Laurette Willis, the Woman of 101 Voices, will be featured in a week-long youth theatre workshop, “Turn Tale and Perform,” from Monday, July 12, 2010 to Friday, July 16, 2010 at The Playmakers’ Theatre, 121 W. 3rd St., Grove, OK.
The workshop is for students from third grade to 12th grade.
Ms. Willis has been praised by teachers and students alike in her storytelling workshops, and by many others who have seen her original “Women of…” series: “Women of the Frontier,” “Women of Shakespeare,” and “Women of the Oil Fields.” Her interpretations of Emily Dickenson and Belle Starr have also drawn praise.
“We are pleased to be able to bring Ms. Willis to the participants in the workshop,” said Sandy McCabe of The Playmakers in a news release. “She will work with students once they have developed a folktale for the stage, prior to the performances. She will present a story for them, also, and as a special component, teach them the skills involved in ventriloquism.
Storytelling is an art form that has a basic kinship with theatre and the stage actor. The skills prevalent in both disciplines will give students a foundation in building a character, interpreting that character vocally, and improving breath control as well as in types of story-telling and their influence in other cultures. The students will learn to adapt a folktale for the stage and these creative theatre pieces will be presented for parents and friends on the last day of the workshop.
Sandy McCabe and Suzanne Boles will lead the workshop on other days. The fee for the 5-days is only $80/ student. Some scholarships will be available. For more information, call (918) 786-8950 on specific times and curriculum content. Students in the workshop will be grouped by age where necessary.
This workshop will be the first of more workshops to be part of the 2010-2011 after-school program.
