Arts Council of Kern : Acting Magic

California Arts Council
National Endowment for the Arts
Kern County Board of Trade Tourism Bureau and Film Commission

Acting Magic

Presented by the Arts Council of Kern
Beginning the week of September 13, through the week of November 15, 2010

Welcome to The Wizard’s Challenge!

This drama workshop will revolve around the story of three students who mistakenly end up in a wizard’s land, where they must solve his three challenges in order to return home.

The three challenges will be developed by the students in each of three focuses:

• mask performance/art,
• writing, and
• experimental movement.

All students will receive an introduction to each element and a focus on acting skills will continue throughout. Nursery rhymes and fairy tales will serve as inspiration for each element. Students will explore morals and the use of stereotypes (especially relating to gender) to create their own, updated and devised versions of these stories.

Workshop Goals
• To understand the fundamentals of acting: stagecraft, body movement, vocal projection, and character development.
• To investigate traditional stories; adapting them to reflect issues important to the students.
• To create original pieces of works; including poems, stories, songs, and scenes.
• To make and use masks in performance, exploring concepts of ritual, specificity of movement, and character.

The Approaches
Art-based approach: PERFORMING THE MASK
Students will design and create their own masks to be used in the performance. They will base their ideas off of nursery rhymes and fairy tales. Using activities and prompts, they will discover characters and create an original story.

Writing-based approach: MORALITY AND STEREOTYPES
Students will focus on story flow, using nursery rhymes and fairy tales to delve into morals, stereotypes and gender roles, develop their own stories and scenes from these prompts, and stage them for the sharing.

Movement-based approach: YOUR BODY TELLS THE STORY
Students will use movement to explore story themes, creating a devised performance. They will explore their inner selves and how they relate their bodies to the stories they tell.

Workshop Schedule and Fees
The workshop will be divided into two groups, based on age and experience.
Group A (6 years—9 years): Mondays from 3.30pm—5.30pm
Group B (10 years—14 years): Wednesdays from 3.30pm—5.30pm
There will be a final combined presentation of student work on Thursday, November 18 (TBA).

The cost of this 10-week workshop, including the final presentation, is $150, payable in full by the first session. The Arts Council is a KCSOS vendor. Valley Oaks students may register for this workshop at the North Chester campus. For all students, there is a $35 materials fee, payable by the first session. Checks should be made out to The Arts Council of Kern.

Download the brochure.
Download the Arts Council's registration form.

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