Staff Report
PCPA is expanding its free virtual programming summer sessions of PCPA Plays On! for youth and adults; programs that are educational, engaging, fun, and theatre focused.
Youth Enrichment sessions are offered in two 60-minute segments, the first for ages 8 – 12 and the second for ages 13 – 18. They include a Virtual Tour on July 9 – a behind the scenes look into PCPA’s shops and studios where stage magic is created. On July 14 and 16, Meet the Prop Master with Tim Hogan who leads the sessions that describe what goes into making theatre props and will guide participants through the steps of making a prop for themselves. Resident Artist Katie Fuchs-Wackowski will explain the importance of listening as an actor on July 21 and 23 in two sessions called Between the Lines: Active Listening Onstage. Casting Director Erik Stein leads two 2-part sessions on Video Your Audition beginning July 28.
Resident Artist Yusef Seevers is teaching There is No “I” in T.E.A.M. beginning August 4 which guides students through ways to connect with classmates through creative play. Mid-August is a series of Make-up Workshops that explore the transformative effect of stage make-up.
The new Community Enrichment programming gives community members the opportunity to engage with PCPA’s resident company.
On July 8, The Need to Speak with Resident Artist Andrew Philpot will explore Shakespeare’s heightened language. Whenever Shakespeare goes from down-to-earth language to poetic flights of fancy, he is telling us something is afoot! On July 15, Resident George Walker will present an introduction on swords and swordplay and how characters are defined by their fighting style. What’s in a Season? with Artistic Director Mark Booher answers the often-asked question, “How do you select the plays for PCPA?” There’s fun for all ages when Costume Shop Manager Robin Newell leads a hands-on crafting workshop, Crown Makingas inspired by The Three Musketeers’ King Louis XIII and Queen Anne, and Education and Outreach Director Leo Cortez leads a Virtual Tour behind the scenes at PCPA. Other Community Enrichment sessions will include The Artistry of Costuming, Painting Floors the PCPA Way, and a four-part series on Black Theatre with Yusef Seevers.
On-going programs include Erik Steins Talkback Thursdays as he speaks with theatre artists from across the country who have graced the hallways of PCPA. Two upcoming interviews include alumni Christian Arteaga (7/9) who directed last season’s Outreach Tour production of The Circuit and Alex Stewart (7/23) who was on the national tour of Elf The Musical. All programs are at 3:30pm on Facebook Live: July 9, 23, 30, August 6, 13, 20, 27, and Sept 3.
The Rediscovery Reading Club with Emily Trask will next explore the text of The Three Musketeers. Sign-up is underway and the live discussions are slated for July 27 at 4 & 7pm. The reading club will also be reading Pedro Calderón’s Sueño, Life is a Dream. Sign-up begins August 10 with discussion on August 31. In September, the club will be discussing John Ford, Dekker, and Rowley’sThe Witch of Edmonton. Each club discussion session includes a performance element utilizing PCPA’s Resident Artists to illuminate the text in a whole new way.
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