A Note from the Academy DIrectors

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A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS

This classic story runs November 27 through January 3! Call (414) 267-2961 or visit www.FirstStage.org.

NEWS FROM THE ACADEMY • Volume 5 Issue 5 • Fall Academy Updates

IN FOCUSis the newsletter of the

First Stage Theater Academy,published each session to

highlight the work of our staff and students.

Jennifer AdamsEditor

Patrick G.H. SchleyGraphic Design

Want to get moreinvolved at First Stage?Join the Green Room Society, our Volunteer Group! Contact Heather at (812) 201-4285 or volunteer@firststage.org for info!

We have had such a wonderful fall session and we are so excited to share our pres-entations this week! The students have been diving deep into character develop-ment and storytelling through scenes, stories, songs, writing, and improvisation. The teachers are overjoyed with the growth they’ve seen both artistically and personally.

Our students make us so proud at everything they accomplish and in the way they carry themselves inside and outside of these walls. Theater is a lifelong learning process. Take a look at our classes for winter, spring, and spring break sessions to continue growing and keeping the bonds of new and old friendships strong. Please be on the lookout for a parent survey in your inbox. Your feedback is vital to provid-ing the best we can offer across all of our programming.

Have a wonderful holiday season and we look forward to seeing you in January!

— Jennifer Adams and Katie Cummings

Top photo by Paul Ruffolo

InFOCUS

Young Company presents ALL’S WELL

THAT ENDS WELLJoin us for a wild jour-ney of risks, magic, war, traps, betrayal and true love. Buy tickets at www.FirstStage.org.

proud Cornerstonemember of

FIRST STAGETHEATER ACADEMYLife Skills Through Stage Skills

Donations needed to support theFirst Stage/Kluge Elementary

Community Learning CenterWe are seeking new or gently used:• Coats, hats, scarves, gloves, boots, or other warm clothing (adult and child sizes)• Puzzles, books, coloring books, or other educational toys (K-5th grade)• School supplies such as pencils, notebooks, paper, glue sticks, markers, crayons

and tissues.Donations will be accepted through December 14th in the Academy Office.

Contact Jennifer Adams at (414) 267-2975 or jadams@firststage.org with questions.

In Focus

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Volume 5 Issue 5

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Young Company does First Stage proud!by Erica Davis & Patrick G.H. Schley

The nationally-acclaimed First Stage Young Company celebrated its sec-ond consecutive win in its division of the Utah Shakespeare Festival/Southern Utah University Shake-speare Competition, held October 2-3 in Cedar City, Utah. This is the Young Company’s fifth first place

finish in nine years. Students spent the past month preparing and rehearsing for the event with Young Company teachers Matt Daniels and John Maclay.

The Academy students participated alongside more than 3,000 young people from over 100 schools from multiple Western states. Their division encompassed all private schools, performing arts schools, non-traditional schools and groups associated with profes-sional theaters.

“I’m so incredibly proud to have been a part of such an amazing team,” Madison Penzkover said. “We won tro-phies, which was pretty cool. But more importantly we did what we love and got to share that with hundreds of people from across the U.S. I couldn’t have picked a better team to celebrate the Bard with.”

In addition to winning the Essex division overall sweepstakes award for highest total team score, the team also won first place for its ensemble scene, a

compilation of ‘Dream’ moments from a half dozen Shakespeare plays. The ensemble was selected to be performed at the competition’s culminating showcase. Individual students Alison Pogorelc won the Larry Lott award for outstanding performance in an ensemble and first place in monologues, and Taylor Kass and Henry Lynch won first place duo/trio with their perfor-mance of a scene from RICHARD III.

“My favorite moment from the trip was sitting with the team at the Globe stage waiting to perform at the showcase,” said Rose Bliesner. “We were all just happy to be there as a team, and we were excited to share our scene with everyone because we had worked so hard on it.”

When they weren’t performing for adjudicators, the student spent time during their week in Utah taking acting workshops led by professional Shakespearean actors and attending professional performances of

“Why I teach”a reflection by Samantha Montgomery

I teach because I want to make a difference in the lives of the children living in our society. I teach theater because it pro-vides me with the opportunity to teach my students how to handle and deal with their emotions in a positive way. Children have issues that are important to them and as they deal with their various issues emotions follow. Through the exploration of scene study, students learn how to deal with emotions by deal-ing with their character’s emotions. Investigating the highs and lows of their character’s emotions provide them with various strategies and techniques for dealing with their own emotions.

