Center Stage Youth Theatre

Posts Tagged ‘Glenforest School’

Center Stage Youth Theatre at Glenforest School

Announces Summer Camps for

grades K-2, 3-6 and 7-12!

 

Coyote Steals the Summer

Monday, June 20 – Friday, July 1 for grades K-2

Glenforest School, 1041 Harbor Drive, West Columbia

Session 1- 9:00 – 11:30

Session 2 – 12:30 – 3:00

Fees – $150.00

Once it was winter all of the time…Summer was trapped in a bag inside a tipi at the snow’s edge (a very, very long long way from here). This Native American tale tells how Coyote brings summer to the world and earns his famous gift of trickery as a reward. Our fifteen minute musical version of this delightful story from the Crow Nation is designed especially for K-third grade.  The little ones will have a chance to rehearse, create costumes and sets, and perform for loved ones on the last day of camp!  This performing arts camp is ideal for children with learning differences or unique learning needs, as well as students with traditional learning styles.  For more information or to register call Center Stage Director Susan Scaccia at at 803-796-7622 ext. 216, 803-206-4924 or visit http://glenforest.org/summercamps.

 

 

 

 

A Year With Frog and Toad

Tuesday, July5th through Friday, July 15 for grades 3-6

Glenforest School, 1041 Harbor Drive, West Columbia

Session 1 – 9:00 – 11:30

Session 2 – 12:30 – 3:00

Fee – 150.00

Arnold Lobel’s well loved characters hop from page to stage in this musical adaptation, which remains true to the sprit of the original books as it  follows the great friends, the cheerful and popular frog and the rather grumpy frog, through four fun filled seasons!  We will rehearse, design costumes and sets and finally perform for family and friends on the last day of camp! This performing arts camp is ideal for children with learning differences or unique learning needs, as well as students with traditional learning styles.  For more information or to register call Center Stage Director Susan Scaccia at at 803-796-7622 ext. 216, 803-206-4924 or visit http://glenforest.org/summercamps.

 

 

Acting Camp for Middle and High Schoolers!

Fables and Folk Tales

Monday July 18 – Friday July 29

Glenforest School, 1041 Harbor Drive, West Columbia

9:00 am – 3:00 pm

Limit 15

Fee – $300.00

 

This summer come and spend two weeks with Center Stage and work with us creating a production of Fables and Folk Tales from around the world.  Students will choose their favorite scripts from American and International traditional tales, and then design and create scenery, costumes and props, as we turn our studio classroom into a fully functional studio theatre, with the entire production rehearsed, designed, and finally performed on the last day of camp by our students for the public. This performing arts camp is ideal for children with learning differences or unique learning needs, as well as students with traditional learning styles.  For more information or to register call Center Stage Director Susan Scaccia at at 803-796-7622 ext. 216, 803-206-4924 or visit http://glenforest.org/summercamps.

 

 

Center Stage Youth Theatre Announces Auditions for ANNIE jr. Saturday March 12 Sunday March 13 At the Glenforest School Building, 1041 Harbor Drive, West Columbia For Girls ages 5-13 – auditions are from 1:00 – 3:00 both days. For Girls ages 14 – 18 and all Boys – auditions are from 3:00 – 5:00 both days. It is preferable but not essential that actors attend both days of auditions. If cast, there will be a $45.00 fee per actor or a $75.00 fee per family to help pay production costs. There is no charge to audition. For more information call Director Susan Scaccia at 803-206-4924 or email her at rssb1228@yahoo.com.

This month is African American History month, and during a reading of the wonderful play by Kim Hines, “Home on the Mornin’ Train”  in our Drama/Music class which we read as part of our school’s homage to this special month, a certain issue came up concerning some of the language chosen by the playwright that my co teacher and I were not able settle.  My suggestion to the class was that I write to the playwright herself and ask her.  Below is the letter.  I am very hopeful to receive a response as Ms. Hines is very approachable.  When and if that happens, I will certainly post that response as well.

——

Dear Kim,

I am hopeful that you will remember me, and probably you willnot. Several years ago I directed Home on the Mornin’ Train in a middle school in VT, and you were kind enough to offer your counsel to me on how the show could be done with all white VT kids.

Well, many things have changed in my life since then, and now I am drama teacher at the Glenforest School – a K-12 school for kids with learning differences – as well as the director of a Youth Theatre program here in Columbia SC.

I recently had my drama/music class read Home on the Mornin’ Train and study the spirituals within the script to increase awareness during African American History Month. as you might imagine, there are many more African American kids in my classes now!

