SYC actors perform in the 2012 summer production of "Urinetown: The Musical."
Looking for a fun program to enroll your high school or middle school student in this summer? Look no further, because PlayMakers Repertory Company is holding its award-winning Summer Youth Conservatory again this summer.
The Conservatory holds something for everyone in its three summer programs, which include Theatre Tech, Theatre Quest and Theatre Intensive. These will all contribute to the final production of Stephen Sondheim's Tony Award-winning musical thriller Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.
Beginning on June 17, a cast of high school actors will have the opportunity to train, rehearse and perform in PlayMakers' Kenan Theatre in UNC's Center for Dramatic Art. They will work with professional directors, choreographers and musical directors at the premier resident professional theater of the Carolinas.
The Theatre Tech program will offer students in-depth training in scenic, costume and lighting production and includes technical classes followed by a month-long apprenticeship with PlayMakers' professional staff.
Theatre Tech students will begin classes on June 12, and apprenticeship appointments will run through July 24. Tuition is $750 -- scholarships are available based on financial need.
Theatre Quest is a series of week-long classes offered exclusively for middle school students, and will give them the opportunity to train with professional artists in a variety of subjects, including Principles of Acting, Shakespeare and Stage Combat, Acting for the Camera, Musical Theatre I: Solo Showcase and Musical Theatre II: ShowStoppers. Students can participate in one week of training or for the entirety of the five-week program.
Theatre Quest students can enroll by contacting PlayMakers education manager Jennifer Wales at (919) 962-2491 or jwales@unc.edu. Tuition is $300 per week.
Theatre Intensive and Sweeney Todd will be cast by audition only. Auditions for Theatre Intensive actors (rising ninth graders through recent high school graduates) will take place in the evening on March 1 and throughout the day on March 2 at PlayMakers.
For the young actors cast, five weeks of training and rehearsal begin on June 17 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Five public performances of Sweeney Todd will take place July 17-21. Cast members will be expected to attend all rehearsals, and tuition is $1,500 per actor -- once again, scholarships are available based on financial need.
To apply for Theatre Intensive auditions or a Theatre Tech interview, students must complete and submit a Summer Youth Conservatory Registration Form, which can be found here.
The Summer Youth Conservatory was honored in 2009 by the North Carolina Theatre Conference with the Constance Welsh Youth Theatre Award for excellence in performance, service of mission and community outreach. To learn more about PlayMakers or the Summer Youth Conservatory, click here or contact call (919) 962-7529.
