Registration Now Open For Mercer County Community College's Summer Workshops

The next stars of stage and screen may very well be getting their start this summer with the Tomato Patch Summer Workshops at Mercer County Community College (MCCC). Registration is now open for sessions that begin June 30.

Now in its 25th year, Tomato Patch is the longest-running and most successful multi-disciplinary visual and performing arts program in Central New Jersey. Featuring classes for all school age students, Tomato Patch is taught by a talented staff of professional artists and theater professionals.

Tomato Patch Workshops allows students to major in one subject while taking classes in other areas. Classes are offered in Theater, Dance, Music, Visual Art, and Video Production. Students will have the opportunity to choose from one area as a major, with mornings spent in a major class. Afternoons will be spent in elective class of the student's choosing.

Former Tomato Patch participants have gone on to star on Broadway, on television, and in feature length movies, according to Kitty Getlik, artistic director at MCCC's Kelsey Theatre. And invariably, she said, they credit Tomato Patch in giving them their start.

"As a comprehensive workshop in the arts, Tomato Patch focuses on providing a well-grounded, realistic experience, guided by instructors who have worked as artists and as theater professionals," Getlik said. "This ensures that participants receive a real-world experience, with a perspective of what a career in the arts has to offer."

Tomato Patch workshops will be offered in two sessions, with a master class available for advanced theater students. The first session is for students entering grades 8 to 12 (minimum age 13), to be held from June 30 to July 24 (no classes on July 4). The second session, for grades 4 to 7 (minimum age 10), will be held from July 28 to August 14. Both sessions conclude with an Evening of the Arts for family and friends. Two sessions are available for the advanced theater master class (ages 13-19): June 30-July 24, and July 28-Aug. 14. Both sessions culminate in A Night of One Acts. All sessions will be held on MCCC's West Windsor Campus, 1200 Old Trenton Road.

For more information on Tomato Patch Workshops, to view class schedules, and to register, visit www.tomatopatch.org or call (609) 570-3566.