Philly Drama
Held at the Kimmel Center on Jan. 24. Ensemble Arts of Philly opened its doors to a theater workshop for high school students from all around. With 20 different sessions to choose from, students were able to explore the technical and performance aspects of theater and how to better improve after high school.
Painting the stage
Session 1: Philadelphia Scenic Work. This was a good experience for anyone artsy and creative. Instructors discussed how sets get built, how to make different textures on set, and how to practice the skills students learned. Seeing the attention to detail gave students new perspectives on how much thought is put into each mark and shade.
Find Your Groove
Session 2: Walnut Street Theater. Concentrating on dancing, students would hear music being played, and were encouraged to find the beats to dance to, sometimes with a partner, and, at other times, alone. An important skill for all dancers to know is how to find the beat. Then in the course of 30 minutes students learned the first half of the dance to ¨Time Warp¨ from ¨The Rocky Horror Picture Show¨. This session gave a preview of what professional dancers experience while being taught pieces they may see at professional theaters.
Release your Creativity
Session 3: Paper Doll Ensemble. A class of improv started off with discussions about stereotypes and archetypes. Here, students learned how musicals are made by becoming the creators. First all together, then in small groups, students become the main characters in different scenarios like robbing a bank. Students here learned how to let their inner actor out as they came up with what you say on the spot!
