This year marks the third annual installment of Theatre Camp with Centre Stage Community Theatre. Our local, talented crew of actors led the week-long program, guiding students to the end of summer and a new school year. Participants learn skills appropriate for the theater, but also valuable lessons to carry forward in life.
I said a-BOOM!
Kimberly Canale is the ring-leader of this silly circus of kids acting goofy all week. There are games and rhymes they practice daily. Boom Chicka Boom is a repeat-after-me style verse that gets used as practice, activity transition, and a closer to each afternoon session. Kids have to follow actions and voice style of the leader. Each person takes the opportunity to lead the group and every time it gets giggles.
I love watching how the teens and tweens are uncomfortable at first, but within a few Boom Chicka Booms, all shyness is pushed aside. Kimberly and Eddie, our talented actors, show no restraint in their silliness, which is contagious. The confidence building over the week is one superb life skill these kids need.
Public speaking should be a cinch for these students as they progress in their educational and working careers. Other skills achieved are respect for each other. Giving attention and applause to each actor shows respect, but learning to accept applause--actually wait for it--is an incredible opportunity to experience.
Reader Theatre
Performing plays by reading the script helps students remain confident that they know their lines and improves the ability to read aloud and keep track of the play's progress.
Team Huddle
Working in teams to decide upon themes, actions, etc. helps build cooperative skills working with peers. The copious group activities these kids experienced all week give them a lead in the new school year. Team work makes the dream work!
Team Eddie
Having multiple team leaders helped maintain momentum and gives each student different perspectives. While Kimberly loves drama, Eddie loves comedy and this was a perfect mix for our group of students.
Awaiting Applause
Parents are the BEST Audience 💜💜
Boys acting like HEAVY Luggage
Parents and patrons were invited to a free performance on the last day of class. I got many great responses from parents whose kids LOVED this program and can't wait to have it offered again. I see a puppet show looming in the near future...stay tuned 😉
Script reading= skill building
This wraps another fantastic week of young adult programming at the Southeast Steuben County Library. Thanks for visiting!
Each year in December, we combine First Friday Art Club and Teen Cooking Club into one BIG CRAFTING EVENT called Make and Bake Gifts. This is the chance to cook and create handmade gifts for the holiday season. There are no fees for participants. Pre-registered attendees encounter a variety of crafts to make then take away.
Fabric Covered Coaster Tiles
The first station for creating was Fabric Covered Tile Coasters. This was an easy project that could be quick or intricate, depending upon the details put into it. Painting Mod-Podge glue onto a ceramic tile, then adding a square of fabric cut slightly smaller than the tile and burnishing that fabric onto the tile is the main process of this craft. Coating the fabric covered tile in more Mod-Podge to seal in the fabric finishes off the coaster. To save table surfaces, it is recommended to glue felt onto the bottom of the ceramic tile. As you can see, these tiles got fancy! Details were trimmed and secured and each tile had an individual flare.
Detailed adornment
The next project was soda can basket weaving, led by Kimberly Canale. This video tutorial is extremely helpful and recommended to anyone who wants to make one at home. This video is part 1 of a 3 video series.
Kimberly showed the First Friday Art Club how to make these in August, but that class focused on soda can flowers. This event allowed students the time to focus on the weaving process. It turns out the soda cans are gnarly when cut. Students really liked learning to weave, but kept getting caught on the soda can, which limited their enjoyment.
Gnarly snags are no fun. WEAVING IS AMAZING!
With a little bit of patience and focus, each person created an adorable woven can.
Woven Soda Can Baskets
This fun Snowman pin craft kept people busy and intent for a long time. Putting tiny beads in a specific order on safety pins is a test of eye sight and patience.
"These pins take patience!"
This project was donated by a generous community partner. There were dozens made for family members. I was even able to donate more to a Homeschool Arts & Crafts group.
Frosty!
The edible portion of this event hit a rough spot. The intended recipe was Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Reindeer. It is sad to note that I burned the chocolate for this recipe. Ugh!!! The smell of scorched chocolate wafted through the Union Hall within moments of placing the melting wafers in the electric skillet. This melted chocolate thing is still a learning curve for me, especially when I'm multi-tasking. My intention was to have a pot of melted chocolate ready to dip, so there were less steps to making these cute creatures. In hindsight, I suggest melting chocolate in the microwave, like the recipe states, or using a crock pot to maintain a low temperature for the chocolate to temper, providing a smooth appearance and dry solid on the marshmallow.
Rudolph's nose is falling off!
Since the chocolate was scorched, the cocoa butter crystallized and it would not harden. The facial details could not stick, and the whole project was becomming a mess. Luckily, these kids are quick to create a work-around. Albino reindeer, snowmen, and even tarantulas were designed at this station.
Tarantula, Olaf, White Deer
Snowlady, Red-Nosed Puppymallow
The final cooking craft was a treat to most of the group. Funfetti Shortbread Bites are a quick and plentiful recipe, creating dozens of treats in one 13 x 9" pan. I had older teen volunteers set up the recipe and prepare the ingredients. When another teen finished their projects, they were welcome to help this group finish the recipe for everyone to enjoy. These bites were packaged in a holiday box and taken away quicker than I had a chance to taste test.
Funfetti is always FUN!
This wraps up another fantastic teen Make and Bake Gifts for Southeast Steuben County Library. Our teens had a busy year with school and library programs. Just one more crafting session is held this week. Join us for Fabric Holiday Cards on December 9, 2016. Our favorite fashionista, Tetyana Buchholz will lead the group on sewing and appliqueing fabric cards for the holiday season.
Last teen craft for 2016
If you miss the program, stop back for a recap of the event.
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!
