George Street Playhouse Summer Theatre Academy Moves to Lord Stirling Community School in New Brunswick for 2017

With George Street Playhouse temporarily relocating during the construction of its new home in downtown New Brunswick, its popular Summer Theatre Academy will take place July 3-28 at nearby Lord Stirling Community School. The Academy celebrates creative expression and provides a fun, engaging environment for youth and teens to explore theatre, develop self-confidence and collaborate with others. These affordable two- and four-week classes are for budding thespians of any experience level ages 5-18.

Class hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, and extended-care packages offering the convenience of early drop-off and late pick-up for busy parents are available. A 12:1 student-to-teacher ratio, modern facilities and the quality of its programs have made GSP's Summer Theatre Academy a popular summertime destination. Plus, each class culminates with a performance for family and friends.

"We're so fortunate to be at Lord Stirling Community School this summer," said Jim Jack, GSP's Director of Education and Outreach. "Lord Stirling has excellent facilities with modern amenities, easy drop-off, and is located only a half-mile away from George Street Playhouse's current home. We are thrilled to provide the same high-level quality of programming that our students and parents expect from us this summer."

For information on the full slate of classes offered by GSP's Summer Theatre Academy, or to register, visit www.GSPonline.org or call 732-846-2895, x117. George Street Playhouse will soon be announcing the location of a temporary home for its administrative offices and performance space while a new performing arts center, scheduled to open for the 2019-2020 season, is built at its former location in downtown New Brunswick. Lord Stirling Community School is located at 101 Redmond Street in New Brunswick.

Two-week programs for students ages 5-8:

Song as Stories explores how songs tell stories. Students will play exciting games, create wonderful characters and learn the basics of musical theatre. On the final day of the program, students will perform their songs and stories for family and friends. Songs as Stories runs from July 3 through July 14.

Junior Company cultivates students' imagination and spirit of fun. Inspired by a classic children's story, students will learn the foundations of theatre by creating an original play, developing characters and participating in the design process. The class will culminate with a performance for family and friends. Junior Company runs July 17 through July 28.

Two- and four-week programs* for students ages 9-12:

Rising M Company: Musical Theatre explores the joy of musical theatre through the rehearsal and performance of a popular musical. Our team of theatre professionals will inspire confidence each step of the way as students develop singing, dancing and acting techniques that will culminate in a performance for family and friends. Rising M Company: Musical Theatre runs July 3 through July 28.

Rising Company: Play Production ventures into a fun, mythic world of imagination to develop, rehearse and perform an original, action-packed play. Students learn the foundations of acting through improvisation, character development and collaborative activities as they create a performance to share with family and friends. Rising Company: Play Production runs July 17 through July 28.

(* As these programs run concurrently, a student may only register for one of the two courses offered for that age group.)

Four-week program for students ages 13-18:

Young M Company students create, rehearse and perform an original play with music. Starting with exciting source material, Young M Company works with professional playwrights, composers and choreographers to develop characters, write songs and stage the action. Young M company provides students with a fun, imaginative opportunity to develop acting, singing and collaborative skills. On their last day, students perform their original play for family and friends. Young M Company runs July 3 through July 28.

About GSP's Educational Programming

The centerpiece of George Street Playhouse's educational programming is its touring theatre, which commissions and produces first-class productions with relevant themes for young audiences, such as respect, conflict resolution, health and wellness, and climate change. Each play is followed by a post-play discussion providing excellent starting points for engaging classroom conversations that can be used to fulfill New Jersey Common Core State Standards. GSP's Educational Touring Theatre features three issue-oriented productions seen by more than 40,000 students annually during the academic year. GSP's Theatre Academy, which offers classes throughout the year, focuses on the process of creative self-expression - enhancing students' artistry and creative problem-solving skills, while building self-esteem and a lifelong appreciation for the performing arts. For further information on any of GSP's educational opportunities, visit www.GSPonline.org, email education@georgestplayhouse.org, or call 732-846-2895, extension 117.

About George Street Playhouse
George Street Playhouse is a nationally recognized theatre, presenting an acclaimed mainstage season while providing an artistic home for established and emerging theatre artists. The Playhouse is expected to take residence in a new performing arts center in downtown New Brunswick, N.J., for the 2019-20 season. Its leadership consists of Artistic Director David Saint, Resident Artistic Director Michael Mastro and Managing Director Kelly Ryman. Founded in 1974, The Playhouse has been well represented by numerous productions both on and off-Broadway, including the Outer Critics' Circle Best Musical Award-winner The Toxic Avenger; the Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk and Drama League nominated production of The Spitfire Grill; and the Broadway hit and Tony and Pulitzer Prize winning play Proof by David Auburn, which was developed at GSP during the 1999 Next Stage Series of new plays. In 2015, George Street Playhouse was represented by two productions in New York with the Broadway production of It Shoulda Been You and Joe DiPietro's Clever Little Lies, which opened off-Broadway that same year. Both shows received their premieres at The Playhouse. In addition to its mainstage season, GSP's Touring Educational Theatre features three issue-oriented productions that are seen by more than 40,000 students annually. George Street Playhouse programming is made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.