JumpStart Theatre Update 53: Graduate Expands Theatre Season

By Ginny Butsch posted 11-26-2019 00:00

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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.
If you'd like to receive JumpStart Theatre updates by email, contact JumpStartTheatre@schooltheatre.org. To view previous updates, click here.

Graduate Expanding Theatre Season

Holmes Middle School's Jack and the Beanstalk

Holmes Middle School, a 2018 JumpStart Theatre graduate, located in Covington, Kentucky, has been so successful producing four straight years of spring musicals that they decided to add a fall play to their season! Their first play, Jack and the Beanstalk, took place earlier this month, involving 16 students in the cast and crew. In addition, a Holmes art teacher and her classroom students volunteered to create the set and were excited to see their creations come to life on opening night. Holmes has been able to sustain their theatre program thanks to passionate staff members and partnerships they have established with local arts and business organizations. Holmes is looking forward to presenting their fifth musical, 101 Dalmatians, in March 2020.

Now Accepting Applications!

Mountain City Center for the Arts (MCCA) in Frostburg, Maryland recently opened the application process for their second class of JumpStart Theatre schools. The first class, including Northern Garrett Middle School, Southern Garrett Middle School and Turkeyfoot Valley School District, have participated in their first of three professional development bootcamps and are busy preparing students to audition for their spring musicals. Read more here.

Do you know a middle school without a theatre program in this region? Encourage them to apply!

APPLY NOW!

Leading by Example

Dee Anne Bryll

JumpStart Theatre teachers are encouraged to brainstorm solutions together. That practice is replicated with regional partners on a regularly scheduled conference call. On the most recent call, the discussion topic was focused on mentoring. Partners videoed in with their own mentors to learn from Dee Anne Bryll, the very first JumpStart Theatre mentor. Everyone brought unique challenges and successes to review with the group.

Training Continues

“I like that we are part of the process so it's not just lecture.

I learn by doing and seeing.”

—Kristin Grote, Liberty Bible Academy

Bootcamps continue in all regions through late winter. The more experienced regions (San Diego, St. Louis, and Cincinnati) have found unique ways to expand their schools’ education as they obtain iTheatrics certification and start leading bootcamps on their own. La Jolla Playhouse took the teachers on a full tour of their Tony-Award winning facility. STAGES St. Louis will have their technical director lead a session on building rehearsal cubes and flats, The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati taught a unit on managing scene transitions and how to establish a set using rehearsal cubes. iTheatrics staff leads all bootcamps for first year partners (Alliance Theatre, Mountain City Center for the Arts).

Tour of La Jolla Playhouse

Thank You, Bodymics!

A new partnership with Bodymics will ensure that JumpStart Theatre students can be heard loud and clear. Each regional partner will be provided a portable microphone/sound kit that each of their schools will be able to use. Training for the microphone system will also be provided to help the teachers learn more about technical aspects of their theatre programs.

ETF, in collaboration with New York City-based companies iTheatrics and Music Theatre International (MTI) has created JumpStart Theatre, a three-year scalable program designed to build sustainable musical theatre programs in underserved schools that previously had none.

ETF operates JumpStart Theatre through a national network of regional theatre company partners who are selected based on their track-record of success in running educational programs for children. JumpStart Theatre partners are: Alliance Theatre, Atlanta, Ga.; La Jolla Playhouse, La Jolla, Calif.; Mountain City Center for the Arts, Frostburg, Md.; Stages St. Louis, St. Louis, Mo.; The Children’s Theatre, Cincinnati, Ohio.

JumpStart Theatre aims to:

be sustainable and implemented in underserved middle schools nationwide, engaging as many students as possible in all aspects of theatre,
prepare students for high school, college, and the workforce by instilling the 21st-century skills of collaboration, communication, problem-solving, and creativity.

JumpStart Theatre is entirely supported by gifts and grants. Your donation provides access to musical theatre for underserved students and under-resourced schools. Help shape lives with your support!

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