Get Dramatic at First Stage Theatre Academy

In its 16^th year, First Stage Theatre Academy will examine the world of Imagination. Participants will be challenged in this two-week camp to dive deeper into the theatrical experience. Workshops and seminars will address everything from stage combat, dance and music to writing for the stage, acting styles, mask work and audition techniques. Additionally, students will prepare for an original production performed on OCP’s Hawks Mainstage for invited family and friends. Please note there is only one session this year,  space is limited so register now! $100 dollar deposit due at time of registration.

Don’t forget we have a variety of summer camps during the month of June for our younger campers; for more information, click here.

 

To register for First Stage, click here, call (402) 553-4890, ext. 131 or email dchapman@omahaplayhouse.com.

Fall Classes at OCP

The OCP Education department is gearing up for the Fall 2012 session! New class offerings for adults include OCP Short Form improv, a three-level training program that will have you and your classmates working as an improv team in no time, and an Acting III class with a rolling syllabus, everything from monologues to scene work and period styles. For the youth, OCP has developed a new three-tier program that will cover acting, improv and scene work and also some new additions in stage movement and stage combat. Registration for Fall sessions begins on August 15. Call (402) 553-4890, ext. 131 or click here for more information.

Gearing up for Summer

With the mild winter weather, it isn’t hard to imagine the warm summer months that are right around the corner. The Education Department is getting ready for a summer of hot talent and new faces. First Stage, OCP’s summer theatre academy, will be celebrating its 15th year with a look back at the most memorable scenes through the ages. We will be offering our drama day camps, a new improv comedy camp and a three-day puppet-making workshop. For those who prefer to remain behind the scenes, we will also be offering a theatre tech camp. Click here to register.

First Stage Summer Theatre Academy: A taste of professional theatre for students ages 12-18

It’s Wednesday night and you’ve got 16 pages of lines, seven songs, and four dances to memorize before Friday afternoon. Sounds like a challenge even the most seasoned actor would find overwhelming. Now imagine you’re only 12 years old and it’s the middle of July!


The above scenario is typical for any of the students participating in OCP's popular First Stage Summer Theatre Academy. Started in 1997, the academy takes place over the month of July with two different two-week sessions offered to students ages 12-18 who want a more intense performing experience. For two weeks, students will work intensively with members of the First Stage production team in a “summer stock” setting. Each session includes daily warm-up activities, auditioning workshops, improvisation exercises, dance classes and vocal/blocking/choreography rehearsals. They work with professional directors, musicians, choreographers and technicians from OCP and become part of an original production written specifically for First Stage. On the final Friday evening, the production is presented in the Howard and Rhonda Hawks Mainstage Theatre for an invited audience of friends and family.


It isn’t easy – the directing staff asks these students to stretch themselves as both performers and young adults on a daily basis. The goal (aside from having a great time!) is that these young performers gain a better understanding of the hard work and commitment needed to stage a production in only 10 days. Academy participants leave with the sense of accomplishment on a job well done and rush of adrenaline that only performing on stage can provide. It’s not uncommon for students to return year after year or to audition for future Playhouse productions.


If you know of a student who is just itching to get on stage, spaces are still available for our second session, which runs July 19-29. Students may register online at www.omahplayhouse.com or by calling the Education Office at (402) 553-4890 ext. 131.

OCP Education Department

Readers of this blog hopefully know by now that the Omaha Community Playhouse (OCP) offers a wide variety of educational opportunities throughout the year through its extensive class program, but did you know OCP provides quality educational opportunities outside of the usual class offerings?

Interact is the name for all of educational theatrical opportunities OCP offers to schools, community groups and various organizations throughout the year. Some examples of recent Interact programming are:

• High School Theatre Arts Residencies – a three-day workshop series which brings the theme of an OCP production to life in high school classes such as sociology, psychology, history, English and geography
• Afterschool workshops in acting, improv or dance for various elementary and middle school afterschool programs
• Free backstage tours for more than 500 students from various schools or community groups year round
• Acting, improv or dance workshops at OCP for more than 20 different schools or community groups
• Dance workshops for the Catholic Homeschool Association.
• Shakespeare auditioning technique workshop for Skutt Catholic High School
• Technical theatre demonstrations for 7th grade students from Russell Middle School

Funding for the high school residencies and afterschool workshops is generously provided by Wells Fargo Bank Nebraska, Lincoln Financial Group, UMB Bank and the Nebraska Arts Council. Without their support, OCP would not have the means to provide these schools with such quality programming.

