Oddfellows Playhouse and MARC: Community Resources Announce New Programmatic Partnership

 Oddfellows Playhouse and MARC: Community Resources are embarking on a new programmatic effort providing weekly theater arts training to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Oddfellows will provide instruction for MARC’s consumers in many theatrical skills, including Beginning Acting, Mask Theater, and Comedy and Improvisation.  The arts training will build important skills for consumers to use outside of the theater.  They will develop collaborative ensemble skills, become more comfortable with public speaking, learn to better communicate ideas, and express their imaginations and emotions. 

Creating Something Out of Nothing

The following is the opinion Matt Pugliese, Executive Director at Oddfellows Playhouse

There are many skills and benefits that children receive from involvement at Oddfellows Playhouse and in theater arts programs.  Creativity and imagination are some of the first benefits people list when talking about the value of a theater arts education and experiences.

Earlier this month I had the opportunity to appear on WNPR’s Where We Live with John Dankosky to discuss the topic of creativity.  The discussion between panelists Constanza Gowen-Segovia (CO LAB), Louise Loomis, Ed.D (Thinkwell Center) and the Watkinson School Creative Arts Program students has really stuck with me. (Listen here) It was a broad, wide ranging discussion and we only began to touch the subject of creativity.

I have been thinking a great deal about creativity in the wake of our conversation, and how to re-frame what it is that we do at Oddfellows Playhouse Youth Theater. In particular, I’ve been considering the way society values creativity.  It is very much in the forefront  of our current economic environment to talk about the new economy, and the importance of innovation.  "Innovate" is simply another way of saying "create".  So, if we are going to prepare our young people to be innovative, we need to build their creativity. 

Creativity is something that you need to practice.  As with any skill, one needs to work to develop and refine creativity.  That is one of the  benefits of continued involvement at Oddfellows Playhouse and in theater.  It is an opportunity for a young person to have their creativity exercised.  Just as students go to sports and music practices, creativity and imagination need to be exercised and pushed to the limit. 

All of the “creating” that goes on in each rehearsal comes with other benefits as well.  Students become quick thinkers, they improvise and they learn to work through scenarios in advance and feel prepared when something unexpected happens.  This helps them learn to handle the anxiety that comes along with so many aspects of life—such as a school project, a business presentation, speaking in front of colleagues or sharing an original idea. 

Oddfellows’ spring session begins the week of April 1, and is full of opportunities for children ages 3-18 to exercise their creativity.  The youngest students in Pre-K, Kindergarten and Grade 1 have classes that are designed to get them used to using their creativity and sharing it with their peers.  Think of it like riding a tricycle, then a bicycle with training wheels.  Students in Story Starters (grades 2-3) can create a Mini-Production based on the West African folktale of Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters.  Not only are they creating characters and story, but they are considering a “Cinderella” tale from a different cultural point of view.   The Kids Company (grades 4-5) can explore Fundamentals of Musical Theater and Comedy and Improv.  Junior Rep (grades 6-8) can give their imaginations a serious workout with How To Deliver a Monologue and Intro to Playwrighting.  Our Teen Rep (grades 9-12) also has an opportunity to discover their unique voice with Intro to Playwrighting and Intro to Directing classes.  Complete class descriptions and information can be found at www.oddfellows.org .  Registration is available online or by calling 860-347-6143. 

Spring Theater Classes Enrolling at Oddfellows

Oddfellows Playhouse Youth Theater is pleased to announce its Spring 2013 Session will begin the week of April 1.  Oddfellows’ programs use theatre as a vehicle to build essential life skills, while exploring highly educational and artistic themes and plays.  There are a variety of performance options and technique based classes for students ages 3-18.

Space Still Available in Summer Program

Middletown, Conn.- Oddfellows Playhouse still has spots in its upcoming  Little Fellows summer program for youngsters ages 4-7.  Oddfellows’ programs cover a variety of arts-based activities, from circus skills to acting and visual art. Our programs allow students to develop their creativity and foundational life skills they can draw upon in the future.  The youngsters will learn things like working cooperatively with other children their age, positive group interaction, theater, movement and visual art techniques and much much more.

 

This summer, Oddfellows is offering Little Fellows: The World and Work of Mo Willems.  The program will be running from August 6-17, Monday –Friday, 9:00am-3:30pm.  Tuition is $350.  In addition, before and after care will be available for the program, beginning at 8:30 in the morning and be available from 3:30 to 4:30 in the afternoon in order to accommodate parents’ busy schedules.

