Starlight Offers a Brand-New Education Opportunity for High School Students

Calling all high school students! Enrollment is now open for students in grades 10 to 12 for "Theatre Industry Career Paths," a brand-new educational offering from Starlight that provides students who aspire to work in the theatre industry an opportunity to explore the vast array of careers available-both on stage and off. Through an exciting partnership with the University of Missouri-Kansas City, this course will allow students to earn one hour of college credit through UMKC.

On Monday evenings at Starlight Theatre, students will learn amid nearly 70 years of performance history at Starlight's campus in Swope Park. Students will identify skills and training needed for selected careers, research possible employment opportunities and develop personal career path strategies.

Starlight education and outreach manager Andy Pierce will teach the class. Pierce received his BA from Pittsburg State University and entered into the MA program at UMKC. He continued his education, completing his doctoral work at the University of Missouri-Columbia. His PhD is in Theatre with a doctoral minor in Marketing Management. Since 2011, Pierce has been a full-time employee of Starlight.

"I'm thrilled to partner with UMKC to offer an opportunity like this to local high school students," Pierce said. "Starlight is the perfect place to explore everything the theatre industry has to offer, whether it's a career on stage, behind the scenes or in an office setting."

The 16-week course is the first of its kind to be offered by a theatre in Kansas City. During the first several weeks, participants will explore the industry through a variety of multimedia components, in-person lectures and existing literature. Throughout the second half, students will utilize self-assessment and decision-making to examine potential career paths. Students will work with multiple scripts in addition to utilizing a new industry website created by the Broadway League. The Broadway League is the national trade association for the Broadway industry, and Starlight is a member.

The course also incorporates current productions from both Starlight and The UMKC Conservatory. Students will examine the script of Blood Wedding before attending the production at UMKC. The course's final project will be tied to the national Broadway tour of My Fair Lady, which plays September 8-13 at Starlight as part of the 2020 AdventHealth Broadway Series.

Class will meet 6:30-7:45 p.m. beginning Monday, January 27 and running weekly through May 11. Registration is $150 per student and closes January 23. A minimum of five students is required to hold the class.

For more information, visit kcstarlight.com or email education@kcstarlight.com.

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