Playful People Productions Introduces Online, On-Demand Classes

Playful People Productions, based in San Jose California, is introducing a new way to learn theatre and art skills: through online, On Demand classes recorded by professional artists. Now students of all ages can learn at their own pace and on their own schedule. For more information, or to purchase a class, visit https://playfulpeople.org/ or call (408) 878-5362.

The first in the On Demand library is a Scenic Design Workshop, with local artist Lacey Bryant. This class, presented as eight recorded sessions, will cover all aspects of scenic design for theatre: from drafting, to building a stage model with to-scale sets. Participants will learn how to size a set to fit the stage, make seamless set change plans, and create a color palette for the model. This class comes with a "Class Crate," delivered to the student, that includes all the materials needed to draft and build a stage model and sets. Crates will be hand-delivered, free of charge, to South Bay participants, or shipped to addresses outside the area (a $25 shipping fee applies). Recommended for ages 13 and older, the Scenic Design Workshop is $275 and includes lifetime access to the content.

Lacey Bryant (born in Louisville, KY, and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area) paints haunted houses and stage sets for theme parks and theatres. She also carves sculpture for parades such as the annual SF Chinese New Year parade and SF Pride. This occupation flows into her own art practice, providing visual inspiration as well as a wide range of production skills. Her work in oil is often composed from multiple sources: life, photo reference, and imagination. These paintings range from large atmospheric pieces to intimate portraits on cigar boxes. Diorama, murals, and installation are natural extensions of her work in theatre and appear around San Jose. Her work is woven together by repeated symbolic motifs and by a tension between nostalgia and strangeness. Learn more at www.LaceyBryant.com.

Playful People Productions was first founded in 2010 as a positive, inclusive, family-focused theatre company, and has operated as a 501(c)3 nonprofit since 2017. While initially providing classes, camps, and shows for kids, the company has grown to offer similar classes for adults and stages performances where family members can perform together. Normally performing out of the Historic Hoover Theatre in San Jose, the company immediately sprung into action in March, 2020 to create POP (Playful Online People) programming, converting all its theatre experiences to virtual formats and continuing to make arts and theatre opportunities available to kids and families during the pandemic.

Mother and daughter team Barbara Galiotto and Katie D' Arcey are Positive Discipline trained; both have worked as early Childhood Educators; and as professional directors with children's theater. The pair have approximately 50 years experience between them in the musical theater world and, together with a small team of permanent staff and an array of talented directors, teachers, and support personnel, offer beginner through advanced theatre experiences for the whole family.