SATURDAYS AT MYAC

First Steps with Brenna KempfFirst Steps is an exciting series of classes for ages 3-4 and an accompanying adult. Each week will bring us on a brand new adventure as we explore a new children’s story and the world it takes place in. This is a perfect opportunity to devote an hour a week with your child to developing important skills such as imagination, small and large group play, and stretching physical and vocal boundaries. Our work will con-nect play to literature, home, class, and back again, fostering an imaginative and personal experience that the two of you are sure to remember and cherish! K4-K5 Story Drama with Jason KnopIn Story Drama this winter we will focus on the stories of CaT In ThE haT and ana-TOlE. Using them as a guide to explore the characters in the stories as well as the

A Note from the Academy DIrectors

FYI...On Stage:

A MIDNIGHT CRYInspired by the true story of a young slave’s journey to freedom! For tickets call (414) 267-2961 or visit www.FirstStage.org.

NEWS FROM THE ACADEMY • Volume 3 Issue 7 • Winter Academy 2014

...read more inside...

IN FOCUSis the newsletter of the

First Stage Theater Academy,published each session to

highlight the work of our staff and students.

Jennifer adamsEditor

Patrick G.h. SchleyGraphic Design

Want to get moreinvolved at First Stage?Join the Green Room Society, our Volunteer Group! Contact heather at (812) 201-4285 or volunteer@firststage.org for info!

We can’t think of a more exciting place to learn and grow than the First Stage Theat-er academy! Every moment in the academy is unique and exciting. One minute our students are taking big bold risks that cause their peers to roll on the floor laugh-ing, in the next they are thinking analytically about character and script analysis, all while encouraging each other to try their best and be themselves. Whether you are a returning student or new to our First Stage family, we hope you will embrace moments like these during your time at First Stage. There is so much to learn from every second, plus, wonderfully creative, kind and hardworking students and teach-ers to experience them with. We look forward to seeing what happens!

— Jennifer adams and Katie Cummings

Top photo byLindsey Abendschein

InFOCUS

School’s Out for the day? Come to First

Stage!Our Play in a Day classes are available throughout the year on MPS days off. Register at www.FirstStage.org!

What’s going on in the classrooms?

proud Cornerstonemember of

FIRST STAGETHEATER ACADEMYLife Skills Through Stage Skills

environments where the characters live and travel to. We will become the characters from the story, acting within the worlds of each book we read and expand on the lives of the characters we become through movement and dialogue. Working together as a whole group and in smaller size groups the students will think creatively and cooperate with their fellow class-mates.

K4-K5 Story Drama with Lori Hartman-KeiserIn this session of Story Drama, we will be focusing on the award-winning picture book Anatole about a noble French mouse who saves a cheese factory and encounters a terrifying cat. Students will go in-role as these cat and mouse characters and reenact some of their heroic and scary situations. We will also encoun-ter a very different kind of cat when we explore the antics of Dr. Seuss’s The Cat in the Hat.

1st-2nd Grade Story Drama with Lori Hartman-KeiserIn this session of Story Drama, we will be focusing on the award -wining picture book Anatole about a noble French mouse who saves a cheese factory and encounters a terrifying cat. Students will go in-role as these cat and mouse characters and reenact some of their heroic and scary situations. We will also encoun-ter a very different kind of cat when we explore the antics of Dr. Seuss’s The Cat in the Hat.

1st-2nd Grade Story Drama with Julie BorouchoffStory Drama Class will introduce children to the

magical world of Cat in the Hat and Anatole through imaginative play. We will work on voice projection and inflection using creative rhyming games. We will explore creative movement as we pretend to be cats, mice, fish, birds and humans. Teamwork will guide our journey through these stories as we cooperate and learn from each other. We will work together to inter-pret the plot by acting and improvising scenes. We will study the characters’ motivations and consider all possibilities while trying to figure out just why a cat wears a hat and how a mouse can ride a bike?

1st-2nd Grade Story Drama Dance with Ashlea WleklinskiIn Story Drama Dance, students will explore their vocal and bodily ranges using various dance forms in-spired by the story of Ferdinand. They will use dance as a story telling device, incorporating traditional Spanish costumes and instruments to enhance the dramatic performance. Students will learn traditional and culturally significant forms of Spanish dance that highlight important aspects of Spanish culture and heritage.

