Announcing Buck's County Playhouse Fall Education Programs

By: Aug. 23, 2016
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Bucks County Playhouse, under the direction of Robyn Goodman and Alexander Fraser, is pleased to announce a newly expanded lineup of education programs being offered this fall for children, teens, and adults. New programming this fall includes a three-part Musical Theatre Writing workshop taught by "Cake Off" composer Adam Gwon, running at The Playhouse August 19 - September 10, and the Saturday Musical Theatre program for children, back by popular demand, among many others!

Children ages 9-12 are invited to take part in "Junkyard Puppets," a brand new program this year in which participants build puppets from found materials, and create and perform their own show! The program runs September 7 - November 30, with a final performance on December 2. Classes occur on Wednesday afternoons from 4 - 6 p.m. Professional actress, theater artist, and instructor Wendy Schibener will return to The Playhouse to lead the program.

Back and extended by popular demand, the "Saturday Musical Theater Program" welcomes children and young teens ages 9 - 15. Students will sing and dance their way through this fun, high energy musical theatre training program. The classes take place Saturday mornings, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m., September 24 - November 26. The program will culminate in a final performance on December 1.

Teens are also invited to register for "Girlspeak," a popular program for teenage girls ages 13-18 who come together to write and perform an original play based on their own thoughts and experiences regarding the issues teenagers face in 2016. The program culminates in a final performance open to the public, and is led by Director of Education Hester Kamin and Teaching Artist Wendy Shibener, both of whom have extensive backgrounds in leading devised theatre.

Dancers and movers ages 13 and up will not want to miss the opportunity to participate in "Broadway Dance," a monthly class taught by Broadway Dancer and Choreographer Dani Tucci-Juraga ("Silver Linings Playbook"). Participants will learn original choreography from "Tuck Everlasting," "Hamilton," "School of Rock," and "Elf the Musical." Classes will take place on Saturdays, 1 - 3 p.m. on September 10, October 1, November 5, and December 17.

"Intro to Playwriting" welcomes writers 18 and up who wish to learn the basics or improve their writing skills under an experienced and prolific playwright. Writers in this highly interactive program will explore character and scenario and hear their scenes read aloud. The class is taught by Philadelphia playwright Andre N. Jones, who has been a teaching artist for over ten years, and was awarded the 2013 Emerging Artist in Playwriting in the Delaware Division of the Arts. The program runs September 20 - December 6, Tuesdays 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

Performers ages 18-adult are invited to join the circle of "Talk Story." In this popular performance class, participants use theatre techniques to write and perform stories from their own lives. This fall's theme is "revelations." "Talk Story" will run September 22 - December 8, Thursdays 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

Bucks County Playhouse is excited to offer "Study with the Stars: Writing for Musical Theatre with Adam Gwon," a once-in-a-lifetime educational opportunity! Experienced and emerging playwrights, lyricists, and composers will work with Adam Gwon, composer of such musicals as "Ordinary Days" and "Cake Off," running at The Playhouse August 19 - September 10. Gwon will work with participants to develop their work in a 3-part program taking place on September 24, October 8, and October 22, 1 - 3:30 p.m.

Gwon is a proud recipient of the Kleban Award, the Fred Ebb Award, the Richard Rodgers Award, the Frederick Loewe Award, the Second Stage Theatre Donna Perret Rosen Award, the Weston Playhouse New Musical Award, the ASCAP Harold Adamson Award, and the MAC John Wallowitch Award, as well as commissions from Roundabout Theatre Company, Playwrights Horizons, Signature Theatre, South Coast Repertory, and Broadway Across America. His songs have been heard at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, 54 Below, Joe's Pub, Ars Nova, and more, and performed by such luminaries as Audra McDonald, Kelli O'Hara, Liz Callaway, and Brian d'Arcy James.

Performers ages 18-adult who love to laugh are invited to register for "Improv" with instructor Tabitha Dell'Angelo. No experience is necessary to take advantage of this beloved class, just a desire to participate and have fun! The program takes place September 29 - November 17, Thursdays 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

Education programs will take place in Lambertville Hall, 57 Bridge St., Lambertville, NJ 08530. Some programs culminate in final performances, which may take place either in Lambertville Hall or at Bucks County Playhouse in New Hope, PA.

All fall education programs are on sale now. For full details and to register, please visit buckscountyplayhouse.org or contact Hester Kamin, Director of Education, at 267-740-2090 x113 or hester@bcptheater.org.

ABOUT BUCKS COUNTY PLAYHOUSE

Bucks County Playhouse, a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization, is the oldest and largest professional Equity performing arts center in Bucks County. Under the direction of Tony Award-winning producers, Alexander Fraser and Robyn Goodman, The Playhouse provides first class professional theatrical entertainment as well as community events, partnerships and arts education programming for visitors and residents of New Hope, Doylestown, Lambertville and the Delaware Valley.

Located between Philadelphia and New York, Bucks County Playhouse opened in 1939 in a converted 1790 gristmill after a group of community activists, led by Broadway orchestrator Don Walker and playwright Moss Hart, rallied to save the building. The Playhouse quickly became one of the country's most famous regional theaters, featuring a roster of American theatrical royalty including Helen Hayes, Kitty Carlisle, George S. Kaufman, Grace Kelly, Robert Redford, Bert Lahr, Walter Matthau, Angela Lansbury, Bernadette Peters, Alan Alda, Tyne Daly, Liza Minnelli and Audra McDonald and remained in continuous operation until December 2010. In 2012, The Playhouse re-opened thanks to the efforts of the Bridge Street Foundation, the nonprofit family foundation of Kevin and Sherri Daugherty, and Broadway producer Jed Bernstein.

Since its renovation, significant productions include Terrence McNally's "Mothers and Sons" starring Tyne Daly, which moved to Broadway and was nominated for two Tony Awards, and "Misery" by William Goldman based on the Stephen King novel which also went on to a Broadway run in the 2015-16 season. Two of The Playhouse's recent productions -- "Company" starring Justin Guarini, and William Finn's "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" -- were named by Wall Street Journal to its "Best of Theatre" list for 2015.



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