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Interesting article!

Six practical reasons arts education is more than a luxury

Findings reveal that schools with more access to arts education have the highest graduation rates.

THE floor is strewn with backpacks. A dozen or so high school students — in jeans and hoodies, sweaters and dresses, boots and sneakers — have divided into clusters of two to four, most on and around the stage, in an otherwise empty theater at the Masters School in Dobbs Ferry. They are preparing scenes from “Hamlet.”

BERKELEY, CA—Berkeley Repertory Theatre is inviting local high-school students to participate in its eighth annual Teen One-Acts Festival. The Teen One-Acts Festival encourages young writers to develop ideas about issues that inspire them. Each year, a panel of students selects two original plays penned by Bay Area teens to be performed, directed, and produced by their peers. Then the staff at Berkeley Rep mentors these teens at each step of the process to help them perfect their craft.

Interested students are offered with many different ways to participate:

Write on!
Young playwrights are encouraged to submit their scripts to the festival. Each play should be no longer than 45 minutes in length and may be sent by e-mail to teencouncil@berkeleyrep.org.

This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it Submissions must include the playwright’s name, age, mailing address, telephone number, e-mail address, grade, and school. The deadline for submissions is Friday, December 18, 2009.

Visit the script doctor.
As they prepare for this deadline, teens can take a free playwriting workshop on Friday, December 4 from 5:00 to 6:00 PM. Madeleine Oldham, Berkeley Rep’s literary manager and dramaturg, will help young writers learn how to get words on the page and create cohesive stories. To RSVP for this class, call (510) 647-2974 or e-mail teencouncil@berkeleyrep.org

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But I really want to direct…
Teens interested in directing should attend a free workshop on Saturday, December 12, 2009 from noon to 4:00 PM. Take advantage of this opportunity to learn about the craft from Berkeley Rep’s artistic director, Tony Taccone, who just finished staging his second Broadway show. Two students will be chosen from those who attend this workshop to direct for the festival. To RSVP for the class, call (510) 647-2974 or e-mail teencouncil@berkeleyrep.org

This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it by Tuesday, December 1, 2009.

Act out!
Aspiring actors are invited to audition for the festival at 1:00 PM on Saturday, January 16, 2010. Please come prepared with a monologue no longer than two minutes. Auditions are held in the Berkeley Rep School of Theatre at 2071 Addison Street in downtown Berkeley, right next door to the company’s Thrust Stage.

Be the producer.
Work behind the scenes with Berkeley Rep’s staff to plan the Teen One-Acts Festival. This important position promises excellent practical experience to someone ready for the responsibility. Oversee workshops, organize weekly production meetings, track the shows and their progress, create and maintain a budget, and manage the advertising. Teens who are interested should call (510) 647-2974 or e-mail teencouncil@berkeleyrep.org

This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it as soon as possible to set up an interview.

Or just enjoy the results: Everyone is invited to see the final show – written, performed, and produced entirely by teens! Performances of the winning scripts take place next spring at the Berkeley Rep School of Theatre. The shows are at 8:00 PM on April 2, 3, 9, and 10, 2010.

The Berkeley Rep Teen Council is a theatre youth group organized by teens for teens. Its goal is to foster the theatre audiences and theatre professionals of tomorrow by opening channels of communication between teens, theatre professionals, and the community at large while building a base for lifelong learning. Through a variety of interactive programs, the Teen Council provides an opportunity for youth to participate in all aspects of the dramatic process: on stage, backstage, and in front of the stage through its affiliation with the Tony Award-winning Berkeley Repertory Theatre. Currently, the Council has more than 100 members including youth from numerous local high schools.

For more information, visit berkeleyrep.org , or e-mail teencouncil@berkeleyrep.org

So essentially it’s a youth organization on sustainability run entirely by youth volunteers, who last year established a playwriting competition for aspiring theatreists between the ages of 14 – 26 (split into 2 categories: 14 – 18 and 19 – 26). The winning playwrights receive:

• $500
• their plays performed across Canada to an estimated audience of 10,000 people
• their plays broadcast on Sustainability Television

Looks great!

Be confident. Speak loud, clear, and slow enough to be understood. Get into character. Don’t be afraid to act in front of your peers. Don’t be afraid to sing out in front of everyone. If you sing a wrong note, don’t let it stop you.

The THMS Drama Club has posted some great tips for auditioning for plays. Very worthwhile reading for anyone auditioning for a high school or middle school play!

Playwrights are the source of all depression on earth.

Agree or disagree?