Here’s what I ran into: the African American kids took exception to the way the characters in the play and the stage directions use the words Colored, Negro and black. My co-teacher and I attempted to explain what we thought the purpose was: that the characters were using terms that were accurate to the time period, but our explanations fell flat and it seemed to me that the kids either did not understand or did not believe us. Our students can be less than worldly thinkers – I do not say this in a judgmental way, but only to give you knowledge of our kids who have a range of challenges including ADHD, Aspergers Syndrome, Dyslexia and other learning differences. At any rate this makes any but concrete thinking difficult for them in many cases and I think they had a hard time seeing the use of the specific language from any but their own perspective.

So my request is this: if you have any time at all for such things anymore, would you be willing to make a statement to our students concerning your choices for the language in the play? When I mentioned that I had in fact communicated with you several years ago the students perked up their ears and really seemed to get excited that you, the playwright, were not only a real person, but someone one could communicate with! lol – again, that concrete way of thinking and looking at things.

So anyway Kim, I do hope things are going well with you, and let me tell you I really enjoyed revisiting the play. And if you happen to find time to help us out with these guys and their understanding of the language in the play, I think it would help them on many levels.

Thank you, and best of luck to you!

Susan Scaccia

September 20th marks the beginning of something really special I think:  the very first after school drama class Center Stage has ever had at the Glenforest School, our new home.   I think it will be a small group – maybe 5 children, but I look forward to getting to know these little guys and working on an original project with them.

I have such hopes for Center Stage; I would love for it to thrive and bring happiness and a creative outlet to kids from all over the area.   It is my fervent wish that I can in some small way help young people who crave it find a place to discover the acting experience in a safe, nurturing, and respectful environment.

Center Stage Youth Theatre announces its fall schedule of acting classes for children in grades K-2 and 3-6th.  A six week session of classes for children in grades K-2 will be held at the TriCity Leisure Center on Brooks Avenue in West Columbia, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:00 – 5:30 from September 14 – October 21.  The fee for the six week session is $55.00.  Registration for the K-2 classes is ongoing at the TriCity Leisure Center.  Classes for children in grades 3-6 will be located at the Glenforest School on Harbor Drive in West Columbia, and will run Mondays and Wednesdays from 4:00 – 5:30 for six weeks from September  20 – October 27th.  The fee for the six week class session is $55.00.  To register a child for the 3-6 classes, or for more information on either set of classes call Center Stage director Susan Scaccia at 803-206-4924, or email her at rssb1228@yahoo.com.

Center Stage Youth Theatre announces Auditions for Barbara Robinson’s The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, Saturday October 16 and Sunday October 17 from 2:00 – 5:00 at Glenforest School on Harbor Drive in West Rutland.  There are parts for up to 50 children and teenagers ages 5 – 18, and no preparation or experience is necessary to audition.  Performances will be held in the Glenforest School Auditorium December 9, 10 and 12.  If cast, there is a $35 .00 fee per cast member or a $60.00 fee per family to help cover productions costs such as sets, costumes and script royaties.  For more information call Center Stage director Susan Scaccia at 803-206-4924, or email her at rssb1228@yahoo.com.

Today I wrote to Head of School Chris Winkler and asked to meet with him early next week.  Fall approaches quickly and I would love the chance to sit and chat with him about his expectations for the drama experiences he hopes the students will have.  He has already told me   will be a spaghetti dinner in mid October and he would like the students to have a piece ready to perform at that point.  I think I will look at some of Alan Shepherd’s one acts and see if there is anything appropriate.

I also wrote to the elementary teacher and introduced myself, and asked what she thought would work for her guys for Drama experiences.  I am happy to go into her class however often she would like me to, and am pretty excited about perhaps helping with experiences across the curriculum for these littler guys.

There is bound to be a lot of crossover between the Glenforest school drama program and the Center Stage program.  Chris and I have already talked a good bit about how there may frequently be not enough students to fill an entire cast list – Glenforest is a small school -  so that there will often be opportunities for other kids from the community to participate in the school shows.

Also, with Center Stage being located in the Glenforest building, hopefully many of the Glenforest students will want to take advantage of our community workshops and classes and plays as well.

This week I met with Mr. Chris Winkler, headmaster of the Glenforest School,http://www.glenforest.org/,  to discuss beginning a drama program at Glenforest and also to talk with him about working out a situation where I could possibly use the Glenforest facility for Center Stage community programs such as our classes and workshops, and perhaps even having access to their auditorium for our plays.

Glenforest is a school for kids with learning differences.  I have long wished for an opportunity to work with this population of students and feel that the social interaction inherent in theatre arts acitivities, be it onstage or off, is just one of the ways we can reach and help students within this set of qualities.  I am the mom of two sons with ADD and other issues, bright and creative kids who struggled to be successful in the public school system.  A program such as the one Glenforest offers  would have made such a difference in their lives.

I look forward to meeting with Mr. Winkler as well as with Dean of Students Barton Calvert, a  member of the faculty, board and parents organizations in the next week.  I think this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.