A Note from the Academy DIrectors

FYI...Your adventure awaits in our 2015-16 season!Save up to 50% over single ticket prices when you purchase a family package. Call (414) 267-2961 or visit www.FirstStage.org.

NEWS FROM THE ACADEMY • Volume 5 Issue 1 • Summer Academy 2015 at MYAC

...read more inside...

IN FOCUSis the newsletter of the

First Stage Theater Academy,published each session to

highlight the work of our staff and students.

Jennifer AdamsEditor

Patrick G.H. SchleyGraphic Design

Want to get moreinvolved at First Stage?Join the Green Room Society, our Volunteer Group! Contact Heather at (812) 201-4285 or volunteer@firststage.org for info!

Summer Academy is an experience like no other! You are about to spend a session on your feet working with your peers and professional actors to learn all about theater, yourself, and building a strong community. Through our philosophy of teaching life skills through stage skills, our dynamic staff cultivates an environment where everyone achieves and believes in themselves and each other. Whether you want to sharpen your acting skills to be seen onstage, or just want a fun and creative outlet, we are ready to help you reach those goals.

YOU are what make First Stage so unique and we are here for you. Let us know how we can help make this the best summer of your life!

— Jennifer Adams and Katie Cummings

All photos byLindsey Abendschein

InFOCUS

Young Performer Audi-tion Appointments

now available!Young people ages 8-18 can audition for our 2015-16 season. Call (414) 267-2963 or visit FirstStage.org/auditions.

proud Cornerstonemember of

FIRST STAGETHEATER ACADEMYLife Skills Through Stage Skills

Every Summer Academy session culminates in a presentation of class work for family and friends. Reminders will be sent home prior to the presentation date.

The following classes will have presentations on the final day of class:• AM (morning gr. K5-2) = 11:30am-

12:00pm• PM (afternoon gr. K5-2) = 3:00-

3:30pm• LM (full-day gr. 1-2) = 3:00-3:30pm• OM (one-week gr. 3-4; end dates 6/19,

7/3, 7/17, 7/31) = 2:15-2:45pm

• OM (one-week gr. 3-4; end dates 6/26, 7/10, 7/24, 8/7) = 1:45-2:45pm

• TM (two-week gr. 3-4) = 1:45-2:45pm• DM (two-week gr. 5 & 6-7) =

2:00-3:00pm• DM (two-week gr. 7-8 & 8-12) =

3:15-4:15pm• HM (three-week gr. 5-6) =

3:15-4:15pm

FM (four-week gr. 6-12) presentations will be held on the final Thursday:• 6/15-7/10 = 7/9 from 2:30-4:00pm• 7/13-8/7 = 8/6 from 2:30-4:00pm

Don’t forget about final presentations!

In Focus

page 2

Volume 5 Issue 1

page 3

Story Drama: Story Drama is a student’s first introduction to theater through well-known books, movies, and TV shows. Using acting techniques and a shared vocabulary, we will learn about self, story, and community as the students view the world from the perspectives of multiple characters.

Playmakers: Playmakers uses the baseline of a popular theme to explore story structure. Developing their own characters and building the environment of the story, students will work in role to create a collaborative and one-of-a-kind plot.

What’s Going On in the Classrooms?

Amy Bahr

lead teachers

Brenna Kempf,Resident

Teaching Artist

K5-2ND GRADE STORY DRAMA & PLAYMAKERS

Musical Theater: The world of Musical Theater is vast—using shows from yesteryear to today, we will explore storytelling through dance, singing, acting, and movement. Students will perform in large and small groups as well as work on building character through song and dance.

Scene Study: Scene Study classes will focus on individual character development as well as working together in a scene to establish strong relationships with scene partners. We will explore these ideas through movement, creative storytelling, improvisation, and games!

Voice and Movement: Voice and Movement will teach students how to tell a story using only the tools within themselves. Students will use poetry, games, scenes, and exercises to work their physical and vocal muscles. Throughout the summer the students will work together to exercise their creativity and find confidence physically and vocally on and off the stage.

