A program designed to build sustainable musical theatre programs in underserved middle schools that currently have none.
This is a series of monthly updates about the JumpStart Theatre pilot program launched this year in Cincinnati, Ohio. To view previous updates, click here.
Do you have four minutes? If you attended any kind of JumpStart Theatre event last year, chances are that you probably saw Jim Talkington, owner of Talkington Media, behind a camera. Jim captured every step of the journey, from the first bootcamp last fall to the Showcase in the spring, with perspectives from the teachers, principals, donors, and most importantly – the students! Watch, smile, and share:
Sunshine and ShowKits. School may be out for the summer, but we’re still working hard to get ready for the next school year. We’ll kick off 2016-17 with SIX JumpStart schools, three with their first year under their belt and three beginning from scratch.
One of the tasks we ask our teams to work on over the summer break is to review the contents of their MTI ShowKit and start visualizing how their production will look. It’s important to read the script and listen to the music, imagining where students might move, what costumes they will need and how the set might be created. The MTI Broadway Junior ShowKit contains helpful resources and supplies to allow directors with any level of experience put on a musical. Not only is there a Director’s Guide and scripts, but they’ve also included a choreography DVD, music, helpful tips for parents, and editable templates for useful forms (like audition sides and budget worksheets).
Save the Date! You won’t want to miss the 2017 JumpStart Theatre Showcase on May 2, 2017 at the Jarson-Kaplan Theatre in the Aronoff Center for the Performing Arts. All of the JumpStart schools will perform songs from their selected musicals and Tom + Chee will once again sponsor a tasty reception immediately following the performance.
Free Professional Development. A reminder that our first all-day training bootcamp for the 2016-2017 school year will take place on Friday, September 30 from 9:00am-4:00pm. This professional development workshop will cover the basics of building a musical theatre program in a fun and interactive setting. All of the JumpStart teachers will attend, but it is also open to any interested educator, administrator, artist or professional. Attendance is complimentary, as space permits. Guests must register by emailing Ginny Butsch, Community Manager, at gbutsch@schooltheatre.org. You’ll find footage from last year’s bootcamp here.
Thanks to all of our partners and supporters on JumpStart Theatre: