Acting Classes
In addition to playing a role in the Arts for Teens production, students take acting classes in the morning, in order to develop the physical and vocal skills essential to the well-rounded actor. These classes focus on ensemble building in the beginning of the session - through a vast array of theatre games and improvisations, a sense of community is established, and the creative abilities of each teen are strengthened as they learn to improvise dialogue and action, invent conflict, and quickly respond to the events of the scene. A second major component of the acting classes includes character development, as the teens learn to utilize both physical and vocal choices to portray character. As the session progresses, the teens start to focus on the role(s) they are playing in the production, applying their “character building” skills in improvisations designed to help them develop their assigned role(s), as well as character relationships within the play.
Music and Dance
A choreographer is assigned to the Arts for Teens program, as well as a music director. The choreographer works with the teens everyday, introducing simple movement and choreography to strengthen movement abilities in anticipation of specific choreographed numbers for each production. Those teens that prefer acting over “dancing” will be given limited choreography during the show, and the directors will focus instead on their scene work. As always, those teens that enjoy creative movement/dancing will be featured in the choreographed numbers, and the choreographer will accommodate/incorporate all levels of dance ability as the individual dance numbers are created for each production.
In addition to 2 full time theater directors, Arts for Teens has a musical director who works with the program full time, as they learn to use their voices for the stage, interpret songs individually and in a group, and develop their own unique musical theater vocal style. In addition to working with the teens on
Legally Blonde, Jr and The Phantom Tollbooth,Jr, the musical director will also help the teens work on musical theater selections for an informal Musical Revue that the teens present to the AfY campers midway through their session. This musical revue has become a tradition of the AfT program, giving the teens a wonderful opportunity to bring in material of their own choosing, including songs, dances, and a variety of dramatic material. Improvisational skits and monologues have also become a staple of this revue!
In addition to 2 full time theater directors, Arts for Teens has a musical director who works with the program full time, as they learn to use their voices for the stage, interpret songs individually and in a group, and develop their own unique musical theater vocal style. In addition to working with the teens on
Legally Blonde, Jr and The Phantom Tollbooth,Jr, the musical director will also help the teens work on musical theater selections for an informal Musical Revue that the teens present to the AfY campers midway through their session. This musical revue has become a tradition of the AfT program, giving the teens a wonderful opportunity to bring in material of their own choosing, including songs, dances, and a variety of dramatic material. Improvisational skits and monologues have also become a staple of this revue!