Summer On Stage at ATC

Summer On Stage 2008 Exceeds Expectations

This summer, Arizona Theatre Company showcased the work of thirty incredibly talented high school students from eighteen high schools in Tucson, Sahuarita, and Rio Rico.  Summer On Stage allows young people with an interest in acting to have a professional experience not found in other high school programs throughout the state.  Every summer the students and staff delight us with their intelligence, creativity, and artistry, and this year was no different.

After an intense first week of auditions, the acting students settled in to morning classes in areas such as voice, movement, improvisation, character development, stage combat, and technical theatre taught by Arizona Theatre Company staff, professional directors, musical directors, choreographers, and designers.  Afternoons were spent in rehearsal for the two outstanding productions: Seussical and Twelfth Night.  Arizona Theatre Company utilized the directorial talents of Phoenix Education Manager Sara Bernstein on Seussical, a large-scale musical based on the writings of Dr. Seuss.  In addition, ATC welcomed frequent guest artist Cale Epps as director for Shakespeare’s mistaken-identity comedy Twelfth Night. 

In addition to the acting emphasis program, Arizona Theatre Company initiated Summer Backstage with the first participant, Adrien Tateno.  Adrien worked closely with Summer On Stage design personnel, learning about scenic design, carpentry, lighting design, sound design, lighting and sound board operation, follow-spot operation, and deck crew. 

In the fifth and final week, both shows were received by enthusiastic crowds, culminating in a nearly full-capacity house for Saturday’s closing performance of Seussical.  Steve Halper, former Drama Instructor at Salpointe Catholic High School in Tucson and current member of the Arizona State Thespian Society Board of Directors said of Seussical, “It was by far the best of the Summer On Stage productions I've seen.  I even got up for a standing "O[vation]" which I very rarely do.  What a wonderfully talented group.”  First year participant Allegra Breedlove and actor in Twelfth Night had this to say about her experience:

“The program definitely surpassed my expectations.  I have learned so much from every single one of the instructors and even more from my fellow actors.  Every day I found myself challenging my abilities and stamina to meet the high standards that the teachers expected from all of us.” 

Parents, staff, instructors, and other students echo these sentiments.  This year’s Summer On Stage students not only learned about performing in high-caliber productions, they also learned that theatre is, at its best, a family of artists who work together, support each other, and insist upon exceptional outcomes as a result.

"If you have never attended on of our Summer On Stage performances, I truly hope you will join us next year," said ATC Artistic Director David Ira Goldstein. "These young artists achieve so much in such a short time and it is always a delight to join with hundreds of friends and family in the celebration of their performances. Their work this year on Seussical and Twelfth Night was delightful!"

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