The last week of August held excitement and multi-layered skill building for anyone aged ten and older at the Southeast Steuben County Library. Partnering with the local theater group, Centre Stage Community Theatre, we hosted a week of Theatre Camp for five fun-filled days.
Kimerly Canale is a terrific actress!
This workshop was offered in 2015 and was such a great success, we had to offer it in 2016. Kimberly Canale lead the week once again with the help of the forever-funny, Eduvigis Vazquez>>> lovingly known as Eddie or Abuelo.
Everyone loved Eddie for his goofy traits and all inclusive personality. He was quickly seen as a mentor. Keeping the action and excitement was key to entertaining and educating this large class. The chant "Boom Chicka Boom" was the favorite practice game for the whole crowd, especially so with Eddie's antics!
Pick up to 5 pieces
To begin, Kimberly instructed each actor to pick up to 5 pieces from this bucket. No one knew these items would equate to details about themselves. This ice-breaker game was handy with opening up conversation between students and breaking their shells of shyness.
You can't take me...
With games like "You can't take me," each student had a chance to act like a household object. Roles were given while the main actor waited outside the room. When the "scene" began, the main actor tried removing an "item" (aka, actor) out of the scene. The "item" would reply, "you can't take me" and give a reason. In this image, Eddie can't take Kimberly, because "How would you tell the time?" Look at her pose. Can you guess she's a Grandfather Clock?!
Practice makes perfect
From games like "Mirror, Mirror," where actors pair up to play off of each others' movements to tongue twisters to say out loud, like "Cinnamon Aluminum Linolem" (say it out loud!) or "Unique New York," (go on- try it!--you'll get the giggles) the group moved on to acting out plays from readers' theater script books like Cinderella Outgrows the Glass Slipper and Other Fractured Fairy Tale Plays. Repeating the same play over and over again was not something anyone complained about! They had the insight that repetition is the foundation to mastery.
Parent Performance
Our actors requested to perform for their parents and families on the last day, so we set up a theater for final performances. Parents got to gush over the skills each actor gained and tons of video was shot.
If unsure, check with the director
Performances were undoubtedly wonderful. Kimberly's guidance gave students confidence. If anyone was unsure of a detail, they were told to "check with the director." During performances, Kimberly announced each process and the value or purpose for each activity. This gave everyone insight to the methodology.
Big smiles and treats
The week long workshop ended with treats for our hard working actors and some group shots. This program was well attended, with almost 20 actors ready to play each day. Summer vacation was nearly over, but they never wanted the fun to end. Even after 5 days and ten hours of hard work, the group groaned when we declared the end had arrived.
Groans are good after a five day program. Aside from attendance retention, the students actions showed their appreciation for the class. We kept it low-key. No rehearsing, no filming, no costumes needed. Simple repetitive fun and skill building. Reading aloud and public speaking skills soared in this class and will be utilized for a lifetime. Bravo actors!
Director of Education of the Rockwell Museum Gigi Alvare speaks at the
opening of the annual Garden of Fire Festival for area summer programs
at Carefirst in Coopers Plains. Eric Wensel/The Leader
Several area organizations participate in the festival. There are science and art projects, as well as health and nutrition lessons. With "Water" as the festival theme, Squirt Gun Painting seemed like a fun activity to bring to the event.
Squirt Gun Painting samples
The samples I made attempted the method of "resist," which uses objects and elements to block paint from the page or "resist" the color. Wax and glue usually make great resists for painting effects. I used glue sticks and was not pleased by the results. As you will see in the following photo, the glue resist was not very effective, but the paper letters and foam squares I used to resist the paint were really great elements to remain in the composition.
"2016" is barely visible after painting
I expected 250 kids in 6 hours, so the project had to be made within 5 minutes for all kids involved to create a masterpiece. Since the glue stick resist was a minor failure, we used paper letters and foam squares to decorate the pages before hitting them with squirt gun paint.
