Queens Theatre Announces Winter Break Drama Classes For Kids

Queens Theatre today unveiled a week of virtual programming to entertain, educate and enlighten New York City Public School students during the winter break, from Monday, February 15th to Friday, February 19th, 2021.

"Since we closed our doors last March due to COVID-19, we have shown that Queens Theatre is more than a building but a space for creativity and innovation - and our younger audience is core to that community," said Queens Theatre Executive Director Taryn Sacramone. "Unlike in earlier years, we've heard from parents that they're craving for opportunities for their children to experience the arts, as they heed health experts' cautionary advice and stay socially distant and close to home."

The week will include online theatre classes for kids ages 6 to 16 years old, an experience that will spark their imaginations and grow their natural performance skills through fun, targeted theater activities. In the morning, students ages 6 to 9 years old, can participate in "Picture a Story", from 10am to Noon. And, then Queens Theatre presents "Be Scene", from 1pm to 3pm, when students in two groups (ages 10 to 12 years old and 13 to 16 years old) will hone their acting skills.

Visit www.queenstheatre.org/online-drama-classes-kids for more details and fees.

Online Theatre Classes for Kids

Picture a Story - Kids exercise their creative imaginations and practice their acting skills in this fun weeklong program. Working with a director and a musical director, students in this workshop will select a wordless graphic novel to adapt and perform on stage. Kids will have great time working together to interpret the images in the books into storyline and inventing all the dialogue and song lyrics. Once the script and songs are written, they begin the rehearsal process to bring their adapted story to life on stage. At the end of the week, students present their play to friends and family.

Age Group - 6 to 9 years old

Monday - Friday 10am - 12pm

2 hour per workshop (10 hours total)

Fee - $150

Be Scene - Young performers hone their acting skills in this exciting intensive scene study workshop. Students work with a director improving their acting skills while learning to work with an acting partner. We begin each workshop with ensemble building theater games and then move on to learning the basics of acting with a partner through the rehearsal process. Students work toward a final showing of scenes for friends and family.

Age Groups - 10 to 12 and 13 to 16 years old (Limit 12 students per group)

Monday - Friday 1pm - 3pm

2 hour per workshop (10 hours total)

Fee - $150

Instructors

Willy Appelman (Picture a Story - Director)

Willy is an actor, comedian and producer based in New York City. Willy was featured on NBC's Bring The Funny in 2019 performing original characters. He has appeared in videos for Comedy Central, Sesame Street, Budweiser, TruTV and Google and has performed live at The Sundance Film Festival and Bonnaroo. In 2018, he appeared in "Our Town" at The Weston Playhouse alongside Christopher Lloyd. His writing, acting and directing have been featured on The Today Show, The Huffington Post, MLB.com, Elite Daily, Cosmopolitan and NPR's "All Things Considered". He is a member of The Story Pirates, Pipeline Theatre Company, Ten Bones Theatre Company and a performer at UCBT NY. "Wonderfully comic"- The New York Times. https://www.willyappleman.com/

Brian Feinstein (Picture a Story - Music Director)

Brian Feinstein began his career in entertainment at the USC School of Cinema & Television and completed his master's degree at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program. His original compositions have since earned him rave reviews in The New York Times, six ASCAP Plus Awards, a Jonathan Larson Fellowship and the Anna Sosenko Trust Award.

His original musicals "GIRLSTAR", directed by two-time Tony Award nominee Eric Schaeffer, recently premiered at the Signature Theatre in addition to "THE DOLLMAKER'S GIFT" premiering at the prestigious 1,000-seat Rose Theater in Omaha, Nebraska. Other credits include: "MIMI LE DUCK" starring the legendary Eartha Kitt (Off-Broadway), "THE TOP JOB" (licensed throughout the US), "THE CIRCUS IS COMING TO TOWN" (awarded best family musical in Southern California), among others.

Most recently, Brian and his writing partner Eric Garcia, secured the rights from Paramount Studios and the Lancaster Estate to adapt his passion project: "THE BAD NEWS BEARS" into a stage musical.

Brian's compositions have been performed by the Boston Pops, the Indianapolis Philharmonic and a wide array of musicians and vocalists across the country, in Europe and on television. When not at the piano, he enjoys teaching theatre and songwriting to musical theatre students of all ages and volunteering with the Tri-State Basset Hound Rescue League. www.BrianFeinsteinMusic.com

Mary Archbold (Be Scene Tweens - Director)

Mary Theresa Archbold is an award-winning New York City-based performer who has appeared on Television (Law & Order: SVU, Bull) and Stage (most recently in the 2018 Pulitzer Prize winning Play Cost of Living). A prolific creator she blends her passions in a style uniquely her own - Dance Comedy. A narrative blend of laughter and professional level of dance that reveals a heartfelt human truth. A graduate of the University of Michigan she is an avid college football fan, as well as a soccer mom to two incredible little boys. https://marytheresaarchbol.wixsite.com/mysite

Allie Marotta (Be Scene Teens - Director)

Allie Marotta is a collaborative theatre maker, writer, and arts educator based in Brooklyn, focused on devised ensemble theater and immersive, participatory, and relational work. She is a healthcare and disability patient advocate, currently on the leadership team of grassroots patient advocacy group NY #insulin4all. Allie is a New York City staff correspondent for No Proscenium. https://www.allie-marotta.com/