1st-2nd Grade Story Drama Dance with Allie Bone-shoThroughout this class, we will immerse ourselves in the theme of “courageous motion.” We will challenge ourselves to bring life to characters using our voices, bodies, and imagination. By calling on our everyday activities and poetry we will create and explore the many ways in which we can express ourselves on stage.

2nd-3rd Grade Playmakers with Brenna KempfThe Saturday 2nd-3rd grade Playmakers class of the winter session will use the courage and bravery of anatole as inspiration for our work. Through facilitated and improvised play, we will build an ensemble of ac-tors collaborating to create a unique piece of theatre. all of the work that we develop in class will be molded into a performance piece that answers the question, “What makes a hero?”

3rd-5th Grade Advanced Playmakers with Brenna KempfThe advanced Playmakers class is a new and unique offering here at the academy! Throughout our eight weeks together, we will build an ensemble of ac-

In Focus

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What’s Going On in the Classrooms? (continued)tors that double as scriptwriters. These young artists will use their own interests, ideas, and creativity to develop and present a one-of-a-kind theatrical per-formance. This class serves as a bridge between Playmakers and Scene Study, and a stepping stone between Playmakers and Super Script. as we en-hance skill in both and acting and playwriting, we always put our focus on sharing the story to the best of our ability.

3rd-4th Grade Introduction to Acting with Jason KnopUsing ROOT (Relationship, Objective, Obstacle, and Tactics) we will be exploring a number of different types of acting performances. Through improvised and scripted scenes we will build characters and ex-plore those characters’ lives within and outside of the moment we see in performance—exploring where and why they are in the moment of the scene. Working in small groups and pairs the students will rely on team-work and communication to be successful.

3rd-4th Grade Musical Theater with Allie BoneshoWe will be exploring the style and sound of MY FaIR laDY! In this class, we will work on and develop our acting, singing, and dancing skills individually and as an ensemble. We will also learn proper breathing techniques, articulations, and character development. Combining all of these skills we will come together to present a group musical number!

4th-6th Grade Improvisation with James BolandStudents will learn about the basic rules of improvisa-tion, focusing on agreement, advancing and making offers. Emphasis will be made upon the philosophies of improvisation, including the importance of “mak-ing your partner look good.” Students will learn how agreement is the cornerstone of improvisational col-laboration and how saying “yes, and...” enriches the ideas of all improvisers. This class will work on the ba-sic elements of scene structure, including setting, rela-tionship and action. The emphasis of this class will be upon relationships and how that scenic element can help to motivate the action of a scene. Students will explore status and the creation of attitudes towards other characters and begin to look at the concept of point of view as it applies to improvisation. This class will explore both short form and long form improvisa-tion scene structures.

5th-8th Grade Musical Theater with Allie BoneshoWe will be exploring the style and sound of Simon and Garfunkel! In this class, we will work on and develop our acting, singing, and dancing skills individually and as an ensemble. We will also learn proper breathing techniques, articulation, and character development. Combining all of these skills, we will come together to present a group musical number using found objects for our instruments!

5th-8th grade Acting with Karl IglesiasIn acting this winter we will harness and unleash strong instincts as performers. We’ll touch on the con-cept of imagination - not only using it in play but also in preparation for building a character and exploring inner monologue. also, we’ll view inspiration as a ves-sel to activate movement and reciprocate dialogue on stage. We’ll be using a Puerto Rican folktale entitled Juan Bobo and the Nightingale to help initiate these skills in the process!

5th-8th Grade Performance Workshop with Jen-nifer AdamsStudents put their acting skills to the test by attempt-ing to rehearse and perform a one-act play. This ses-sion we will focus on ensemble, creative movement, and connections with our scene partners through working on the script ThE YEllOW BOaT by David Saar. This play is based on a true story and is a glori-ous affirmation of a child’s life, and the strength and courage of all children.

8th-12th Grade On Camera Acting with John Van SlykeOn Camera acting will allow each student the op-

Photo by Lindsey Abendschein

Photo by Lindsey Abendschein

portunity to develop skills for commercial and movie acting through activities and techniques common for on camera acting. Students will also work on scenes in ways similar to production by rehearsing, shooting multiple takes and improvisation.

