Education Department expands programs–and horizons!
By A Noise Within
November 17, 2015
Thanks to the vision and leadership of Education Director Alicia Green, the scope of our programs for young folk has increased significantly. The happy result: we now serve more students than ever before.
Especially telling is that attendance goals for our fall student matinees (affectionately known as “SMATs”) have exceeded expectations. Relatedly, the Company already has 48 workshops and residencies booked with schools so far this year—and 606 students will participate! (Compare this to 2014-15 (21 total) and the previous year, when just 3 workshops were possible.) According to Education Associate Leah Artenian, “Our workshops and residencies with schools provide students with the opportunity to work directly with professional theatre artists and to delve more deeply into the plays in an interactive, hands-on learning environment—truly a one-of-a kind experience.”
Our Youth Conservatory is also growing by leaps and bounds. This year, enrollment for fall stands at 70 and reaches nearly 100 when the Young Adult Council members are counted. Established in fall 2014, this spirited group consists of high school students around the Pasadena and LA areas who come together with the like-minded goal of learning more about a professional theater. Membership is absolutely free, and is open to high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors.
Especially exciting this year are the newly established “YAC Play Nights.” Members of the Young Adult Council have the opportunity to attend every play in ANW’s season for free. Students attend as a group and are able to chat with Artistic Directors Geoff and Julia before the show, watch rehearsals, and enjoy a private post-show conversation with the actors. YAC member Malik Kindle shares his enthusiasm for A Flea in Her Ear: “Right from the beginning of the play, I felt intrigued by one the acting, and two the set design. I was amazed by how much thought and energy went into the production, I was also amazed by the way the actors made the audience feel how their characters felt.”
Leah, who oversees the Young Adult Council, is excited to see how this program will develop and how its evolution and trajectory will be influenced by current and future YAC members as these teens continue to become a part of the ANW community.
Questions about our education programs? Please contact Alicia at 626.356.3104 or education@anoisewithin.org.
