The Playmakers Receive The OCTA Vision Award For The Planning And Implementation Of Their Youth Theatre Program

The Playmakers have been awarded one of the Oklahoma Community Theatre Association's highest honors, the OCTA Vision award. It was given for the planning and implementation of The Playmakers' comprehensive youth theatre program. In 2006, The Playmakers won OCTA's coveted "Community Theatre of the Year" award.

The OCTA Vision award was established in 1990 for an OCTA member theatre which "established and successfully accomplished a substantial long-range goal." In the nineteen years since then, only seven theatres have been honored.

The Playmakers' began planning the program in 2004. "The very last piece will be in place in the coming school term," said Suzanne Boles, Artistic Director. "The first fourth grade class we taught in Grove Public Schools will reach the eighth grade this year, and with that we will have successfully implemented our program. Without the support of the school administration and especially the teachers, we would not be able to give the approximately 800 students each year the opportunity to learn about and experience theatre. We hope that this program helps students understand the importance of theatre and the performing arts in our culture," Ms. Boles added.

The comprehensive program is based on three components: education, training, and performing. More specifically it includes: 1) an introduction to theatre, theatre history and criticism once each year, for all students from upper elementary school through mid-school (4th through 8th grades); 2) an after-school program for those students wanting to develop more extensive theatre skills in acting, directing, and design & technical areas; 3) the opportunity to hone these skills by participating in a summer production, other regular Playmaker season productions and one of the four in-school productions.

At least twelve volunteers teach the various subjects of the in-school program, and two of them supervise and teach the After-school program.

For more information about the After-school program which begins September 8, please leave a message at 918-786-8950 or email 1groveplaymakers@sbcglobal.net.