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Students learn performance art
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| John Mason/Hudson-Catskill Newspapers Students in the Holiday Youth Theater Workshop engage in theater games on the first afternoon of the three-day workshop Friday at the Copake Town Park Building. The workshop continues today and culminates with a performance Sunday. |
By John Mason
COPAKE — “Simon says, ‘Stage right!’ Simon says, ‘Upstage!’ ‘Stage left!’” So came the commands from Liv Cummins and/or Simon as a group of seven 7-to-12-year-olds of all sizes got to know the jargon they needed to begin writing, rehearsing and staging a play, all in three days.
The occasion is the fourth annual Columbia Arts Team Holiday Spectacular, which takes place 3 p.m. Sunday at the Copake Town Park Building.
The show includes theater, music, juggling and comedy, as well as a visit from Santa and his elves. Admission is free for children, with a suggested donation for adults.
Running the show are actor/comedian Cummins, singer/songwriter/comedy writer Sandy McKnight and singer/musician Christina Dellea.
How do seven 7-to-12-year-olds produce a play in three days?
“Today, we’ll have the bare outline worked out,” said McKnight.
“Today, we’ll have the story, theme and characters,” said Dellea.
“Tomorrow, we’ll work it out and rehearse it,” said McKnight.
“Tomorrow, we’ll be actually performing it,” said Dellea.
Meanwhile, Cummins was running the young thespians through their paces.
“Liv is teaching them theater basics,” McKnight said. “They’re learning about story, character, the usual theater stuff — how to project their voice, focus and that kind of thing. Most of the kids have little to no experience in the theater.”
After the kids had learned upstage from downstage and left from right, they moved on to other theatrical concepts.
“What’s the French word we learned?” Cummins asked the kids for the third or fourth time. “What’s the French word we learned?”
“Ensemble!”
“Ensemble,” Cummins repeated. “That’s right. What does it mean? — Everyone works together. That’s because we’re all going to work together to create our play.
“What does ‘enunciate’ mean?” she asked. “Syona? That’s right: Keeping the words clear. Which — part — of — the — words — am — I — stress — sing — now? — The consonants. To ‘enunciate’ means to stress the consonants of words.
“If I speak loudly and clearly, I am — Projecting! That’s right,” Cummins said. “If I’m projecting, my words are —”
“Loud and clear,” said Syona.
“I can’t hear you,” said Dellea.
“Loud and clear,” Syona repeated more distinctly.
Next, McKnight took over and began brainstorming with the articulate group of young actors on plot ideas they had hatched for Sunday’s performance.
“I like this one,” he said. “Santa forgot the presents.”
Cummins said it would dovetail with the play the adult group is putting on Sunday.
“There’s another one I don’t understand,” McKnight said. “Santa gets stuck on Soda Mountain.”
The idea was explained to him by the sophisticated group of young actors.
The finished product of this workshop will be presented at the beginning of Sunday’s Holiday Spectacular. It will be followed by juggling and other bizarre human feats by Dave Cox, a performance by Roger the Jester and a visit from Santa and his elves, who always bring gifts for all children present in a big red bag.
There will also be an original play written and performed by adults. Andrew Joffe wrote it, Cummins is directing it, and it stars Joffe as Santa, Prudence Theriault as Mrs. Claus, Jackson Murphy and Zachary Nayer as the elves and John Wallace as the Earl.
Following the show will be a Teen Talent Showcase. For more information, go to columbiaartsteam.org or call 518-325-3045.
The Holiday Theater Workshop is sponsored by the town of Copake and Herrington’s, Inc.
To reach reporter John Mason, call 518-828-1616, ext. 2272, or e-mail jmason@registerstar.com.
The occasion is the fourth annual Columbia Arts Team Holiday Spectacular, which takes place 3 p.m. Sunday at the Copake Town Park Building.
The show includes theater, music, juggling and comedy, as well as a visit from Santa and his elves. Admission is free for children, with a suggested donation for adults.
Running the show are actor/comedian Cummins, singer/songwriter/comedy writer Sandy McKnight and singer/musician Christina Dellea.
How do seven 7-to-12-year-olds produce a play in three days?
“Today, we’ll have the bare outline worked out,” said McKnight.
“Today, we’ll have the story, theme and characters,” said Dellea.
“Tomorrow, we’ll work it out and rehearse it,” said McKnight.
“Tomorrow, we’ll be actually performing it,” said Dellea.
Meanwhile, Cummins was running the young thespians through their paces.
“Liv is teaching them theater basics,” McKnight said. “They’re learning about story, character, the usual theater stuff — how to project their voice, focus and that kind of thing. Most of the kids have little to no experience in the theater.”
After the kids had learned upstage from downstage and left from right, they moved on to other theatrical concepts.
“What’s the French word we learned?” Cummins asked the kids for the third or fourth time. “What’s the French word we learned?”
“Ensemble!”
“Ensemble,” Cummins repeated. “That’s right. What does it mean? — Everyone works together. That’s because we’re all going to work together to create our play.
“What does ‘enunciate’ mean?” she asked. “Syona? That’s right: Keeping the words clear. Which — part — of — the — words — am — I — stress — sing — now? — The consonants. To ‘enunciate’ means to stress the consonants of words.
“If I speak loudly and clearly, I am — Projecting! That’s right,” Cummins said. “If I’m projecting, my words are —”
“Loud and clear,” said Syona.
“I can’t hear you,” said Dellea.
“Loud and clear,” Syona repeated more distinctly.
Next, McKnight took over and began brainstorming with the articulate group of young actors on plot ideas they had hatched for Sunday’s performance.
“I like this one,” he said. “Santa forgot the presents.”
Cummins said it would dovetail with the play the adult group is putting on Sunday.
“There’s another one I don’t understand,” McKnight said. “Santa gets stuck on Soda Mountain.”
The idea was explained to him by the sophisticated group of young actors.
The finished product of this workshop will be presented at the beginning of Sunday’s Holiday Spectacular. It will be followed by juggling and other bizarre human feats by Dave Cox, a performance by Roger the Jester and a visit from Santa and his elves, who always bring gifts for all children present in a big red bag.
There will also be an original play written and performed by adults. Andrew Joffe wrote it, Cummins is directing it, and it stars Joffe as Santa, Prudence Theriault as Mrs. Claus, Jackson Murphy and Zachary Nayer as the elves and John Wallace as the Earl.
Following the show will be a Teen Talent Showcase. For more information, go to columbiaartsteam.org or call 518-325-3045.
The Holiday Theater Workshop is sponsored by the town of Copake and Herrington’s, Inc.
To reach reporter John Mason, call 518-828-1616, ext. 2272, or e-mail jmason@registerstar.com.
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