Orpheum Theatre Group Announces Two-Day Program For Young People Who Stutter Beginning This Fall

Today, the Orpheum Theatre Group announced a new education initiative for the fall. Memphis will be one of four cities to bring a special pilot program called Camp SAY Across the USA to its local community. An extension of the NYC based organization SAY: The Stuttering Association for the Young, this two-day camp will take place at the Halloran Centre November 17 and 18, 2018 and is open to ages 8-18. Orpheum Vice President of Education, Jennifer McGrath has been actively involved in the SAY organization for 15 of its 16 years and is excited to bring this program to the Memphis community.

"It has been a long-time dream of mine to help SAY expand their vital work and I am honored to bring their extraordinary efforts to the Mid-South," said McGrath. "Our education programming seeks to build community and empower young people through the arts, creating confident and compassionate human beings and Camp SAY Across the USA fits perfectly within that mission. SAY's unique programming not only provides a safe place for young people who are often bullied or isolated, but also encourages them to embrace their stutter and not let it hold them back from following their biggest dreams."

The Broadway community has consistently championed SAY's efforts in NYC. Stars including Tony Award winner Kelli O'Hara (The King and I) have publicly advocated for SAY. O'Hara has hosted SAY's annual gala for the past three years and has supported the organization for over 15 years.

"Having grown up in Oklahoma, it has always been my hope that kids from different parts of the country would be able to have the same benefits as those in NY," said O'Hara. "To know that SAY is reaching across this country to give ALL children a voice is a real gift. Now SAY will change more lives than ever."

The purpose of Camp SAY Across the USA: Memphis is to provide an opportunity for young people who stutter to build community, find confidence in their own true voice, and expand their comfort zone. This experience will give campers as much time as necessary to speak without fear of being cut off and will provide them with adult role models who stutter, including SAY Founder and President Taro Alexander.

"We are overjoyed to bring Camp SAY Across the USA to Memphis," said Alexander. "It is an honor to collaborate with Jennifer McGrath and the entire Orpheum team. We look forward to providing a place of hope and community to people who stutter and their loved ones in the Memphis area."

The two-day intensive at the Halloran Centre will offer a positive, accepting, and patient environment for campers to be themselves. Through community building activities, teaching artists, and special guest speakers, campers will be welcomed into the Orpheum education family and broader SAY community made up of hundreds of young people nationwide.

Registration for Camp SAY Across the USA: Memphis will open on Monday July 23. For more information, please email Jenita Nakamura at nakamura@orpheum-memphis.com or visit www.orpheum-memphis.com/campsay.

Building on the success of Camp SAY, the life-changing 2-week residential summer camp for young people who stutter (ages 8-18), Camp SAY Across the USA brings the Camp SAY experience to cities across the country. Camp SAY Across the USA helps young people who stutter (ages 8-18) develop effective communication skills, build self-confidence and forge friendships close to home. All Camp SAY Across the USA programs and activities are uniquely designed to meet the goals and needs of young people who stutter. Camp SAY (CampSAY.org) and Camp SAY Across the USA are programs of SAY: The Stuttering Association for the Young (SAY.org).

SAY: The Stuttering Association for the Young is a national 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that empowers, educates, and supports young people who stutter and the world that surrounds them. Through summer camp, speech therapy, and creative expression, SAY builds a community of acceptance where young people who stutter gain confidence and communication skills. SAY.org

The mission of the Orpheum Theatre Group is to enhance the communities we serve by utilizing the performing arts to entertain, educate, and enlighten while preserving the historic Orpheum Theatre and the Halloran Centre for Performing Arts & Education. For more information, visit www.orpheum-memphis.com.

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