The Thespians Club of East Union High School has a rendezvous with The Bard in Oregon this coming spring.

The 32 students, along with four chaperones and club advisor Annette Taser, will be attending the Ashland Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Oregon, set for April 3-7, 2012.

The group’s trip was officially approved by the Manteca Unified Board of Trustees at their meeting earlier this week.

The purpose of the trip, as indicated in the group’s application, is “to engage in an intensive study of classical literature across the ages and cultures; to explore how history and culture shape our modern society; to experience (the) premiere of cutting-edge new plays from around the world; (and) to deepen the understanding of contemporary issues.”

The group hopes to achieve all that by attending four Shakespearean plays and by taking part in four hours of workshops at the world-renowned festival.

The students in the Thespians Club are all in the Advanced Placement and Honors English Class at their school.

The club plans to pay for their trip through fund-raising efforts. Estimated total cost of their trip is $15,000 including chaperone costs. Transportation, at a cost of $160, will be by chartered Storer bus. This part of the expenses will be paid for by the Thespians Club. For lodging, the students will stay at the Southern Oregon University. Costs for lodging, entrance fee to three shows and workshops, plus meals will be paid for by the students.