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Courtesy of Utah Shakespearean Festival
Hands-on workshops are important components for teachers who become members of UCATT.
According to Peter Avery, director of theatre for the
NYC Department of Education’s Office of Arts and Special
Projects, 18 schools participated in the Broadway Junior
program last year, with three or four joining the fold each
year since its inception. For the first year that schools
are accepted into the program, they typically mount a
Broadway Junior version of Once on This Island or Annie.
“Great stories and very doable shows,” says Avery.
“The Shubert-MTI-DOE program means a great deal to
us, particularly in terms of its long-term sustainability,”
says Cohen. “We donate the materials to the participating
schools in order to lower any hurdles they face in putting on
a show. We learned that there are often unforeseen logistical
hurdles—including keeping the school open later, requiring
building staff stay overtime to clean up after rehearsals and
performances, and transportation costs—and there are
financial hurdles. Where we can help is providing the show
itself and eliminating some of the production cost. By doing
that, hopefully we’re developing future customers and
doing some good for these school communities as well.”
With this program, students learn theatrical skills while
building an ensemble culminating in a performance as their
schools lay the foundation for a theatre education program.
“This is one of those nice triangulations where the school,
the NYC Department of Education and the cultural community
partner to recognize the importance of theatre education
for these kids,” explains Avery. “The teachers really
become committed. There’s a visceral relationship that
develops between the teachers and students; each see each
other in a different light, which is quite powerful.”
Utah Advisory Council for Theatre Teachers
As difficult as it is to create self-sustaining theatre programs
in the urban classroom, it’s even more challenging
when they’re in rural, isolated areas. With this in mind,
Phaidra Atkinson, a drama teacher based in Salt Lake
City, Utah, formed the Utah Advisory Council for Theatre
Teachers (UACTT), a member organization designed to
create a support system and provide mentoring for drama
educators in the state.
Because of its history of offering strong educational outreach,
which includes an annual high school Shakespeare
competition, the Utah Shakespearean Festival was asked
by UACTT to be on its board. As a result of its involvement
with UACTT, Utah Shakespearean Festival has been very
active in developing and overseeing training programs that
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