Do you know a school or group interested in working with the Omaha Community Playhouse? Contact the Director of Education at (402) 553-4890, ext. 131 to discuss programming opportunities. Programming can be scheduled based on any budget and timeline.

Survive Summer with OCP

It’s the middle of June. Your “slightly” overdramatic eight year-old son is requesting your presence at yet another presentation of his one-man show, complete with special effects by your two year-old daughter, her bowl of spaghetti and your dining room wall. You think to yourself, “This kid needs something to do,” as you scrub away the remnants of last night’s marinara sauce.

Never fear. The Omaha Community Playhouse features a wide array of summer camp opportunities for youth ages 4-18 with focuses on acting, dance, improv and technical theatre. We are here to help.

Drama Day Camps
June 6–10, June 13–17 or June 20–24; Ages 4–13
These camps are a fun way to help children learn to use imagination, create a character and work with classmates to tell a story. The students will share their experience with an invited audience on the final day.



First Stage Summer Theatre Academy
July 5–15 or July 19–29; Ages 12–18
Students interested in musical theatre will work with professional directors, music directors and choreographers during this very popular summer camp. They will spend their days at the Playhouse working on an original musical written especially for this camp, and perform it at the end of camp in the Howard and Rhonda Hawks Mainstage Theatre for a large audience of friends and family.



First Stage: Tech Theatre Edition
June 27–July 8; Ages 14–18
Students will choose one of four backstage areas: costumes, props, set design/construction or sound/lighting. They will work alongside the Playhouse technical staff to create costumes, props and sets and design the sound/lighting for the 2011 First Stage Summer Theatre Academy production.

Intro to Improv Comedy
June 27–July 1; Ages 7–13
Students will learn how to develop scenes and create characters within seconds using the basic tools of improv: focus, teamwork and miming. There will be a final showcase on the last day of camp.

Musical Theatre Dance
June 6–June 10; Ages 7–18
During this week long “strictly dance” performance camp, students will learn two musical theatre dance pieces and perform them at the end of the week in the Howard and Rhonda Hawks Mainstage Theatre.



If any of these camps sound like the perfect outlet for your budding star, visit the Playhouse Education page by clicking here, or call the Director of Education at (402) 553-4890, ext. 131.

With our help, you can survive Summer Vacation 2011. Your dining room walls will thank you.

ACT Out! Children’s Workshops

One of the missions of ACT II is to promote the great work being done in theatre education by the Omaha Community Playhouse. On Saturday, February 19, ACT II sponsored a brand new event designed to introduce young children to the joy of theatre and to OCP. Nearly 150 children participated in the workshop, which included sessions on acting, improv, movement and a VIP tour of the Omaha Community Playhouse. The response was enthusiastic, dramatic and at times, loud!

Watch for more upcoming ACT Out! Workshops in Fall 2011 and Spring 2012!

Interact: Providing educational theatre arts to the community

If asked what kind of educational opportunities the Omaha Community Playhouse provides, most OCP patrons would answer “camps, classes and workshops.” Very true! But did you know OCP also offers customized theatre arts programming for schools and organizations? The OCP Interact program does just that.

The Interact program offers interested groups the opportunity to provide educational theatre arts programming led by highly qualified teaching artists for their students or members. Some examples of recent Interact programming include:



• Afterschool workshops in acting, improv, dance, puppetry and script writing for Omaha Public elementary and middle schools. (Funding provided by Lincoln Financial Group)
• Acting workshops for Millard Public School elementary students during Fall Break.
• High School Residency Projects: a three-day workshop series which brings the themes of a current OCP production to life in conjunction with high school curriculum standards. (Funding provided by Wells Fargo Bank and the Nebraska Arts Council)
• Interviewing and scriptwriting workshops for Papillion-La Vista High Ability Learners (7th and 8th graders).
• Monthly dance workshops for the Catholic Homeschool Association.
• Shakespeare workshop for Skutt Catholic High School drama students.
• Building tours for various school groups and organizations such as St. Peter Claver High School art students, Girl/Boy Scouts, Burke High School English students and Lewis Central High School music appreciation students.



The Interact program works very much “a la carte”. In other words, we can tailor programming to fit every need and budget. From a complimentary building tour to a series of workshops over an eight-week session, OCP’s goal is to fill the creative needs of any school or organization.

If you know of a group looking for an educational opportunity, direct them to Melanie Walters, Director of Education and Outreach, at (402) 553-4890, ext. 131 or mwalters@omahaplayhouse.com.