3RD-4TH GRADE ONE- AND TWO-WEEK SESSIONS

AlexandraBonesho,

Musical Theater

lead teachers

Maggie Bridges, Scene Study

Hayley Cotton, Voice &

Movement

AmandaSatchell,

Musical Theater

Acting Theory: “matters of the heart, matters of the mind” In Acting Theory we’ll learn basic human behavior and apply it to text: what a character wants and how they struggle to get it. We’ll dive into some social ticks we all know about but perhaps haven’t yet studied, and apply them to monologues and scenes.

Improvisation: There is no better way to describe the two week Improv class than by using this description created by the teachers in a game of Dr. Know-it-All… “Improv will give everyone an opportunity (banana!) to explore other skills and to experience new vistas in an extemporaneous manner.” Wait—what does that even mean? These skills include observation, team work, accepting and adding to offers, characterization, story building, and staying in the moment. Maybe your class will play this game too!

Musical Theater: The two-week Musical Theater experience offers a smorgasbord of styles, time periods, and themes in the huge world of musical theater. Students dance, sing, and act every day in class while absorbing the fundamental skills of performance. By the end of the session, the class will join together to showcase what they’ve learned to present a short excerpt from a classic show of their choice.

Shakespeare: In Shakespeare, students will follow the clues left by da Vinci that prove that so-called William Shakespeare never wrote a word, and was in fact illiterate... or…We will give the students the tools to “speak the speech” with confidence, and demystify the thought that his plays are somehow out of reach. Either way, there is much detective work in store!

5TH-12TH GRADE TWO-WEEK SESSIONS

James Boland, Improvisation

lead teachers

Matt Daniels,Improvisation

Angela Iannone, Acting Theory

Beth Lewinski, Improvisation

Kris Puddicombe, Improvisation

Paula Tillen,Musical Theater

Grace DeWolff, Acting Theory

James Fletcher, Shakespeare

SamanthaMontgomery

In Focus

page 4

Volume 5 Issue 1

page 5

What’s Going On in the Classrooms? (continued)

Acting Theory: In Acting Theory this summer, students will take an in-depth look at themselves and the human condition, using a wide variety of exercises, scenes, monologues, and texts. Students will explore and discover their individuality, embrace their imperfections as strengths, and create their own pieces of work based off of what’s important to them.

Improvisation: Through improv, young actors will understand how to build scenes, collaborate with friends, and make their own choices for their own successes. Games, classwork, independent workshops, and mutual respect will guide this course to a summer of fun and learning!

Musical Theater: This summer in Musical Theater, we will follow the S.T.A.R. anagram: Show us who you are; Theatre World/Our World; Always stay positive; Ready, set, show! In this class we will develop talent, confidence, and character as we combine song, dance, and acting as we work together to create a musical number for performance.

Shakespeare: In Shakespeare, students will learn to take ownership of their choices as they “re-hear” (rehearse) comic scenes or monologues from the great kings and queens of Shakespeare’s stories. Students will build a toolbox of skills in physical and verbal wordplay to apply to classical texts.

5TH-12TH GRADE THREE- AND FOUR-WEEK SESSIONS

Bill Jackson, Improvisation

lead teachers

Marcella Kearns, Shakespeare

Marvette Knight, Musical Theater

Josh Pohja,Acting Theory &

Shakespeare

Karl Iglesias, Acting Theory/

ResidentTeaching Artist

Colleen Schmitt, Musical Theater

Liza Basso,Musical Theater

Teaching Apprentices

Chris Gilbert, Musical Theater & Acting Theory

Kami Graham, Story Drama

AudraHandschke,

Improvisation & Story Drama

Max Bahneman, Acting Theory &

Shakespeare

Kiaran Hartnett, Playmakers & Shakespeare

Di’MonteHenning,

Acting Theory

Kavon Jones, Scene Study & Improvisation

Ashley Jordan, Shakespeare &

Playmakers

Justin Lee,Playmakers & Scene Study

KathrynHausman, Voice and Movement & Improvisation

LauraMesrobian,

Musical Theater & Voice and Movement

Lillian Schley, Playmakers

Amy Shu,Shakespeare &

Playmakers

Emilie Thomas, Improvisation & Musical Theater

You can read more about our faculty and staff onlineat www.FirstStage.org!FYI

In Focus

page 6

Volume 5 Issue 1

page 7

What’s Going On in the Classrooms? (continued)

