Syracuse Stage Features Original Stop Motion Films by High School Students Tonight

The Syracuse Stage 2014 artsEmerging program features the work of students from four local high schools. Students from Fowler, Henninger, Nottingham and Fayetteville-Manlius High Schools produced short films that will be presented at Syracuse Stage during a premiere viewing and reception beginning at 7 p.m. tonight, May 20. The screening is free and open to the public.

For this year's artsEmerging project, student groups were teamed up with professional artists and filmmakers through Syracuse Stage's artsEmerging series to plan, develop, write and record their own stop-animation films based on the theme of "metaphor and memory."

Since January, the students have been working with local artist and designer Brenna Merritt to develop miniature set designs around written narrations students authored in class. This art project was inspired by Syracuse Stage's production, The Glass Menagerie, which students were able to watch as a special matinee viewing of as part of the project.

Once the planning and construction was complete, students worked to create their series of still photographs with filmmakers Gregory Grano and Sarah Sellman, New York University film graduates and current Syracuse residents. Sellman and Grano are known for their documentary film, American Bear: An Adventure in the Kindness of Strangers, and their local work with the Syracuse Stage education outreach program. For more information, visit the Syracuse Stage website.

Each year, Syracuse Stage partners with local schools to give students a uniquely in-depth arts experience. Through a multi-arts cross-curricular lens, students explore themes and topics within our mainstage season. Teachers work hand-in-hand with our staff to design an integrated curriculum tailored to their particular goals. Schools can contact Lauren Unbekant at 315-443-1150 or lunbekan@syr.edu to find out more about getting their students involved.

Information about past years' artsEmerging programming can be found at http://www.syracusestage.org/arts-emerging.php.

Syracuse Stage is Central New York's premier professional theatre. Founded in 1974, Stage has produced more than 300 plays in 41 seasons including a number of world, American, and East Coast premieres. Each season 70,000 patrons enjoy an adventurous mix of new plays, and bold interpretations of classics and musicals, featuring the finest theatre artists. In addition, Stage maintains a vital educational outreach program that annually serves more than 20,000 students from throughout Central New York. A solid core of subscribers and supporters helps keep Syracuse Stage a vibrant artistic presence in Central New York. Additional support comes from the government, foundations, corporations and Syracuse University. Syracuse Stage is a constituent of the Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for the American theatre, and a member of the Arts and Cultural Leadership Alliance (ACLA), the University Hill Corporation and the East Genesee Regent Association. Syracuse Stage is a member of The League of Resident Theatres (LORT), the largest professional theatre association in the country.