My goal is for my students to be successful, independent, confident, and healthy risk takers. I want my students to leave my class knowing that failure provides information that can be used to facilitate growth, and that we can manage our emo-tions. My students teach me more than I teach them. Each day they challenge me by working to meet the expectations that I have for them. As they continue to grow, I continue to grow with them.

Photo by Lindsey A

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Left to right: Madison Penzkover, Rose Bliesner, Josie Trettin, Amber Soik, Mary Elsa Henrichs, Zoey Knox, Natalie Alteri, Alison Pogorelc, Madisyn Fairchild, Kyra Swanson, Henry Lynch, Taylor Kass, Mackenzie Swart, Isabelle Abbott, John Maclay. Photo by Katie Cummings.

Shakespeare’s work. One of the performances they attended was CHARLEY’S AUNT, which featured Young Company alumna Allie Babich in the role of Ela Delahay, which held a special significance with many of the travelers.

“One of the best parts of the trip was going to see the professional shows performed on campus and meet-ing with Allie Babich,” said Zoey Knox. “It is inspiring to see that someone who was in our shoes just a few years ago is now a professional at Utah Shakes!”

At the end of the trip the students and their intrepid chaperones were treated to a hero’s welcome at Gen-eral Mitchell Airport. Everyone was excited to be bring-ing home trophies, but more importantly the students reflected on how much the trip helped them grow as artists and as people.

“Attending the Utah Shakespeare Festival opened my eyes to the fact that there are thousands of students who love Shakespeare as much as we do at First Stage,” said Madisyn Fairchild. “Watching the perfor-mances, whether they were other schools or profes-sional shows, showed me how far I have come and how much work I still have yet to do.”

“This is a special group of young artists,” said First Stage Associate Artistic Director and Director of the Young Company John Maclay. “We don’t do this work for trophies. But I won’t deny that it feels real nice when a legion of professional artists is as enamored with their work as I am. I am incredibly proud to be counted among their teachers.”

Photo by John Maclay

Photo by John Maclay

The Student Advisory Board is hard at work representing the young people of First Stage at a variety of events around Milwaukee. Get to know them and let them know what they can do for you and how First Stage can be even better! Interested in joining the SAB? Contact Jenn at jadams@firststage.org.

At our first National Novel Writing Month meeting the writers were asked to do a short free-write on the question “What does it mean to be creative?” Here are a couple samples of their work!

CreativityWhat does it mean to be creative?Creativity means to bean inventor testing concoctions.Creativity is adventure.What does it mean to be creative?Creativity means to be a magician.Words from the brain appear on the paper.Creativity is magic.

What does it mean to be creative?Creativity is meant for one and allto be originalbut unitedby the ties of creativity.Creativityisthe tie that unites uspulls us into the adventurethe magic that motivates us.Creativity.

— Neala R Bayley age 9

I stared at the blank white canvas, waiting for an epiphany. I was supposed to draw something creative. I got it! I drew a line there. A dot here. Soon I made my own masterpiece. The teacher came over, “What’s that?” she asked frowning. “Creativity.”— Kate Ketelhohn, age 12

Our Word Play Ensemble students are also hard at work writing each week. Here are some short sam-ples of their work!

The Homeless Man and the PigeonI fluttered atop the rail not noticing the honking of cars of the overwhelming smell of smog. It was like I was king and the street was the land I ruled. I zeroed in on

a man holding a sign and the cars that couldn’t stop, racing towards towards a moving light that changed from red to green to yellow. When it turned red I saw a featherless wing reach out.— Soph Franecki

I threw the bread crumbs at the grey bird. It turned to me abruptly and pecked the ground. It was my last piece of bread but I decided to share it anyway. I would never let someone (or even some bird) suffer of starvation like I would. — Lexi Lee

“Swimming Poem” by Celia NieblerOn the peg, my heart is pounding as I hear all the voices yelling and the commotionBlock out all of it...3,2,1 BEEP!I dive into the waterFeeling the water splash over meComing up I give it my allArm over ArmTaking a breath every other swingThen everything stops..I feel a tile touch my handI hear happy shouts from my family as I am getting out of the waterI won, 1st placeNow I am going to State

