Children catch acting bug at Playhouse

This summer will be a special time for kids at the Putnam County Playhouse.

PCP is offering two summer theatre workshops. One workshop is for children who will be in grades 3-5 this fall, and the other is for children in grades 6-8 this fall. Both will be conducted the week of June 18-24. Best of all, both workshops are free.

The workshop for youth grades 3-5 will be directed by Linda Ford, a long-time Playhouse volunteer and a specialist in children's theater. Caroline and Tim Good will lead the workshop for older children. The Goods are both members of the theatre department at Depauw University.

The workshop for the younger actors will be June 19-24. Regular sessions will be from 9-11 a.m. June 19-23, with an audience participation performance at 7 p.m. Saturday, June 24.

The second workshop will be from 5-7 p.m. Sunday, June 18, then continue for the next five days from 1-5 p.m. The participants will present a workshop performance at 7 p.m. Saturday, June 24.

Ford's workshop will introduce the children to the world of theatre, teach acting techniques, and help the participants prepare monologues to present on June 24. Jack Randall Earles, a long-time PCP actor and director, will present a special session on superstitions in theatre.

The Goods will teach their group about stage speech and movement, acting technique through scene work, improvisation and auditioning. There will also be sessions on threatre games and preparations for a Saturday performance.

No prior acting experience or involvement with the Playhouse is required, but participants must be available for all rehearsals and final performance. Space is limited, and only the first 25 applicants in each group will be selected to participate.

Those interested should fill out the application form on page three of today's BannerGraphic for on the Putnam County Playhouse website at putnamcountyplayhouse.com.

For more information, call Ford at 653-2363 or the Goods at 653-2248.