9th-12th Grade Acting with Marcy KearnsThis session will include both established scripts and material that students devise as a group. Students will train in trusting and obeying their first instincts, explore various sources for generating original mate-rial, and finding characters’ continuity and objectives through exploring their inner lives out loud.

WEDnESDAYS AT MYAC

K4-K5 Story Drama with Brenna Kempf & Allie BoneshoBonjour, mon ami! Our K4-K5 Story Drama class will focus entirely on the story of anatole. We will explore anatole’s world of Paris as mice characters, recogniz-ing our own individual talents and abilities. Following in the protagonist’s footsteps, we will learn that even a small action can make a big difference to the world around us.

1st-2nd Grade Story Drama Dance with Ashlea Wleklinski & Latrece BeetsIn Story Drama Dance, students will explore their vocal and bodily ranges using various dance forms in-spired by the story of Ferdinand. They will use dance as a story telling device, incorporating traditional Spanish costumes and instruments to enhance the dramatic performance. Students will learn traditional and culturally significant forms of Spanish dance that highlight important aspects of Spanish culture and heritage.

3rd-4th Grade Making Movies with Jennifer Adams & Stuart MottThis session in Making Movies we will attempt to cre-ate a short documentary sharing our point of view on a topic of our choosing. Students will collaborate to explore the topic, plan the film, and execute the film-ing. Each student will work both in front of and behind the camera. Documentaries give people a voice and we will discover ours this session on film!

3rd-4th Grade Making Movies with Kat Wodtke & Chris Feiereisenlights, camera, action! Students in this course will use their creativity and teamwork skills to explore the art of storytelling through film. Drawing inspiration from a MIDnIGhT CRY, students will do research and interviews to discover the stories of their own ances-tors. We will explore different points of view and work together to transform our stories into a documentary film.

5th-8th Grade Making Movies with Nate Press & Karl IglesiasThis winter we will be studying acting and character development while building a sense of ensemble and focusing on our character’s inner monologue, in-stincts, and inspirations. By analyzing our text from the dual perspective of actor and character, we will find what motivates our characters to act the way they act and make choices as to what their true thoughts and feelings may be, ultimately building strong, full charac-ters with lively back stories and instincts all their own.

TUESDAYS AnD THURSDAYS AT THE SHAROn LYnnE WILSOn CEnTER

FOR THE ARTS

K4-K5 Story Drama with Jason KnopIn Story Drama this winter we will focus on the sto-

In Focus

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Volume 3 Issue 7

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What’s Going On in the Classrooms? (continued)

ries of CaT In ThE haT and anaTOlE. Using them as a guide to explore the characters in the stories as well was the environments where the characters live and travel to. We will become the characters from the story, acting within the worlds of each book we read and expand on the lives of the characters we become through movement and dialogue. Working together as a whole group and in smaller size groups the students will think creatively and cooperate with their fellow classmates.

3rd-5th Grade Improvisation with Karl IglesiasIn this winter’s session at the Sharon lynne Wilson Center we’ll be introducing improvisation. Students will start with fundamentals of the craft and grow with the daily goal of taking risks and making bold choices in the moment. Most importantly we plan on sharpen-ing our teamwork skills in order to display brave and clever moments on stage.

1st-2nd Grade Playmakers with Jason KnopIn Playmakers we will be focusing on the smallest of heroes. Using ideas from the Anatole stories and The Leaf Men to guide us to the idea that the size of a hero doesn’t matter. It’s what he or she does that makes a difference. We will create our own “small hero” character and will have a community of these heroes all working together to solve the problems that arise within our town.

5th-8th Grade Performance Workshop with Jason KnopIn Performance Workshop we will work on the play lOST anD FOUnDlInG, by Eric R. Pfeffinger. We will focus on building characters, and creating them through movement and voice. The play we will be

working on will require several actors to portray more than one character within the story of the play. We will work together, and make suggestions to each other on how to make those choices, and create characters that are clear and identifiable.

SATURDAYS AT THEOCOnOMOWOC ARTS CEnTER

K4-2nd Grade Story Drama with Bridgette WellIn this session of Story Drama, we will investigate the antics of The Cat in the hat and reenact the adven-tures of anatole before seeing him live on stage! We’ll get to know these characters and their worlds, using our imaginations, voices, and bodies to share the stories we love. With the texts are our guide, we will venture where no cat or mouse has gone before!