TARZANBook by David Henry Hwang Music and Lyrics by Phil CollinsBased on the story Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs and the Disney film Tarzan Performances July 10 & 11(Recommended for ages 5 and up)Washed up on the shores of West Africa, an infant boy is taken in and raised by gorillas who name him Tarzan. Apart from striving for acceptance from his ape father, Tarzan’s life is mostly monkey business until a human expedition treks into his tribe’s territory and he encounters creatures like himself for the first time. Tarzan struggles to navigate a jungle, thick with emotion as he discovers his animal upbringing clashing with his human instincts.

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAMBy William ShakespearePerformances July 24 & 25(Recommended for ages 8 and up)Fairies mix with mortals, a feuding king and queen unleash magical practical jokes on one another, spells yield improbable love affairs, and a band of comical tradesmen wander into an enchanted wood and are transformed in the most unlikely ways in Shakespeare’s most popular and enduring comedy. The language, poetry, and wit of Shakespeare shine as bright as the moon in this timeless classic.

ARGONAUTIKABy Mary ZimmermanPerformances August 7 & 8 (Recommended for ages 10 and up)Set sail with Jason and the Argonauts in this ancient tale of the quest for the Golden Fleece, an epic journey of love and loss, hubris and honor, unpredictability and adventure. Danger lurks at every turn as they encounter sea-monsters and water nymphs, wicked and savage kings and a city of women. But no danger proves as great as the overwhelming love of a teenaged sorceress named Medea.

COMPANY CLASSESCompany Classes are opportunities for high school students to work with professional directors for four weeks to broaden performance skills, deepen knowledge of theater, and produce a show. Students take on the additional challenge of both class work and rehearsal while serving as a role model of teamwork and positive energy for all students.

Chris Feiereisen, Director

Musical Company Class Directors

AmandaSatchell,

Musical Director

Matt Daniels, Director

Classical Company Class Directors

Matt Roth,AssistantDirector

Jennifer Adams, Director

Contemporary Company Class Directors

Ashlea Woodley,AssistantDirector

Laura Bolling, Office Assistant

Our administrative team

Mitch Bultman, Headmaster

Katie Cummings, AcademyDirector

SamanthaMontgomery, Headmaster

Jennifer Adams, AcademyDirector

Patrick Schley, AcademyServicesManager

Sarah Severson, Extended Care

Supervisor

Malkia Stampley, CommunityPartnership Coordinator

KC Rasch,Office Assistant

Contact the Academy Office at (414) 267-2970 oracademy@firststage.org at any time with questions

about your student’s class!FYI

Check out our kid-to-kid cabaret fundraiser!Join us in supporting our students in their Kid-to-Kid endeavors! Kid-to-Kid is a student initiative to raise money for their peers who may not be able to afford classes at First Stage. First Stage prides itself at having never turned away a student due to financial concerns.

This summer, the teaching artists of the First Stage Academy are putting together a cabaret! Come for a night of singing, acting, dancing, improv and more!

Where: Milwaukee Youth Arts CenterWhen: Tuesday, July 21, 2015 @ 6:00pmCost: $5 suggested donation to Kid-to-Kid

Permission slips will be available for students who would like to stay at MYAC until the event. Questions? Contact the Academy office at academy@firststage.org.

W W W . F I R S T S T A G E . O R G

Family Series Roald Dahl’s James and the Giant Peach

October 16 – November 15, 2015 A Charlie Brown Christmas

November 27, 2015 – January 3, 2016Holes

January 15 – February 14, 2016The Snow

February 26 – March 20, 2016Ella Enchanted

April 1 – May 1, 2016Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse

May 13 – June 12, 2016

First Steps Series Spookley the

Square PumpkinOctober 10 – November 1, 2015

Just a Little Critter Musical

February 13 – March 13, 2016

Young Company Series All’s Well That

Ends WellDecember 11 – 20, 2015

AntigoneApril 8 – 17, 2016

Family Packages to

t he 2015-16 season now available

*Choose 3+ plays and SAVE over regular

single ticket prices!