Students will explore the very busy world of Mo Willems, author and illustrator of “Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale”, “Pigeon Wants a Puppy,” and the Elephant and Piggy books.  Working with professional teaching artists, participants will be at the center of the action, writing, acting, painting and creating a new story inspired by the work of the beloved author and illustrator.

This summer’s teaching artists include Missy Burmeister, Kim West, Renee Soares, and Jamie Guite. Throughout the day, children will be spending time with each of these teachers in four different “classes” – Art, Movement, Theater, and Writing. Students will be encouraged to explore their creative sides and participate in fun and exciting activities. Along with these teaching artists, children will be led by student teaching assistants to make sure your child is enjoying himself or herself throughout the day. The day will also include breaks for snacks and rest time, as well as an outdoor lunch break in the afternoon.

Seinfeld-esque: free lecture on Nothing

Jef Johnson returns to Middletown with a new workshop focused on awakening the creative spirit August 26, 27, and 28. A leader in the field of performance theory, Jef has been investigating personal perception, performance and play for the past 25 years. He is a principal artist in the Broadway and International touring company of Slava’s Snowshow. He has also worked with Cirque du Soleil as clown, special artistic consultant and workshop director. Drawing from Clown, Mask and Butoh, his work has initiated deeper investigation into the primary essence of human experience, character and performance. On Thursday, August 25th, Jef will give a free lecture on "Nothing" at The Buttonwood Tree at 8pm. For additional information, contact Aryn Kyer at arynky@gmail.com.

Major Motion in Middletown – Rising Stars in Training at MXCC

For the first four weeks of June, more than a dozen of Hollywood and New York’s finest motion picture professionals shared their experience and talents with 50 ambitious film trainees in the Connecticut Film Industry Training Program (FITP), presented for the second year at Middlesex Community College. FITP is part of the state’s initiative to attract feature film and episodic television production to Connecticut. The program trains people to work as crew members in various departments, including Assistant Directing, Camera, Lighting and Camera Grip, Script Supervision, Location Management, Production Office Coordination and Sound.

FITP is a four-week intensive program, resulting in the production of a short film, Down to the Wire. The film began shooting June 19 on the MxCC campus. Production wrapped on June 26, with a screening of the first cut of the film for all participants. The film is directed by Lewis Gould, Producer of Law and Order, and Director of Medium and Judging Amy. Middletown resident and Emmy award winning producer/director Lisa Simmons and MxCC professors John Shafer and Rich Lenoce coordinate FITP and are producing the film. MxCC alum Giovanna Vecchitto wrote the screenplay.

During filming the 50 trainees acted as crew under the 10 professionals while on the set. Students trained on and used cinema-quality equipment including 35mm Panavision film and Panasonic digital-cinema video cameras, professional sound equipment, lighting and grip trucks and the computer hardware and software necessary to make a film.

Competition for entry into this year’s program was stiff, with hundreds of people applying for only 50 available slots. Trainees range in age from 19-55. Though they come from all different backgrounds, each participant shares a passion for working in the film industry.

According to one graduate of last year’s program, “FITP teaches you all of the things they don’t teach you in film school.” Many of those 2008 graduates are now working on feature films and network television programs as these productions are attracted to Connecticut due to the state’s tax credits.

The program ran through June 26. FITP is funded by a grant from the Office of Workforce Competitiveness.

Photos of the set in action can be found here and here. (It works for Facebook users... another more public portfolio may happen eventually...)

Well Deserved Recognition

The Russell Library has been chosen as the winner of the 2009 Connecticut Award for Excellence in Public Library Service. The award comes from the Connecticut Library Association and the Connecticut State Library and is based on the innovative programs the Library has developed for Senior Citizens, for job seekers, and the "Green Children" program, teaching area youngsters about the environment. The Library won in the category of institutions serving communities larger than 15,000 people. (For the record, the Deep River Library won in the "Under 15,000" category.)

There will be an Awards Reception on April 30th, 2009, at the CLA Annual Conference and, perhaps, a reception in Middletown as well. With budget cuts continually an issue and continual questions about other funding sources, The Russell Library, with its creative and caring staff, works very hard to prove to the city and the state just how good a local library can be.