Summer Theatre Experiences For Kids And Teens In Madison

By Jennifer DeWitt

Playwrights Theatre’s Creative Arts Academy summer theatre experiences for kids and teens will begin on July 6, 2015 and run through August 28, 2015, in two-week sessions. For more information and to register, visit www.ptnj.org or call 973-514-1787 X21.

In Playwrights Theatre’s Creative Arts Academy, students practice transferable life skills while receiving quality training in theatre-based craft. Through this craft, students learn to collaborate and empathize, to know when to lead, when to assist, and to develop the confidence to assert themselves in the service of others. Students also practice executive function skills that help them take healthy risks and deal with setbacks, as well as skills that develop working memory for complicated tasks, and that build the kind of intellectual flexibility needed to come up with creative solutions to old and new problems.

Our two-week process-oriented classes result in theatre pieces created by the students and shared with family and friends that incorporate writing, acting, singing and improvisation. Students learn to appreciate the spoken word, gesture and the importance of narrative and character in their daily lives. All in a fun and non-threating environment.

All classes are taught by trained professional theatre artists/educators. Classes are devised to be taken multiple times.

The Half-Day Summer Camp for kids and the Half-Day Summer Theatre Program for teens is an opportunity for students at all levels of experience to discover new facets of creativity while developing their theatrical skills. Tuition is $275 per two-week session, $250 for returning students.

Each session concludes with a presentation for family and friends and is designed to have a slightly different emphasis so students can take the same class several times and still have a high-quality learning experience.

The following classes will be offered during each two-week session:

Playmakers (grades K-2): Theatre games, pantomime and improvisation provide exciting means for learning basic performance skills in movement, voice and imagination. An engaging and nurturing environment for children to create and express themselves.

Acting Workshop (grades 3-5, 6-8, 9-12): This class provides an engaging and supportive environment for children to develop performance skills (voice, body, and imagination) and to create and express themselves through improvisation and writing. Class offerings for older students may further explore text analysis, scene study, and character development.

Playwriting (grades 6-12): This is a basic workshop class where students of all levels of experience write and share work in a supportive environment. Classes will provide exercises to begin writing a new script, or further develop a play already in progress. The class will receive advice for submitting their scripts to contests for young playwrights including the New Jersey Young Playwrights Contest & Festival. The class culminates in a reading of students’ work on the last day. Students may receive additional support by emailing drafts to the playwriting instructor for individual advice after the close of the session. This class will be taught by Jim DeVivo, PTNJ’s Director of Education, who has over 20 years experience mentoring young artists including 12 years as program director for the New Jersey Young Playwrights Contest & Festival.

Session A (July 6 – 17) – Registration deadline June 29
Classes run from 9:30am-12:30pm

Session B (July 20 – July 31) – Registration deadline July 13
Classes run from 9:30am-12:30pm

Session C (August 3 – August 14) – Registration deadline July 27
Classes run from 9:30am-12:30pm

Session D (August 17 – August 28) – Registration deadline August 10
Classes run from 9:30am-12:30pm