Children will take the stage this winter and spring when Park University partners with the Coterie Theatre to offer drama and acting classes at the University’s Parkville Campus. Six-week camps for children in kindergarten through 12th grade are scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 21, through Saturday, May 5. This is the first time the Coterie School for Theatre Exploration will partner with Park to offer winter and spring classes. In the Coterie’s classes, professional teaching artists use games, improvisations, acting exercises and scene work to help young actors discover what it means to respond truthfully and believably. In drama classes for younger students, actors flex their imaginations through games, visual arts, music and improvisation. Winter classes, offered on Saturdays, Jan. 21 to Feb. 25, include:
• Stories from a Trunk — 10 to 11:30 a.m., for students in kindergarten and first grade. Students dive into an interactive dramatic adventure inspired by props and costumes from past Coterie productions.
• Actor’s Toolbox — 10 to 11:30 a.m., for students in second through fourth grades. Each week the teaching artist will lead students in warm-ups, creative drama activities and basic acting exercises that will help students to feel confident using their voices, bodies and imaginations as an instrument for creative expression.
• Improv 101 — Noon to 1:30 p.m., for students in fifth through seventh grades. This class introduces young actors to the world of improvisational comedy games and mental workouts.
• Comedy on Your Feet — Noon to 1:30 p.m., for students in eighth through 12th grades. This class is targeted to students looking to explore improv games, performance art and mental workouts.
Spring classes, offered on Saturdays, March 24 to May 5, include:
• Animalia — 10 to 11:30 a.m., for students in kindergarten and first grade. Animals and their habitats will inspire young actors as they explore how to use their bodies, faces and voices to develop settings, characters and dramatic situations.
• Theater Sampler — 10 to 11:30 a.m., for students in second through fourth grades. At each class, students will explore a different element of theater that will enhance their skills in collaboration, critical thinking and creativity
• Audition Labs — Noon to 1:30 p.m., for students in fifth through seventh grades and eighth through 12th grades. The teaching artist will help participants choose audition monologues that match their age, personality and individual audition needs. The final class will include a special audition for youth roles in the upcoming Coterie season.
For questions regarding class content and age appropriateness, contact Coterie Education Director Meghann Henry at (816) 474-6785, ext. 231. To register for classes, call (816) 474-4241. Registration forms and complete class descriptions are available at www.coterietheatre.org.
