Registration has opened for Richmond Community Theatre’s 2012 summer Young People’s Theatre program.
This year, RCT will hold three sections of Young People’s Theatre for three different age groups.
“Section 1 will be for young people ages 8-10,” said Richmond Community Theatre’s Director Shelly Walker. “Section 2 will be for young people ages 11-13. And Section 3 will be for young adults ages 16-18. Each section will be limited to 12 young people. All the sections will be held Monday through Friday during the weeks of July 30 and August 6. Section 1 will meet from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Section 2 will meet from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. And Section 3 will meet in the evenings from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.”
For the youngest age group, ages 8-10, participants will work on the story of “Stone Soup.”
“These young people will first focus on basic communication and presentational skills, being seen, being heard, having presence,” said Walker. “The participants in Section 1 will also work on telling a story, creating a character, and on physical and spacial awareness. In addition, they’ll work on cultural awareness as this rendition of the story will be set in Japan.”
The children will wear kimonos for their presentation, said Walker.
The middle age group, ages 11-13, will be given some additional focus points and challenges.
“These participants will focus on perspective and point of view,” she continued. “Section 2 will begin by telling several well known tales. Students will identify whose perspective the story is told from. Then the students will re-write the tale from a different character’s perspective. Eventually these students will be performing their own original script. Key skills the students will work on will be: analysis, writing, collaboration and ensemble work. The story these students will analyze, create anew, and present to the community will be ‘The Boy Who Cried Wolf.’”
The oldest group of participants, ages 16-18, will delve deeply into character work and acting. They will work on scenes and 10-minute plays. They will learn about character objectives, wants, tactics, obstacles and really get into the “nitty gritty” of acting.
“Adding an older group onto the young people’s theatre program is a new venture for Richmond Community Theatre,” said Walker. “In its long history, RCT has regularly held summer youth programs for 8-13 year old community members. This is the first time it will offer a program for young adults. Richmond Community Theatre would like to foster having young adults come and participate backstage and onstage during its regular season as well. So the new program is geared specifically towards young adults who are old enough to come to the theatre on their own. Also, the small age gap between the younger and older program signifies a large developmental jump in expectations and content.”
Another slight change in the program this year: Richmond Community Theatre is accepting early registration by mail. Parents and young adults who are interested in the program should send a registration form and tuition payment beginning July 1 through July 20 to the theatre’s mailing address: Richmond Community Theatre, P.O. Box 635, Rockingham, NC, 28380. Registration forms can be found in front of the theatre in the information box at 109 E. Washington St., Rockingham. Or online at RCT’s facebook page: www.facebook.com/richmondct.
Sections 1 and 2 will each be a total of an hour and a half each day; their tuition is $50 each. Section 3 will have a total of two hours each day; its tuition is $75. If a section becomes filled during the mail-in period, registrations will be accepted on a first received post-marked basis. In the event of receiving too many registrations sent for a section, we will notify early and late post-marked registrations who will be placed on a waiting list. If there are any openings left at the end of the mailing period, parents may be able to register at the theatre in person July 26 and 27 from 5 to 7 p.m.
For all community members, The Young People’s Theatre program will present a culminating showcase of their work, Saturday, Aug. 11, 2012. The showcase for each group will begin at the same time of day that the group will have met over the course of the two weeks, ages 8-10 at 1 p.m., ages 11-13 at 3 p.m. and ages 16-18 at 6 p.m. The final showcase will be $5 per performance for individuals. There will be a $10 parent pass for all performances. It will be a great opportunity to come out and celebrate young people and theatre, said Walker.
If you have any questions about these events, call the theatre at 910-997-3765, or e-mail Walker at rctdirector@gmail.com.
— Staff Writer Dawn M. Kurry can be reached at 910-997-3111, ext. 15, or by email at dkurry@heartlandpublications.com.
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