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One cool thing that happens in the summertime at the theatre i work for, PlayMakers Repertory Company, is the Summer Youth Conservatory.
PRC partners with area arts organization the Carrboro ArtsCenter to produce a show with a cast entirely composed of young local performers. Kids and teens from all over the Triangle area audition for one of forty positions in the cast. Scripts are chosen with a mind to accomodating that size of cast, featuring child performers (past shows: Oliver! and The Music Man). Typically older teens portray the adult roles while the younger ones (and smaller-framed folks) play children's roles.
The idea is to provide a unique theatrical experience whereby young performers have the experience of putting on a show within the context of a professional theatre--they perform on the PlayMakers stage directed by PRC directorial alum Tom Quaintance (who directed our mainstage production of The Little Prince), for which our scenic shop produces a custom-built set, using costumes from our stock coordinated and fit by a professional costume designer, etc.
The SYC is run on the model of an extended workshop or series of educational classes--the participants do pay tuition--but there are enough sponsors and supporters that any child or teen who auditions and is offered a place in the Conservatory is guaranteed a scholarship if financial need prevents them from accepting/participating.
The Conservatory partnership has been a huge success--community response is overwhelmingly positive and all the shows always sell completely out, even the SRO. It has also, up until this summer, focused entirely on the performance aspect of production for the participants. This year, we started a tech track, though, which i'm really excited about!
The tech track is aimed at an older age range--the performers can be as young as 12, but all six of our first "class" of tech folks are 16-19 years old. They get a crash-course in all aspects of theatre production, in a series of two-day workshops taught by the PRC tech staff on-site in our facilities; at the end, they have the option to apprentice in one or more areas, working on the SYC production, which this summer is Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. So, a student with a particular interest in costuming might assist SYC costume designer Jade Bettin, while a student who wants to pursue stage management could be a part of Stage Manager Sarah Smiley's team. They come out of the Conservatory at summer's end with a fully-produced show on their resume, stuff for inclusion in a portfolio (should they wish to pursue a career in theatre or apply to a university program that requires such), and--ideally--a positive mentorship experience with a working professional in the field whom they can list as a future reference.
For the students' first two days, we had them in the costume shop, learning about the work that we do. Jade spent the first day talking about the responsibilities of a costume designer, instructing them in some basic sewing techniques, and leading them through the process of designing a fairy costume concept for Midsummer, complete with the element of a half-mask. Then on the second day, I talked with them about the various production jobs in costuming (drapers, tailors, first hands, stitchers/operators, craftspeople, milliners, painter/dyers), and led a mask-making workshop in which they took a shot at bringing their designs to life!
I took some photographs to share, because boy, did they turn out some great work. First, some design context... ( click for photos )
PRC partners with area arts organization the Carrboro ArtsCenter to produce a show with a cast entirely composed of young local performers. Kids and teens from all over the Triangle area audition for one of forty positions in the cast. Scripts are chosen with a mind to accomodating that size of cast, featuring child performers (past shows: Oliver! and The Music Man). Typically older teens portray the adult roles while the younger ones (and smaller-framed folks) play children's roles.
The idea is to provide a unique theatrical experience whereby young performers have the experience of putting on a show within the context of a professional theatre--they perform on the PlayMakers stage directed by PRC directorial alum Tom Quaintance (who directed our mainstage production of The Little Prince), for which our scenic shop produces a custom-built set, using costumes from our stock coordinated and fit by a professional costume designer, etc.
The SYC is run on the model of an extended workshop or series of educational classes--the participants do pay tuition--but there are enough sponsors and supporters that any child or teen who auditions and is offered a place in the Conservatory is guaranteed a scholarship if financial need prevents them from accepting/participating.
The Conservatory partnership has been a huge success--community response is overwhelmingly positive and all the shows always sell completely out, even the SRO. It has also, up until this summer, focused entirely on the performance aspect of production for the participants. This year, we started a tech track, though, which i'm really excited about!
The tech track is aimed at an older age range--the performers can be as young as 12, but all six of our first "class" of tech folks are 16-19 years old. They get a crash-course in all aspects of theatre production, in a series of two-day workshops taught by the PRC tech staff on-site in our facilities; at the end, they have the option to apprentice in one or more areas, working on the SYC production, which this summer is Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. So, a student with a particular interest in costuming might assist SYC costume designer Jade Bettin, while a student who wants to pursue stage management could be a part of Stage Manager Sarah Smiley's team. They come out of the Conservatory at summer's end with a fully-produced show on their resume, stuff for inclusion in a portfolio (should they wish to pursue a career in theatre or apply to a university program that requires such), and--ideally--a positive mentorship experience with a working professional in the field whom they can list as a future reference.
For the students' first two days, we had them in the costume shop, learning about the work that we do. Jade spent the first day talking about the responsibilities of a costume designer, instructing them in some basic sewing techniques, and leading them through the process of designing a fairy costume concept for Midsummer, complete with the element of a half-mask. Then on the second day, I talked with them about the various production jobs in costuming (drapers, tailors, first hands, stitchers/operators, craftspeople, milliners, painter/dyers), and led a mask-making workshop in which they took a shot at bringing their designs to life!
I took some photographs to share, because boy, did they turn out some great work. First, some design context... ( click for photos )
