A.R.T. & 868 Boston to Host 3rd Annual WORDplay Summer Theater and Writing Camp

The American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) and 826 Boston announce the third annual WORDplay Summer Theater and Writing Camp for children ages 11-14. Twenty-five students have been chosen by lottery to participate in the free, five-week camp from July 13 through August 14. WORDplay takes place Monday through Thursday, 1:30 - 5:30pm at 826 Boston's youth writing and tutoring center, located at 3035 Washington Street in Roxbury, MA.

This summer, the campers will write scripts and design sets and costumes around a theme inspired by the A.R.T.'s upcoming world premiere musical Waitress, opening at the A.R.T. on August 1. The campers will create their production under the guidance of writing tutors from 826 Boston and professional theater artists from the A.R.T. They will also have the opportunity to connect with members of the Waitress team during a trip to the A.R.T.'s Mainstage as part of the curriculum.

The camp will culminate in a one-night performance by the students at The Strand Theatre, Dorchester, on Thursday, August 14th at 7:00pm. The resulting play script will be published by 826 Boston and provided to each camper at a special book release party later in August.

Located in Roxbury's Egleston Square, 826 Boston is an award-winning nonprofit youth writing and tutoring center dedicated to teaching writing to underserved students ages 6 to 18 and to helping Boston Public Schools teachers inspire their students to write. An independent, locally founded organization, 826 Boston is a chapter of the vibrant national network launched by writer Dave Eggers and educator Ninive Calegari. The 826 network recently won the American Literacy Prize for its "innovative history of addressing community illiteracy...and its unique approach to helping at-risk K-12 students achieve reading and writing proficiency." Since opening its doors in 2007, 826 Boston has trained 3,000 volunteers to provide tutoring and writing support to more than 13,000 underserved youth from Roxbury, Dorchester, and Jamaica Plain.

The American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) at Harvard University is a leading force in the American theater, producing groundbreaking work in Cambridge and beyond. The A.R.T. was founded in 1980 by Robert Brustein, who served as Artistic Director until 2002, when Robert Woodruff succeeded him. Diane Paulus began her tenure as Artistic Director in 2008. Under her leadership, the A.R.T. seeks to expand the boundaries of theater by programming events that immerse audiences in transformative theatrical experiences.

Throughout its history, the A.R.T. has been honored with many distinguished awards, including the Tony Award for Best New Play for All the Way (2014); consecutive Tony Awards for Best Revival of a Musical for Pippin (2013) and The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess (2012), both of which Paulus directed; a Pulitzer Prize for Marsha Norman's 'Night, Mother(1983); a Jujamcyn Prize for outstanding contribution to the development of creative talent; the Tony Award for Best Regional Theater; and numerous Elliot Norton and IRNE Awards.

As the professional theater on the campus of Harvard University, the A.R.T. catalyzes discourse, interdisciplinary collaboration, and creative exchange among a wide range of academic departments, institutions, students, and faculty members, acting as a conduit between its community of artists and the university. A.R.T. artists also teach undergraduate courses in directing, dramatic literature, acting, voice, design, and dramaturgy. The A.R.T. Institute for Advanced Theater Training, which is run in partnership with the Moscow Art Theater School, offers graduate-level training in acting, dramaturgy, and voice.

Dedicated to making great theater accessible, the A.R.T. actively engages more than 5,000 community members and local students annually in project-based partnerships, workshops, conversations with artists, and other enrichment activities both at the theater and across the Greater Boston area. The A.R.T.'s club theater, OBERON, has become an incubator for local and emerging artists and has attracted national attention for its innovative programming and business models.

Through all of these initiatives, the A.R.T. is dedicated to producing world-class performances in which the audience is central to the theatrical experience.

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