The Bermuda Festival will be expanding its popular Schools Outreach Programme this season in order to bring masterclasses in opera and Shakespearean acting to the general public. Two special classes will be held during the month of February for those with an interest in what really goes into making a fantastic production.

On Monday, February 5, London-based Opera a la Carte ? which will be presenting their rendition of Puccini?s ?La Boheme? at this year?s festival ? will offer at masterclass at 6 p.m. in City Hall Theatre.

Founder and artistic director Nick Heath and other company members will conduct the class for four local singers. ?The focus will be mainly on interpretation and performance and will offer fascinating insight into how the singers work to achieve the remarkable performances audiences enjoy,? a festival press release said. This opportunity is intended for those aged 16 and over pursuing classical voice training, To audition for a place in this masterclass, please contact Karen Pollard at 295-1291 or bdafestlogic.bm.

And on Tuesday, February 27, the Aquila Theatre Company will offer a participatory masterclass that ?explores the beauties and difficulties found while acting Shakespeare?. The US-based company, which is becoming a festival regular with their creative takes on the Bard?s classics, will this year present ?Romeo and Juliet?. In this class: ?Participants will be shown the clear directions and choices that Shakespeare gives the actor within the text, and will be introduced to some of Aquila?s methods of classical acting. This textual analysis will include examples of verse structure and rhythm and will focus on exploring the demands and rewards of verse speaking.

?It is devised to give participants a strong comprehension and illumination of a Shakespearean text from a performance perspective.?

This class will also be held in City Hall at 6 p.m. It is open to those over the age of 18.

Both classes are being offered for a bargain price of $5.

?Rather than being simple extracts from the performances, our masterclasses focus on specific aspects of the performance,? said festival chairman John Ellison. ?By scheduling masterclasses in advance of their performances as part of Bermuda Festival, people who have not yet purchased tickets will be able to sample a taste of what is yet to come and, for those who have already booked tickets, it?s an opportunity to enhance their enjoyment of the performances.?

Tickets for the classes can be purchased the the Bermuda Festival website (www.bermudafestival.org) or through the festival box office on Front Street (next to the Ferry Terminal). The box office is open from noon till 2 p.m. today and tomorrow. It will re-open from January 8 to March 3, Monday through Saturday from noon to 2 p.m. The festival?s Schools Outreach Programme will this year include events by Eroica Trio, The Royal Ballet, Max Maven, Red Priest and Aquila Theatre Company. Tickets to these events are allocated through the schools only.