05.09.11
SPOTLIGHT ON Community Music School
Community Music School
P.O. Box 387
90 Main Street
Centerbrook, CT 06409
860-767-0026
I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Robin Andreoli, Executive Director of the Community Music School, about a new Summer Theater class, Acting 101, that will be held in June. This introductory class, for ages 11 – 16, will be taught by Kevin Spedding, a theater artist and educator who has taught acting for all ages. Kevin received his bachelor’s degree from Rider University and has worked in professional theater in Philadelphia PA, Princeton NJ, and in Connecticut.
When asked about this class, Kevin states, “… the idea for the classes is to work with the kids on creating a character on stage. No matter what the character, from one of the Three Little Pigs to Ophelia or Hamlet, the idea is to use your imagination to create their (the character’s) reality. So we do exercises to encourage imagination, creativity, and emotional connection where appropriate. The younger children generally are less self-conscious and free, but we still do exercises in which we practice being silly and understanding that we won’t be judged – It’s O.K. to be silly when we need to be. For the older children this can be trickier, and they usually need more work with understanding that it’s O.K. to take chances when trying to create a character. In short it can be harder for teens to drop their self-consciousness and really just “go for it”. Of course these are generalizations, and every kid is different, but with small classes we can cater to each child’s individual needs. So the idea is to create a place that’s emotionally safe, where we can experiment with our imagination and emotional intelligence in order to create a character. In the end we’ll put together a small performance using small props, little scenery, and simple costumes in order to highlight some of the things we’ve learned.”
To learn more about Acting 101 or other classes offered by Community Music School, visit www.community-music-school.org/programs/summer-programs.htm