“Frosting” by Reva HegdeToo sweet it may be, Too sour never!Buttercream is thick. Water is thinYearning to take a bite. Yum. I want moreWhipped frosting is the bestRed, orange, blue...many more colors tooBreakfast, lunch, and dinner I will eat this winner all day longFrosting, F-R-O-S-T-I-N-GCake, cookies, cupcakes suits it wellFrosting is better than the dells

In Focus

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Volume 5 Issue 5

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Meet the Student Advisory BoardWriter spotlight

Photos by Jennifer Adams

2015-16 SAB MembersFaith Austin, Regan Carter, Marie Charles, Eloise Field, Kaysha Gail, Kamani Graham, Megan Grizzle, Emily Kellner, Dakota Komorowski, Ben Kramer, Paige Landrum, Hannah Lipscomb, Taylor Loomans, Isabelle Morris, Anna Nelson, Kenyon Proby, Sophie Schroeder, Haley Shamah, Noah Stone, Ben Sturycz, Marissa Tucker, Thomas Webb, Abby Wesley, Cami Westlake, AJ Wielichowski, Collin Woldt, Oshionna Wright, Rachel Young

Young Playwrights For ChangeNational Middle School Playwriting Contest

6th-8th grade students are invited to enter the regional competition by submitting their play on the theme:“What do you want to change about the world?”

Regional submission deadline: January 23, 2016Criteria: All plays should have no more than six characters

and be no longer than ten minutes when read aloud.

The winner of the regional competition will be submitted to the national competition in February 2016!

Please contact Jennifer Adams at jadams@firststage.org or (414) 267-2975for resources and further information. Individual coaching and instruction can be available!

In Focus

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Volume 5 Issue 5

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Keep up with First Stage news online atfirststagechildrenstheater.blogspot.com

Word Search

Charlie Brown Snoopy

Spookley Square Pumpkin

James Giant PeachCentipedeLadybug

Earthworm Grasshopper

Spider Glowworm

SpikerSponge Family

FriendshipFirst Stage Academy Life Skills

Stage Skills

WORD BANK

by Jennifer Adams

The First Stage/Kluge CLC participated in the national Lights On Afterschool celebration on Thursday, October 22 with a special event held afterschool from 3:30 – 5:30 p.m.

Afterschool programs play an important role in the lives of children, families and communities. Accord-ing to Afterschool Alliance, participation in afterschool programs has increased to nearly 10.2 million stu-dents nationwide, but unmet demand for afterschool programs has also increased. For every child in an afterschool program, there are two more whose par-ents would participate, if a program were available. In addition, one in five students in the country today is unsupervised after the school day ends.

More than one million people nation wide celebrated Lights On Afterschool day this year. “Lights On After-school events give students a chance to showcase the skills they learn and talents they develop at their afterschool programs, and to send the message that

millions more children and youth need quality afterschool and summer learning programs,” said Afterschool Alli-ance Executive Director Jodi Grant. “These events spotlight the fun, educational, hands-on activities that quality afterschool programs offer and the ways these programs keep kids safe, inspire them to learn and help working families.”

At the First Stage/Kluge CLC Lights On Afterschool cel-ebration, special guests facilitated activities to encourage literacy, math and science skills, physical fitness and more. First Stage Teaching Artists Bill Jackson, Marcy Kearns and Resident Teaching Artist Samatha Montgomery rotated dramatic storytelling sessions, while First Stage Artistic Director Jeff Frank got students moving as they tested their physical fitness in the American Ninja War-rior Challenge. Students worked together, sharing ideas during Samatha Montgomery’s Spoken Word Challenge, and Marcy Kearns led future thespians in a Shakespeare Challenge. Finally, Resident Teaching Artist Brenna Kempf and community volunteer Brian Cummings led students in an Engineering activity.

Our celebration culminated in a student showcase of the skills they’ve learned while attending the CLC this year. Friends, family and teachers couldn’t have been more proud.

From the First Stage Blog: Lights on Afterschool... A national celebration!

Photo by Jennifer Adams

Photo by Jennifer Adams

In Focus Volume 5 Issue 5

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Color by numberKEY: 1 = Purple 2 = Green 3 = Blue