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HACC offers specialty theater, playmaking & performance camps

July 14, 2004
Area youth looking to add a little drama to their summer can register for several July and August theater camps at HACC, central Pennsylvania's community college.

The camps are part of the HACC's Theatre for Young People summer theater camp program held at the Rose Lehrman Arts Center.

Specialty theater camps will be offered in several areas of concentration, focusing on one area of interest for each camp. Students are encouraged to sign up for both a morning and afternoon camp, thus taking one specialization in the morning and another in the afternoon. Those who register for a full day of camps should bring a bag lunch to enjoy with classmates during a supervised lunch break. Cost for each specialty camp is $95.

Specialty camps include Camp #14, July 12-16, 9 a.m.-noon, and Camp #15, July 12-16, 1-4 p.m., both for ages 9-12; also Camp #16, July 19-23, 9 a.m.-noon, and Camp #17, July 19-23,1-4 p.m., both for ages 13-18. Areas of concentration for all of these camps include:

A. Stage combat: This is an opportunity for students to learn how professionals make it look "real" as they are guided through combat moves in a safe environment. Their training will culminate in choreographed scenes performed for other students and faculty from HACC's campus. Morning sessions only.

B. Dance/Movement: For students who enjoy the dance choreography and movement seen in music videos, television commercials and film, this class will expose different dance styles from across the entertainment industry. Students will learn choreography from several different music production styles, such as hip hop, Broadway and jazz. Morning and afternoon sessions offered.

C. Makeup: Students will learn to transform themselves into a new creation each day as they learn various techniques of makeup application for characters, including creatures, animals and special effects. Morning sessions only.

D. Design: For those who have wondered how and why sets, costumes, props and lighting are created for a theatrical production, this is their chance to become a designer and learn how professionals create the visual aspects seen by the audience. Students should come prepared to let their imagination fly. Morning sessions only.

E. Shakespeare: Shakespeare isn't considered by scholars to be the greatest playwright who ever lived without good reason. In this camp students will learn about his world through art and theatre activities to include creating a scene with sound effects, using a quill pen to compose a sonnet containing oxymorons and new words they invent (just like Will!), create a device to ward off the plague and other diseases, make Apple Moye (a common "clean drink"), play "teetotum" (a popular game), learn to juggle, and design a coat of arms. Students will learn about Shakespeare, the man, and why he is at the forefront of theatre and literary studies. Afternoon sessions only.

Playmaking and Performance Camp, Camp #18, will be offered Aug. 2-13, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., for ages 11-15. Cost is $300.

Participants will work together to create an exciting and entertaining theme-based play from nothing more than their collective imaginations. Sessions will include improvisation for plot development and use of varied theatrical devices and dramatic elements to bring life to their finished body of work.

The groups' energies will result in a final production performed before an audience during the final class. This camp is a great opportunity to explore the process of script creation to final performance.

For more than 20 years, HACC has offered outstanding children's theatre to the region. Since 1989, HACC has hosted schools in the Rose Lehrman Arts Center for an annual week-long outreach program.

Theatre for Young People was created to provide an affordable venue for area youth to celebrate the arts and gain exposure to every aspect of theatre including, but not limited to, acting, dance, makeup, puppetry, play writing, and designing sets, costumes and lighting. Information about registration is available by calling 717-780-2521, ext. 4.

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