the programs
let the play begin...your tree house youth theatre experience!
and I quote - "I regard the theatre as the greatest of all
art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another
the sense of what it is to be a human being." - oscar wilde.
to start:
We exist to create extraordinary theatre
experiences that EDUCATE, CHALLENGE, and INSPIRE young people. Our Theatre Arts
Training (TAT) classes can change your child's life by nurturing the ability and
desire to think critically, work collaboratively, build self-confidence, and
become assertive, active members of society. Classes are well-rounded with two
primary areas of focus:
1. Building skills in acting, music, and dance,
while using theatre to empower students to become active, well informed,
confident citizens of the world.
2. To allow students the opportunity to express
themselves, collaborate with others, explore the creative process, and
investigate elements of story, character, themes, and genres.
and I quote - "You
need three things in the theatre - the play, the actors and the audience - and
each must give something. - kenneth haigh (British actor)
to be or not to be - let's start with some questions!
1. What is acting? That's a good question. What is acting? Well, we think acting is -
- being talented - being sensitive to the world around you
- being open and courageous enough to show your real self
- seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, smelling - intensely
- knowing
the world you live in
- wanting
to tell stories and have people understand them
- being educated - know about art, history, painting, dance, music, literature
- knowing
yourself - who are you?
- being physically fit - know your body
- being vocally fit - trained in spoken and sung voice
- keeping
it real - believing from the heart and soul
- being committed - showing up to all the rehearsals
- being supportive of your fellow actors and director
- being present - being totally in the now
2. Okay, so know I know a bit about what being an actor is, how do I get there? Where do I start?
We at Tree House Youth Theatre are very excited about helping you reach your goals to be a performer on a stage. Most of our classes are geared towards putting on a show at the end of them which is an exciting thing, but we also make sure that you are building skills - voice, movement, acting - as you go through by using games and exercises that professional actors and acting schools use, that will help you be more confident and focused when you are on-stage.
Taking the time to build skills, just
like in a sport or when learning to play an instrument, is important.
If you want to improve your shot you do drills, if you want to improve
your piano playing, you do scales and if you want to improve your
acting you dive right into the games and exercises with a "Yes let's!" attitude.
Every rehearsal is like the play-offs! You need to give it your all - all of the time!
Theatre, like sports, is really fun - you make new friends, you learn new skills and you gain self-confidence!
Performing is a skill that takes hard work and
dedication. But, boy, is it fun!
and I quote - "Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.- dr. seuss.
3. I'm afraid I'll look stupid up there in front of the kids and the audience. I'm afraid to be me!
Being up on stage can be a frightening thing. What will my friends think? Will I look dumb? A lot of young people, especially teens, are really worried about what's cool and what's not. They are very concerned about what other kids think and it can stop them from fully participating in acting.
To be a good actor you need to forget all about that and not worry about it at all. Sometimes you have to take the chance of looking very uncool to be a good performer.
Theatre is all about the joy and freedom of expressing yourself and being who you really are. It's about having the courage to do "stupid' stuff and not worry about what you look like! Playing a monster? Then be that monster right down to your toes!
It is really cool to be able to say, "I did it!"
and I quote - "Without wonder and insight, acting is just a trade. With it, it becomes creation."- bette davis (american actress)
4. What will I be learning at Tree House Youth Theatre?
Many of our programs are performance oriented which means first and foremost you will be putting on some kind of a production at the end of the program - maybe some one-acts, or monologues, or readers theatre or even large scale plays and musicals like "Beauty and the Beast' or "Mulan Jr."
You will also be concentrating on developing your skills both as a performer and as a person.
Take a look.
Ages 10 - 11 Learn to make informed choices through a growing appreciation of history and culture. Perform with greater precision and growing emphasis on creative interpretation with a continued focus on teamwork, self-confidence and active listening.
Ages 12 - 17 Learn to maintain freedom of expression and exercise the imagination while developing a sense of personal identity. Includes thinking outside the box, responding with creative problem solving and articulating feelings, thoughts and ideas. Students will refine awareness of and employ good vocal and physical habits, expand awareness of rhythm, tempo and pacing while responding to symbolism and imagery in scripted work (teamwork, self-confidence, active listening).
and I quote - "Try and fail, but don't fail to try." - stephen kaggwa
