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Although TWS
is not a children's theater, resident staff member have had a long-standing
commitment to including young actors and technicians in the process
of creating and performing. In addition to the opportunities available
in the season subscription series of plays and musicals, there are
many other ways a young actor or technician can become part of TWS.
Here's a little
history lesson for folks who don't yet know that TWS provides a
Young Company Division for young people ages 6 - 18:
1985
Resident staff created a strong Apprentice Program
where young high school students had an intense three-month experience
in all aspects of theater. This group of developing theater artists
also presented a children's show to general audiences. Trish Adair,
Stacy Plaskett, Jeff Peiken, Joe Niesen, Kathryn Ankenman (Hart),
and Matt Haslam, now working theater professionals, were among the
apprentices who passed through TWS.
1985
- 89
Lorenzo Aragon originated a bi-lingual outreach project in conjunction
with Monterey County Migrant Education call ˇPues!
Lorenzo took the expressed hopes, dreams and feelings of local students
and put them into theatrical form with music, which was then presented
to the very same students the following year. During this time,
TWS had a core actor program that also provided a touring Shakespeare
program that traveled to local high schools to engage and recruit
students into theater arts.
1990
- 98
JR. Theater, a Creative Dramatics program, was a pet project
of Casting Director Jim McLean's. Offered in partnership with Hartnell's
Workforce and Community Education office, Jr. Theater gave budding
performers ages 5 - 11 the chance to work with members of TWS' acting
company in the creative exploration of improvisation, movement,
music and storytelling.
1990
The Peter Pan Project: 60 kids were involved in the development
of an original adaptation of J.M. Barrie's classic tale. New musical
numbers, spearheaded by Jon Selover, Dianne Busch and John Jay Espino,
had two recitals before being inserted into the mainstage production
of Peter Pan in the summer of 1991. Among the many other
TWS Company Members who worked with the energetic sixty were Michael
Nickerson, Kathy Nathan, Judy Orlandella, Jim McLean and Joelle
Pieruccini Kaiser.
1992-
present
Play's-the-Thing (PtT) saw its beginnings in the Peter Pan
Project and continued its exploration of new adaptations and development
workshops with Wind of a Thousand Tales, a three-phase project that
had the creative push of Jon Selover, Joyce Lower Sherry, and Tracy
Bryce Farmer. Forty actors between the 5th and 8th grades learned
the fundamentals of writing, performance, acting and ensemble building.
In 1995, the cast performed to full houses at our Cabaret Oldtown
theater.
1993
A "Kids and Family" ad hoc committee was formed with TWS staff members
Sheryl Bailey (Heath) and Leo Cortez taking the lead on program
proposals and organization. Also included in this ad hoc committee
were Tracy Bryce (Farmer), James Farmer, Chris Graham, Lori Koenig,
Myrna Kranz, Kristin Kusanovich, Joyce Lower (Sherry), Taft Miller,
and Jon Selover.
Play!Write!
was a in-class program brought up from San Diego by Tracy Bryce
and continued for many seasons by Joyce Lower. Play!Write!
students were challenged to write about their own experiences (real
& imagined) while learning about and incorporating basic dramatic
structure. Emphasis was on the exploration of conflict and its resolution.
In addition, student learned basic acting techniques in order to
present their writings at the conclusion of the residency.
1995
Another
ad hoc committee[Joyce Lower, Melissa Chin (Parker), Anya Finke,
Jim McLean, Jon Selover and Jack Halpin] continues the work begun
two years prior to cull the best ideas concerning programming for
youth and to create a mission and philosophical statement, codification
of individual program curricula, and an ombudsman committee.
1996
- present
Young Company becomes a formal division of TWS. The past efforts
of staff culminated in year-to-year stability of program offering.
Melissa Chin Parker acts as the Division Director and oversees all
activities offered to young people through the Rep stages and shops,
outreach classes and workshops, partnerships with other organizations
and Hartnell departments, and all Young Company Programs.
1998
Nina Capriola and Marc & Lyla Englehorn direct PtT and YCP
(YCPresents) projects, and work to add a workshop series offered
to local schools.
2000
A banner year for YC. The Division auditions 100 young actors and
as in the past three seasons, produces an original PtT project and
YCP musical project in the summer. Added to the season was a highly
successful fall YCP production under the direction of resident staff
member, Donna Federico, and an outreach show, The Spirit of Hispania,
which was performed before 2500 students. To top everything off,
Young Company receives a commendation from the City of Salinas.
2001
YC receives a generous donation from the Sally Hughes Church Foundation,
which sponsors the complete YC2001 Season. YC now has a database
of over 400 and continues to offer programming FEE FREE. The fall
project, Songs and Stories, was the final directing project
of then Artistic Director, Tom Humphrey, who departed TWS after
15 years to join the Theater Department staff of the University
of North Carolina at Greensboro.
2002-2003
YC is ever growing and changing, as are the young participants who
have gone through its programs. We have seen another generation
of actors grow up and move on to principal roles within the Rep
as new young actors discover The Western Stage and its Young Company
programs: for instance, Heather Osteraa "Philia"in A
Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum; David Ezekiel
"young Tommy"in Tommy; Sarah Kenoyer "Anne"in
The Diary of Anne Frank; Michaela Petrovich "Muriel"in
Ah! Wilderness, Christina Hogan "Socorro"in Rain
of Gold. The High School Apprentice program continues to offer
exceptional teens the opportunity to lend vital assistance to resident
staff and to develop their skills as theater managers, technicians
and performers. Many of the Apprentices have gone on to take leadership
roles in their individual high school or college drama programs.
For the first
time, because of the rise in College fees, TWS asks for support
from its participants through a minimum contribution towards enrollment
and registration fees. Although YC projects (with the exception
of those run through Hartnell College‚ Community Ed. Office)
are no longer free-of-charge, K-12 students pay a total of $4 for
programming, still maintaining affordability to as many participants
as possible.
2004
Play's-the-Thing and YCPresents are now fully entrenched performance
programs. In addition to JR Theater (Creative Dramatics for ages
5–8), a very successful YOU*THeater Camp is offered in partnership
with Hartnell College‚s Workforce and Community Ed. Office.
Sixty new young actors/singers/dancers are introduced to The Western
Stage in summer 2004. The last Season Subscription Musical of TWS‚
2004 season is Into the Woods, JR, which features young people
between the ages of 14 & 19, and many of Young Company's alumni
were part of its cast.
2005
Two new programs
for young people
are introduced
in the beginning
of TWS‚ 2005
Season. "OnStage",
a theater conference
for Monterey
County High
School Students
is introduced
in April.
Thirty local
high schools
were invited,
and representatives
from North
Salinas and
Salinas High
Schools attend.
Students work
with TWS resident
staff & instructors
in stage combat,
costume design
& construction,
and in performance
of monologues & two-person
scenes. The
conference will
be an annual
offering in
the month of
February, when
high school
students are
more available
to attend.
"Callback" is
a summer performance
program being
introduced
in summer 2005
and will target
actors ages
16–20,
who seek accelerated
training in
acting. This
program is intended
to act as a
bridge between
Young Company
and TWS Repertory
productions,
and to attract
students who
are remaining
in the area
after graduating
from high school
and before they
move on to a
four-year collegiate
program.
2006
- Present
YC
PRogram
gets
its
own
Coordinator/Adjunct
Faculty
position
to
focus
on
program
development
and
organizational
needs.
TWS
veteran
and
former
staff
member
Susanne
Burns
is
hired
to
fill
this
position
and
to
coordinate
Young
Company
and
Outreach
programs
with
the
Artisitc
Program
Director.
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