The 5th Avenue Theatre's Fridays @ The 5th Education Program Goes Digital

Musical theater doesn't stop just because we're stuck inside! Fridays @ The 5th (F@T5), The 5th Avenue Theatre's workshop series for high school students, has gone digital as a new online series called F@T5: Long Distance.

Part of The 5th Avenue Theatre's education program, F@T5 connects high school students to professional theater makers with the intention to pass down the musical theater art form through storytelling, mentorship, and apprenticeship. F@T5 has been adapted from its in-person format to a "long distance" program that allows students from across Washington State participate in a free online workshop once a week. F@T5 will continue weekly until programming at The 5th can resume normally.

F@T5: Long Distance takes place weekly on Fridays at 4:00 PM. The workshop sessions are 45 minutes long and participation is free. High school students can register online at http://5thavenue.org/education/youth#fridays-at-the-5th/. A video access link will be made available after registering.

The first F@T5: Long Distance was held on March 20 and was virtually attended by 110 students representing 37 high schools across Washington. The session's special guest was Broadway's Don Darryl Rivera (Aladdin), who hosted a Q&A about musical and comic relief during uncertain times. A video of the March 20 workshop is posted at http://5thavenue.org/education/youth#fridays-at-the-5th/ and videos of future F@T5: Long Distance workshops will also be posted there and on The 5th's YouTube channel. This week's session on Friday, March 27 will feature 5th Avenue Theatre favorite Sarah Rose Davis (How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying; Irving Berlin's Holiday Inn) leading students through techniques to maintain vocal health.

"Even though we can't celebrate musical theater together in person right now, we want to preserve the teaching quality of Fridays @ The 5th and ensure that we still give students access to professionals," said Orlando Morales, The 5th Avenue Theatre's Director of Education. "Because of the ease of technology available to us through platforms like Zoom and YouTube Live, we can make the knowledge and expertise of theater professionals accessible to students all over Washington state and not just those who live in the greater Seattle area."

Fridays @ The 5th, which normally takes place in person once during the run of each production at The 5th Avenue Theatre, is a chance for local high school students to gather together to celebrate musical theater and meet peers who share their passion for theater. The workshops explore a variety of topics related to musical theater such as stage combat, choreography, acting, vocal techniques, and audition strategies. Students attend the workshops on Friday evenings and then see a performance of the current production as a group. F@T5 intends to emulate a drama club inclusive of all high school students, whether or not they have a drama club at their own school.

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