My sample, doused in paint
I used water color paper, tempera paint and Nerf Super Soaker Zipfire squirt guns to "paint" each color in a Jackson Pollock drip and splatter style. Super Soakers are quality squirt guns that held up to the masses and did not clog! It's easy to get carried away and add too much paint, leaving a muddy puddle on the page. Therefore, the kids were instructed to squirt 2-3 shots of each color, 4 colors total, before picking up the page and making the paint run abstract lines across the page.
Paint, then turn the page to let the colors run together
This project was fun, fast and mildly messy. Luckily, we were outdoors and the heat was so oppressive, any contact with water was a GOOD THING! This kids loved working paint in this method. Many parents commented on the ease and feasibility of this craft for birthday parties and picnics. Wet paintings hung on clothes lines to dry, which added a wall of color "flags" flapping in the breeze. A beautiful day in the Garden of Fire!
Samples hanging in the sun
Eric Wensel, a photographer from our local news paper, The Leader, took great shots of the event. This is the only image I have seen from the busy, hot, water-filled day!
Kids make squirt gun paint art. Eric Wensel/The Leader
Gratitude goes to The Rockwell Museum and Chelsea Ambrose from Care First for organizing this rewarding festival. The SSC Library is pleased to be part of the effort.
Check back in a few weeks to see how our Theatre Workshop Camp goes. It was so much fun last year, it's back!
Theater Camp was the last week in August>>> the final stages of Summer Vacation. Through arrangement with Kim Canale and Centre Stage Community Theatre, we planned a week of theater games and activities, which culminated in a library themed play at the end of the program series.
"Run, walk, skip or hop"- the group practicing a special song
The first day of camp was covered by Kimberly Canale, a publicity agent and director (among other roles) with Centre Stage Community Theater. I arrived the second day of the program and was treated to a special song, written just for the library theater camp. This song is TOP SECRET (ok, you may have heard some of it or will in a video here or there, but THAT'S IT!)
Games were aplenty all week. Having a room packed with teens and tweens requires lots of activities to keep the excitement going. "Pretend" was the basis of the games, just like the one shown below. "Pretend you are stiff as a board. You are a block of wood. You have no muscles, no heart beat, and you cannot move until I, the Magic Fairy, grant you life," was the role Kim gave these exuberant participants.
"You are a block of wood."
I collected unusual items throughout the library to use as props. The kids were instructed to use the items in unconventional ways and act with them so that others could guess what the item is supposed to be. This happened to be the all around favorite game--ALL WEEK.
"That's not a squash, it's a golf club."
Kim suggested a game where participants paired up to act off of each other, like a mirror. This was quite the experience to view in person.
Script reading was a big part of Theater Camp. We needed to assign parts for our play and understand who really liked to read out loud and who like to be or hold props. Luckily this was an easy task. Each participant voiced their choice of roles and everyone was happy.
Script reading is serious stuff!
We read from Zany Fractured Tales and Plays, which is hilarious at any age! Each person got to practice with these plays before they hit the big time by acting out the play written especially for this program.
Before I go any further, this tease is necessary. You will receive no more details about this wonderful program unless you attend the Southeast Steuben County Library's 15th Birthday Party on Saturday, December 5, 2015 from 5-8 pm.
At 6 pm that evening, the World Premier of our special library play will air for the first time ever. The actors in the play do not know how they look while acting. Parents of these actors have not seen the play. The entire week is somewhat of a mystery to family and friends of these actors and we want to keep it that way!
Much gratitude and appreciation is owed to Kimberly Canale and Centre Stage Community Theatre. Kim and her volunteers worked tirelessly each day of our camp to produce a fun and fulfilling program for teens and tweens. The play that Kim wrote is specific to our library history and holds an important message to viewers of all ages. Please spread the word and save the date to screen our Theater Workshop World Premier. Bring the family!
.........Ok, just one little sneak preview of our fabulous actors.
