Paper Mill's Adopt-A-School Project Turns 25; ArtsFest 2015 Announced

Now celebrating its 25th Anniversary, the Adopt-A-School Project is education outreach for underserved New Jersey students who have little or no exposure to live theater or theater arts education. Throughout the multi-year sequence, students have direct access to live performances, theater artists and professional teaching artists that is completely free to participating schools. Since Paper Mill Playhouse created the Adopt-A-School Project in 1989, it has provided over 7,000 students in 70 high schools with quality resources that otherwise would not have been available to them.

The 9th Annual Adopt-A-School - ArtsFest brings over 100 students, teachers, and artists to Paper Mill. Students in SkillStage (Phase 2) attend workshops during the morning and early afternoon concentrating on musical theater, movement and mime, and Broadway dance. Students in YourStage (Phase 3) rehearse an original piece of theatre created at the school and present it on the Paper Mill main stage. The highlight of the day is at 2:00pm featuring a re-cap of the workshops and performances of original theater pieces by students.

The workshops will be led by Bill Bowers (Movement and Mime), Leslie Kritzer and Vadim Feichtner (Music and Lyrics), and Wendy Seyb (Broadway Dance). Schools in Phase 2 of the program are High Tech High School in North Bergen, Freehold Township High School, and Sayreville War Memorial High School.

There will be original presentations on stage by schools in Phase 3 of the program including Arts High School in Newark (with Resident Artist Alysia Souder), Rahway High School (with Resident Artist Michele Mossay) and Morris County School of Technology (with Resident Artist Alexis Slade).

About the Stages:

OurStage (Phase 1) - OurStage introduces the joys of live theatre from an audience perspective by treating adopted students as Paper Mill subscribers for one season. Students attend four matinee performances at Paper Mill, experiencing a wide array of productions. Pre-performance seminars prior to each performance focus on the creation of the productions.

SkillStage (Phase 2) - Students participate in a series of master class workshops offered in various theater crafts and performance skills intended to engage them in further study and acquaint them with the variety of skills that contribute to the development of the well-trained theater professional. A total of six master classes are offered throughout the year as well as one trip to Paper Mill.

YourStage (Phase 3) - A student theater company is formed to create an original theater piece, guided by professional artists. In addition to performing, students have the opportunity to work in backstage capacities as producers, directors, designers, and stage managers. The primary goals are to challenge imaginations and aesthetic understandings and develop decision making and collaborative skills. The final production is performed by the students on the Paper Mill stage during ArtsFest.

NextStage (Phase 4) - Students return to the Paper Mill's mainstage - this time for evening performances - and watch shows with a critical eye. Students attend the show as critics and submit response papers for each show. Pre-show seminars with guest speakers in the theatre community guide the students in future college and career choices in the arts.

Generous support for the Adopt-A-School Project is provided by C.R. Bard Foundation, The Fred J. Brotherton Charitable Foundation, The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey, The Mall at Short Hills, The Merck Company Foundation, MetLife Foundation, Nordstrom, PNC Foundation, Provident Bank Foundation, PSEG Foundation, The Schumann Fund for New Jersey, Victoria Foundation, and Wells Fargo Foundation.

PAPER MILL PLAYHOUSE, a not-for-profit arts organization, is one of the country's leading regional theaters. Paper Mill Playhouse programs are 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. Paper Mill Playhouse is a member of the National Alliance for Musical Theatre, the Council of Stock Theatres, and the New Jersey Theatre Alliance.