BRATTLEBORO — Registration is now open for New England Youth Theatre's Summer Programs.
Each program is staffed by professional teachers and directors, and most programs conclude with performances or presentations.
Programs fill quickly. To register, contact the NEYT office at 802-246-6398 or michelle@neyt.org. All programs will be held at New England Youth Theatre, 100 Flat St., unless otherwise noted.
Financial aid is available. Applications are due May 18. Full descriptions of all their classes, visit www.neyt.org and follow the links to summer programs.
• The two-week annual Melodrama Festival, directed by Jane Baker, will have one program for a junior company (ages 9-11), and the other for a senior company (ages 12-15). “Students get to be big, bold, loud, and silly,” school officials write. “They dress in wild colors, and get sprayed with water or shaving cream, and at the end of the two weeks, they get to do shows for packed houses with audiences that hiss and boo and cheer every move!”
• NEYT's Musical Theater Summer Program will present Godspell, directed by Stephen Stearns. This rock opera will give actors experience dancing, singing, clowning, developing circus skills, and more. Auditions will take place April 18 from 4 to 6 p.m. at NEYT.
• If Shakespeare sounds exciting, there are two programs that delve into the works of the Bard. Get thee to the Funnery Junior Shakespeare Program, for ages 12-16, will tackle Twelfth Night, under the direction of Jonny Flood and Veronica Barron, with Peter Gould and Stephen Stearns. “This program dives into the complicated Shakespearean text and plots with fierce action-driven fun that will leave students with confidence, theater skills, and a great new set of vocabulary words,” the school writes.
The Senior Shakespeare Program, for ages 14-19, will work on a full-scale production of one of Shakespeare's first plays, Titus Andronicus, described as “a passionate and bloody tale of power and revenge.” This program is directed by David Vann, from Birmingham School of Acting in England, with the vocal coaching of Keely Eastley and will offer “serious skill-building, intense rehearsals, and thought-provoking direction.”
• At Circus Minimus, led by Kevin O'Keefe, students ages 7-13 will find fabulous toys to play with - mats to tumble on, balls to roll, unicycles to ride, plates and poi to spin, rings to toss, flags to wave, stilts to walk upon and all kinds of wild and wacky clothes to wear - and will end the program by performing a show.
• For younger students interested in half-day programs, NEYT offers Drama & Dress Up for ages 4-5, Page to Stage for ages 6-8, and Leap Into Acting for ages 8-11. Students will learn the basics of acting characters, speaking for the stage, and working in a collaborative creative environment.
• Theatre Adventure Program is a theater arts experience for students who have disabilities and a few of their typically developing peers. The Theatre Adventure Summer Troupe includes a range of ages from 7-year-old students to adults who will explore percussion, pantomime, improvisation, scene studies, costuming, filming, and fabric arts during the Theater Arts Summer Seminar.
A few students of this troupe will create a 30-minute film highlighting the creative work of all of the students during the seminar. The film will be shown on Friday, July 13, at 7 p.m. with an actors' talkback session immediately following the film. Contact the directors for further details: Laura Lawson Tucker (802-257-7024 or laura@theatreadventure.org) and Darlene Jenson (802-254-9528 or darlene@theatreadventure.org).
• The Technical Theater Program trains students, ages 12-19, in elements of stage carpentry and set construction, painting, decorating, and set management - moving sets and set pieces, changing sets between scenes or shows, and being responsible for all that the audiences see and the actors use during a performance of a play. In addition, they learn how to light a show, and operate lights, sound, and follow spots when needed. For more information, contact Rick Barron at rjbarron@sover.net.