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 in Cincinnati, Ohio. To view previous updates, click here.
National Expansion News
Both expansion sites (La Jolla Playhouse and STAGES St. Louis) have opened up their application process and are eager to begin reviewing and conducting site visits in order to select their first three schools.
La Jolla Playhouse successfully established a partnership with the San Diego Unified School District (VAPA-Visual and Performing Arts). This will make it easier for them to identify and recruit prospective schools, as well as schedule events like the bootcamp trainings.
January Bootcamp
The last bootcamp of the 2017-18 school year was held earlier this month. This bootcamp was the last official training for our Class I schools: Holmes, Gamble Montessori, and Finneytown. Mentors Dee Anne Bryll and Becca Kloha Strand led the group through warm-ups and a series of exercises designed to help them make it through to their performances. They discussed the importance of creating a detailed rehearsal calendar and tackling larger numbers and how to manage student performance anxiety. Each of the nine schools brought a scene and a song from their selected show and worked in groups to stage them, using feedback from their peers. The day ended with a group discussion, the veteran schools advising the newer ones on a variety of topics.
Teachers practice staging a musical number at the JumpStart Theatre Bootcamp
|
|
JumpStart Theatre Mentors (L to R) Becca Kloha Strand, Dee Anne Bryll, Susan Jung
|
|
|
Rehearsal Updates
Felicity-Franklin Middle School held auditions for The Music Man JR. and is thrilled to include 59 students in the cast and crew!
|
First read-through for Felicity-Franklin students.
|
Clark Montessori middle school students share a building with the high school grades and are making the most of the upperclassmen by using a “student assistant” from the high school. The student attended the first bootcamp to get a handle on the basics and now assists with rehearsals to lighten the load for the teachers.
Oyler has acquired a variety of props for Annie JR., thanks to Gamble Montessori’s past production. They have the props available at rehearsals and are encouraging students to start working with them as soon as they feel ready.
|
Oyler students rehearsing Annie JR.
|
Sondheim Pledge Tees for JumpStart Theatre
At the Junior Theater Festival in Atlanta, iTheatrics sold special pledge tees to benefit the JumpStart Theatre program. The design and the decision to commit the proceeds to JumpStart Theatre were approved by Stephen Sondheim himself! Mentor Becca Kloha Strand is pictured below with her College-Conservatory of Music Prep students modeling their shirts.
|
"With a heart that is open, with a spirit of support, and a mind that understands this sacred truth: I am an ARTIST. So help me Sondheim.”
|
Research
The JumpStart Theatre research team has been busy this month, visiting each of the research schools to conduct pre-surveys to groups of students. Students in the cast or crew are considered the “treatment” group, while another group of students, not affiliated with the play, are considered the “control.” The same students will take the survey again after the performance, and the Centers for Research on Creativity will analyze and report the third year of results in Fall 2018.
|
Students at Felicity-Franklin Middle School take the pre-survey.
|
Save the Date!
Cincinnati’s third annual JumpStart Theatre Showcase will be held on Tuesday, May 1, 2018 at 6:00pm in the beautiful Memorial Hall. The event will be free and open to the public, but reservations will be required. Additional information coming soon!
|
|
Finneytown students perform at the 2017 Showcase.
|
|
Make plans to attend a performance and support the
Cincinnati JumpStart Theatre schools!
Thanks to all of our partners and supporters on JumpStart Theatre:
