Des Moines Playhouse Announces Spring Classes

The Des Moines Playhouse will continue to offer children's classes in-person and online this spring including a Spring Break camp. The theatre has classes for students in preschool through grade 8, beginning Mar. 27, 2021. For a complete list of classes, class descriptions, and registrations, visit dmplayhouse.com.

Creative drama classes for students in pre-kindergarten-grade 3 are literature-based and include dramatic play and theatre games. Picture Perfect for pre-K and kindergarten students, Storytime for students in grades 1-2, and Creative Characters: FUNdamentals for students in grades 2-3 will be taught in-person at The Playhouse by master teachers Robin Breen Fulton and Brett Spahr. These classes will move online using the Zoom platform should that become necessary.

Students in grades 4-6 can Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library. The class, based on the popular books, will be taught in-person at The Playhouse by Jenna Darsee. This class will move online using the Zoom platform should that become necessary.

Performance Academy will again be offered online this spring for students in grades 4-8. In this class, students will work together to record a musical that will be premiered online on the final day. Performance Academy will be taught by Meredith Toebben.

Over Spring Break, students in grades 4-7 can attend Graphically Speaking, an in-person camp that focuses on material from popular graphic novels. Students will devise and perform their own scripts based on their favorite books and characters. Graphically Speaking will be taught by Sarah Beth Weinberg.

The Playhouse has drawn upon the guidelines suggested by local, state, and federal agencies, experts, and associations to create the theatre's procedures. The Playhouse continues to monitor current recommendations, guidelines, and restrictions. Full safety guidelines are posted on the theatre's website, dmplayhouse.com. Protocols for promoting safety include:

• A longstanding policy that asks students and staff to stay home if feeling unwell.
• Masks required at all times for all students and staff.
• Physical distancing of at least 6 feet.
• Classes are limited to 10 students plus an instructor with each class assigned an entrance and restroom. Restrooms are single use so staff can sanitize after each use.

Theatre arts education at The Playhouse provides students with the opportunity to explore, create, imagine, and express themselves, all within a safe, nurturing environment. Whether in person or online, every class at The Playhouse is unique and led by the theatre's professional teaching artists.

The Playhouse is Iowa's oldest and largest producing theatre. Located at the 42nd Street exit of I-235, the theatre has presented a full season of shows every year since 1919 and also offers a wide variety of educational experiences including classes for ages 4 to adult, theatre trips to New York, and volunteer opportunities onstage and backstage.

For more information about The Playhouse, classes, and reopening procedures, visit The Playhouse website at www.dmplayhouse.com or contact Robin Spahr, education associate, at 515.974.5365.

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