Hershey Area Playhouse Theatre Academy Launches Fall Session And Junior Musical

The Hershey Area Playhouse is announcing their fall Theatre Academy session with an in-person acting class for students in grades 1 through 3 and a junior musical, We are Monsters, for grades 4 through 12.

Grades 1 through 3 will meet at the Playhouse starting Saturday, September 12 from 9:00 am to 10:30 am. "Acting Out Your Story" will be the theme of the eight-week session, including interactive drama games and exercises.

The class will be meeting in-person with masks required. Families will be required to sign a waiver regarding COVID-19. When the children are safely six feet apart on stage, they may remove masks to share their best expressions and gestures. Should the state mandates change, the Playhouse will do their best to adhere to those guidelines for safety. If those mandates restrict in-person classes, the session will be conducted virtually via Zoom. The cost for the class is $130.

Grades 4 through 12 have the opportunity to audition for a junior musical by Beat by Beat Press, We Are Monsters. Music, choreography and character development are part of this funny, fast-paced 60-minute show. As co-directors, Laurie Petersen and Rebecca Wolf will hold rehearsals both virtually and at the Playhouse, on the stage or outside weather permitting, beginning September 2, 2020.

Auditions must be recorded and sent to the directors for review. Please include 32 measures of a song and a short monologue in your video and send to Laurie Petersen at swordchick@comcast.net. Due to file size, private YouTube or Vimeo links are accepted. Please also include the student's list of conflicts. The deadline for audition entries is Friday, August 28.

If the student is chosen for the cast, a participation fee of $50 per child is required.

Live performances will be held on October 22, 23, and 25 at the Playhouse. On October 24 and 31, the cast will be performing select songs at the Hershey Gardens for their Pumpkin Glow. Additional performance details to come!

All selected cast members must be available for rehearsals Wednesdays from 4:30 to 6:30 pm via Zoom and Saturdays from 10 am to 3:30 pm at the Playhouse, with calls for small groups at select times.

For safety, masks are required. Students will be placed six feet apart on-stage. If the current health situation in Pennsylvania requires more restrictions, We Are Monsters can easily be live streamed or moved to a virtual platform. Signing a waiver regarding COVID-19 will be required to participate.

Hershey Area Playhouse is located at 830 Cherry Drive, Hershey, PA. Please register at hersheyareaplayhouse.com.

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