This fun and informative piece comes from Arthur T. Wilson of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, where P.Nokio: a Hip-Hop Musical will be touring after it closes at Imagination Stage on March 11. This piece gives an in-depth look at Psalmayne 24 (writer/director/actor), his work, and why the classic tale of Pinnochio lends itself to a Hip-Hop inspired remix.
Archive for the ‘Arts Education’ Category
An Old Tale Set to a New Beat
Tuesday, January 31st, 2012 by adminThe Performing Arts Give Kids a Community
Thursday, December 15th, 2011 by adminI’d like to share a common theme in my conversations with Imagination Stage families, a theme which I relate to personally. I hear frequently from parents that being in an acting or dance class has had a positive impact on their child. Many parents talk of how it has brought their child out of his/her shell, helped develop empathy, provided more confidence, or even—as one parent shared—given her and her teenage daughter a common interest to talk about. When I hear these comments and watch our students grow their theatre skills, I remember how theatre has also changed my life.
Journies in the Classroom and On-Stage: The Conservatory Ensembles
Thursday, December 1st, 2011 by adminHow fitting that the themes for both plays selected for this year’s Conservatory Program graduation shows center around a journey, as the productions themselves mark the end of an amazing journey for all the actors involved.
Summer Theatre Campus: From the Classroom to the Stage
Monday, November 7th, 2011 by adminLast weekend we spent the afternoon at a great middle-school party.
Granted, we planned the party…so we could be a little biased. But what really made this event great were the attendees—all of them 2011 Imagination Stage Summer Theatre Campus (STC) alumni. These young people, ages 10 – 14 gathered together to attend a performance of Aladdin’s Luck at Imagination Stage, which was followed by a pizza party reunion—featuring music, games, and a teaser for STC 2012.
Creating ImagiFest 2011
Thursday, September 1st, 2011 by adminI love a good party. So, when I joined the staff at Imagination Stage in July of 2009, I was thrilled that part of my job would be creating unique community engagement events that reflect the creativity we have on staff, on stage, and in our classrooms. I couldn’t ask for better collaborators. Imagination Stage has some of the most fun, hardworking, thoughtful, and creative people I have ever encountered. This is a group that knows how to have serious fun (not just a tagline…we walk the walk).
Growing New Educational Programming for Pre-K
Friday, June 17th, 2011 by adminThe recent domestic rise in interest to produce Theatre for the Very Young has issued a new challenge to corresponding arts education departments to offer programming for their new audience. Several theatres have accepted this challenge by integrating “kinderdrama,” widely defined as a class that a guardian and a young child take together as a pair, into their educational programming. Across the country, this expansion of programming is challenging teaching artists to adapt to a space where education and family collide.
How Much of the Play is Your Child Really Getting? All of It!
Wednesday, February 16th, 2011 by adminPerhaps, as you watch this play with your child, you may wonder, “how much of this is he really getting?” The answer is “all of it!” Results of a new study show that children as young as 5 are capable of understanding complex theatrical metaphors…
Tyler Herman: He is an Imagination Stage Alum, a Cornell Grad and he’s starring as Percy in PERSEUS BAYOU!
Monday, January 31st, 2011 by adminOne week before the opening of Perseus Bayou, we checked in with Tyler Herman about playing the lead, his history with Imagination Stage and how he became a professional actor.
Student Spotlight: Jessica Levy
Tuesday, January 4th, 2011 by adminWorking in Youth Theatre involves an ongoing conversation with parents and students regarding feelings after casting. Young actors in particular get hung up on counting the number of lines they have in a play. The higher the number, the better the experience will be, right? The lower the line count must then be equated with having no talent. What if you’re cast in a musical which is written specifically to include only a handful of speaking roles and a large dancing and singing chorus who don’t have any dialogue at all? “How is my child acting if they don’t have any lines?” parents often ask. Underneath this sentiment: how are they going to be valued in the production if they do not speak on stage?
Great Promise and Art in Baby Theatre
Tuesday, November 23rd, 2010 by adminThe New York Times is devoting column inches to what is widely being hailed as the newest trend in theatre in the USA—theatre for the very young. As someone who has travelled to festivals across Europe and Canada and seen dozens of Baby Shows over the last decade, I have come to believe that Baby Theatre holds enormous promise not only for the immediate benefactors, its audience of children and parents, but also for shaping a more sophisticated teen and adult theatre-going public in the USA down the road.
