Black Magic for White Boys

This feature-length documentary film explores the profound and transformational impact of Shakespeare at Winedale, a program created in 1970 by University of Texas professor James "Doc" Ayres. In a 19th century barn in the rural community of Winedale, Texas, the Shakespeare at Winedale program vividly brings William Shakespeare's plays to life through inspiring student performances. The film will illuminate the Shakespeare at Winedale phenomenon by weaving together an in-depth portrait of Doc Ayres with the genesis and impact of the Shakespeare at Winedale program. Throughout the film, archival photos, footage, and ephemera will combine with contemporary footage to illustrate Winedale's history with lyrical and poetic imagery. Shot in cinema vérité style, behind-the-scenes footage will offer an in-depth look into Doc's unorthodox teaching methods at Shakespeare at Winedale, which emphasize learning through play-a radical approach to classroom instruction when the program was established fifty years ago. Through multiple generations of program alumni interviewed in the film, audiences will discover the powerful connection between creative learning and the development of social and emotional skills. —Kristi Frazier In a Texas barn, in the heat of midsummer, an English professor has been teaching Shakespeare through performance for half a century. His program has inspired generations of students and has profoundly influenced their lives in unexpected ways.