3rd-5th Grade Improvisation with Bridgette WellIn this session of Improv, we will use spontaneity, hon-esty, and imagination to build scenes and stories as a team. learning and harnessing short-form skills will help us feel confident making bold choices, support-ing and building upon the contributions of our scene partners, and staying true to established characters and environments.

Photo by Lindsey Abendschein

Photo by Lindsey Abendschein

Photo by Lindsey Abendschein

In Focus

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Volume 3 Issue 7

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Meet the Faculty & StaffVisit www.FirstStage.org to read more about all of our staff members!

Marcella Kearns

Jason Knop, Lead Teacher

Bridgette Well

Jennifer Adams, Academy Director

Katie Cummings, Academy Director

Patrick Schley,Academy

Services Mgr.

Malkia Stampley, CommunityPartnership Coordinator

Nate Press

Allie BoneshoLatrece Beets Hayley Cotton

Matt Daniels Rubi Gonzalez, Wednesday

Intern

LoriHartman-Keiser

Karl Iglesias,Lead Teacher

Brenna Kempf

John Maclay,Associate

Artistic Director

Karl Miller Brian Myers Tommy Novak

Patrick Schmitz AshleaWleklinski

James Boland Julie Borouchoff

Chris Feiereisen

Stuart Mott

John Van Slyke Kat Wodtke

From the First Stage Blog: underground railroad brought to life through distance learningby Amanda Corazzi

On January 11, First Stage lead Teacher (and Music Director of a MIDnIGhT CRY) Sheri Williams Pannell (right) and Kimberly Simmons (left) teamed up to offer students a unique distance learning opportunity with the Milwaukee Public Museum. Students experienced the world of Caroline Quarlls, the first documented person to make her way to freedom through the Underground Railroad and the inspiration for a MID-nIGhT CRY. In character as Caroline Quarlls, Sheri recounted the details of her harrowing journey. Kim-berly Simmons, Caroline’s direct descendant, shared details of the Underground Railroad in the 1840’s and how her story is closely connected to Milwaukee.

“The opportunity to re-create the historical character Caroline Quarlls for the distance learning project was exciting enough, but to interact with her great-great-great granddaughter was thrilling,” said Sheri. “I was so moved when after the broadcast, Kimberly Sim-mons told me my French accent represented the way she believed her Creole great-great-great grandmoth-er Caroline would have spoken.”

The performance was broadcast live to third, fourth and fifth grade students from 11 Milwaukee area schools. artifacts and photographs from the Under-ground Railroad and Milwaukee’s role in this move-ment were provided by the Milwaukee Public Museum and their Education Department. Kimberly Simmons fielded questions from the students immediately after the presentation.

About “A MIDNIGHT CRY”This moving historical drama with live music is inspired by the true story of a young slave’s journey to freedom through the Underground Railroad. Whisper-ings of a railroad helping slaves across to the free states seem too good to be true to young lida anderson. But with the help of other slaves and her family, lida risks everything to be free. leaving behind the only life she knows, she embarks on a dangerous journey out of slavery to freedom, a MIDnIGhT CRY brings to life a vital part of our nation’s history. For ticket information, call (414) 267-2961 or visit www.FirstStage.org.

Keep up with First Stage news online atfirststagechildrenstheater.blogspot.com

Photo by Lindsey Abendschein

Photo by Lindsey Abendschein

Bring the joy of First Stage toYour school or group!

The First Stage Touring Company presents a 30-minute show focusing on First Stage’s core values of acceptance, understanding and com-munity. This show will engage audiences young and old alike and is recommended for anyone ages 5 and up.

For more information, contact Katie Cummings at (414) 267-2979 or kcummings@firststage.org.

T e a c h i n g L i f e S k i l l s T h r o u g h S t a g e S k i l l s

JUNE 16 – AUGUST 8, 2014Teaching life skills through stage skills in the nation’s

largest theater training program for young people

M I LWAU K EE • B R O O K F I EL D • O C O N O M OWO C

R e g i s t e r O n l i n e a t w w w . F i r s t S t a g e . o r g