Space 55 Announces PLAYGROUND: A Pop-Up Academy For The Performing Arts

Space 55 in downtown Phoenix is excited to present a month-long, multidiscipline performing arts intensive. The educational opportunity is open to anyone who is creative and curious - whatever their level of experience.

The 10 workshops run from Sept. 30 through Oct. 29 and cover multiple disciplines that explore the intersection of performance and writing. The sessions will be held Monday and Tuesday evenings from 6:30-9:30 p.m. And for students opting to participate in a weekend of public performances displaying their creative output, they will be held on November 1, 2, and 3.

Tickets and more information are at https://playground.space55.org/.

A dozen experienced and accomplished teaching artists will lead Workshops that explore:

• Playwriting
• Storytelling
• Improvisation
• Movement
• Songwriting
• Comedy
• And more

On offer are more than 30 hours of workshops. Participants may choose to engage in a single workshop, or they may plunge into the full creative endeavor of all the sessions - guaranteed to engage all parts of their brain.

Accomplished writer/performer and teaching artist Kim Porter serves as The Playground's Dean of Writing, and she explains what led her to organize this astoundingly creative schoolyard.

"As a storytelling coach I've often wished I could expose my students to other teaching artists whose work falls just beyond the boundaries of storytelling. I've worked with storytellers I was certain would level-up if they just did a little improv, or worked with an acting coach, or approached their story through the lens of a playwright... etc. I became obsessed with the question, 'How can I facilitate a meaningful exchange between diverse teaching artists and community members that maximizes exploration, productivity, and fun over a sustainable period of weeks so the students don't have time to quit on themselves?'"

Working hand-in-hand with Porter is Amy Carpenter - the Dean of Improv and winner of the Phoenix Mayor's Arts Award in theater - who says, "Come for the fun, stay for the lifelong benefits."

By capping most workshops at 12 spots, organizers ensure a high-quality and energizing experience for participants - who may be longtime creative pros or those who have never played among the creative arts.

• Why will highly experienced improv and writing pros thrive in The Playground? Because the 12 creative teaching artists are your people - and they know how to meet you where you are, brain to brain.
• Why will those with no experience feel at home in The Playground? Because the teaching artists are adept at welcoming the inexperienced and curious into this amazing opportunity. No prerequisites required, and no need to identify as an artist to join. By the time you're done, these will be your people, and we're confident this first foray into the arts won't be your last.

Bios and classes of each teaching artist are available here: https://playground.space55.org/teaching-artists/

Pricing for The Playground provides flexibility and substantial savings. The full program - with access to all the Workshops - is only $250 until September 15. (The price rises to $300 after that.)

Other pricing options range from the Half-Program to Mix & Match - letting you buy just the sessions you want. All the detail is at https://playground.space55.org/

The Playground is a creative collaboration that advances the mission of Space 55 - now in its 13th year - to develop new and innovative theatre, and to welcome diverse and underrepresented voices into the fields of writing, drama and improv.

Space 55 Theatre (www.space55.org) is at 1524 N. 18th Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85007 - which is where all Playground classes and performances will be held.

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