The Raleigh Ensemble Players Theatre Company
Raleigh’s nationally recognized and oldest producer of powerful, penetrating, and provocative theatre experiences
presents
the[zu]
unleash the ART in you
Join REP this summer as it launches a unique and innovative experience designed especially for middle school students. Developed and led by REP’s Artistic Director C. Glen Matthews, the [zu]—the phonetic spelling for zoo—offers area youth an introductory series of weekend and week-long immersions into the wonderful world of theatre, running from July 11th through July 25th.
Each experience is rooted in the ENSEMBLE ETHIC—the belief that we are a diverse group of people working together as one toward a common goal—
and fueled by four core values: trust, respect, discipline and commitment.
Our ultimate goal: to unleash, grow, and celebrate the artist within all, while fostering the development of compassionate and conscientious global citizens.
Week-Long Experiences
It’s Greek to Me: the Myth and the Mask
Who: Rising 6th and 7th graders
When: July 13-17, 2009, Full-Day (9AM to 4:30PM)
Cost: $200
Maximum: 15 Minimum: 8
In this camp, participants will develop and hone their performance, design and playwriting skills as they investigate the origins of theatre. From cave-paintings to rituals and shamans to the myths of Greece, campers will explore the power and necessity of storytelling. The campers will also investigate the theatrical practices of the Greeks and the connections of those practices to the theatre of today. Inspired by Aristotle’s 6 Elements of Drama (plot, character, theme, language, music, and spectacle), campers will create an original myth designed to answer a specific question about the world around us. Once the myth is scripted, the actors will create masks (using t-shirts and masking tape) and adorn them in keeping with the characters they will portray. The myths will then be shared with parents during an informal sharing on the last day of the camp.
Picture Perfect
Who: Rising 7th and 8th graders
When: July 20-24, 2009, Full-Day (9AM to 4:30PM)
Cost: $200
Maximum: 15 Minimum: 8
This experience is inspired by the assertion that a play, when performed, is nothing more than a series of pictures connected by movement and language. If that’s so, how do these pictures get created? Picture Perfect will provide the young actor with an opportunity to explore the tools theatre artists use to create interesting and compelling stage pictures or compositions. Building upon the 5 basic stage directions (center, right, left, up, and down), campers will be introduced to acting areas, planes, symmetry and asymmetry, balance, level, line and visual focus as means for sculpting bodies in space, creating emphasis, and communicating meaning to an audience. Pieces of visual art will be used to enhance the campers understanding of the tools and their impact on the viewer. Finally, the campers will work in groups to create an original performance piece, using only their bodies and inspired by a song of their choice, which will be shared informally on the final day of camp.
Weekend Experiences
Know Thyself
Who: Rising 6th and 7th graders
When: Saturday, July 11th from 10 AM to 6 PM; Sharing begins at 5:30 PM
Cost: $65
Maximum: 10 Minimum: 6
Designed to create comfort and confidence in the public speaking situation, this workshop explores the communication process and the difference between interpersonal and intrapersonal communication. Using a series of intrapersonal surveys, participants will seek to discover all they can about themselves: likes, hopes, fears, relationships, learning styles, etc. Students then explore avenues of communicating their discoveries with others: self-portrait/collage (non-verbal) and an introductory speech (verbal). Preparations for the speech include helpful tips for organizing information with special emphasis placed on the use of the body and the voice during the presentation. Participants will also participate in activities designed to promote relaxation, proper breathing and breath control, and vocal production. The introductory speeches will be shared with parents at the close of the workshop.
DO Unto Others…
Who: Rising 8th and 9th graders
When: Saturday, July 18th from 10 AM to 6 PM; Sharing begins at 5:30 PM
Cost: $65
Maximum: 10 Minimum: 6
Day in, day out, we do to those around us. This workshop introduces participants to the wonderful world of tactics: the things we do to others in order to get what we want. Using active language, games (duck, duck, goose; tug-of-war), an army of tennis balls, and a series of original and published scenes, we will explore the many choices that face the actor as he/she attempts to breathe life into a character and recreate truthful, believable human behavior and interactions. An informal sharing of scene work will close the workshop.
About the Instructor
A Mississippi native, C. Glen Matthews moved to Raleigh in 1997 to perform in Burning Coal Theatre Company’s inaugural North Carolina production Rat in the Skull. He joined REP as Artistic Director in January 1999 and has since directed some 30 productions for the company. Glen received his BFA (musical theatre) from William Carey College and his MFA from the University of Southern Mississippi (theatre performance/directing); his performance, directing, and education credits cut a path from the Deep South to the Midwest to the Kennedy Center. Named the Triangle’s Theatre Person of the Year in 2002 by Robert’s Reviews, Glen has been recognized on area Top Ten and Best Of lists for his direction of numerous REP productions, including BENT, COLUMBINUS, LEBENSRAUM, and A NUMBER. In addition to his work with REP, Glen just completed his 11th year as middle and upper school theater teacher and 7th grade advisor at Cary Academy.
About REP
The Raleigh Ensemble Players Theatre Company (REP) is the brainchild of Tom Dawson and Roy Dicks. Established in 1982 as a summer community theatre, REP was created in order to expose area audiences to contemporary, cutting-edge works. The vision and passion of REP’s founders enabled the company to blossom from a gypsy troupe of volunteers into an emerging-professional company with a permanent home in Artspace, garnering along the way the praise and admiration of critics and audiences alike.
Today, REP is a professional company employing artists from all over the Triangle. For 27 seasons, REP has entertained, challenged, and inspired area audiences with its unique and intimate brand of storytelling, while celebrating the energy and excitement that is downtown Raleigh. A recipient of the City of Raleigh Art Commission’s Medal of Arts in 1996, REP was named the inaugural recipient of the Tony Randall Theatrical Fund’s Tony’s H.O.P.E. (Hats Off for Performance Excellence) award in 2007. In August 2008, REP initiated the DREAM.BELIEVE.DO Campaign and announced the company’s plans to transition from Artspace to a new home at 213 Fayetteville Street—the heart of Raleigh’s Main Street. Construction began in January 2009 and is scheduled to complete in August. REP will open the new space with a production of Mary Zimmerman’s beautiful adaptation of Ovid’s METAMORPHOSES.
Registration and Questions
Registration materials and additional information can be accessed at REP’s website: www.realtheatre.org
Registration deadlines:
Registrations will be processed in the order they are received.
Individuals with questions regarding the [zu] should contact REP’s Managing Director Gary Williams at 919.832.9607 or gorep@juno.com.
REP will host an Open House/Information session for families interested in the [zu] from 7-8 PM on Monday, June 29th.