional actors
• Lesson plans, resources and an electronic forum where teachers and students can communicate with Shakespeare in Action’s team of actor-teachers and each other, creating an online Shakespeare community

For further details, visit the SIA Virtual Lab at http://lab.shakespeareinaction.org/