Are you a young adult who has outgrown youth theater?
Are you searching for auditions with roles that are right for you?
Are you interested in directing or designing a show?
Actors PLAYground Theater Company’s 20-Something Series offers opportunities specifically for young adults and mature teens.
This program provides opportunities to:
- Experience personal growth
- Collaborate with their peers
- Be challenged to create new and exciting projects of their choice
- Learn advanced acting techniques from classic and contemporary coaches
- Immediately apply what they learn through the rehearsal of a scripted play
- Be a part of a challenging theatrical production
This year-long project comprises three 10-week modules. Each module starts after the open call. Actors accepted into the program will receive a copy of the script and their role assignment before the first week and are expected to begin learning their lines outside of class/rehearsals.
Program objectives
The program’s three key objectives are:
- Participating actors will learn and apply advanced techniques to: character development, emotional believability, and physical control. These techniques will strengthen the connection between the body, the voice, and the imagination in relation to the text—allowing them to create well-rounded, multidimensional characters. (Assessed via performance review and acting journal)
- Participating actors will execute a detailed analysis of a play that includes unearthing the given circumstances, understanding their impact on the creation of the dramatic action, and emotional points of view. (Assessed via self-evaluation and instructor feedback)
- Participating actors will develop interpersonal skills and problem-solving capabilities. These skills will strengthen their ability to work with others via a disciplined, collaborative, professional, respectful, and productive approach throughout the rehearsal and performance processes. (Assessed via performance, acting journal, and peer evaluations)
Schedule overview
- Weeks 1-2: Script analysis emphasizing discovering the given circumstances and exploring the power of why.
- Weeks 2-3: Character development, including building relationships with self and other characters.
- Weeks 4-5: Developing the physical embodiment of the character. Participants will become in tune with their own physicalities, identifying how they differ from their characters’, and how to use this information to create strong, dynamic characters. With the creative work done and the script memorized, the play’s staging becomes much easier.
- Weeks 5-8: Put it all together in rehearsals!
- Week 9: Meet daily for tech rehearsals and conclude with two to four performances.
- Week 10: Post-production reflection and feedback.
Application and audition
Before each module begins, we will host an open call for applicants who will audition and interview with the leadership team.
We are looking for young people who demonstrate a:
- Strong desire to learn
- Commitment to growth
- Willingness to accept constructive feedback
Fees
The fee for each module in the program is $200. To ensure the program is accessible to everyone, the tuition requirement can be met in one of three ways:
- Monetary payment
- Completing volunteer hours with Actors PLAYground Theater Company
- Securing one program sponsor
The annual fee covers three modules. Each module will work with a different script, allowing participants to continue building and applying learned techniques to different source material. New participants can apply during the open call for each module.
The role of feedback
This program has been developed based on the input of young actors we’ve worked with in the past. Our goal is to create a program “for youth by youth.” As such, we have assembled a Youth Theater Advisory (YTA)—a group of teens and young adults who have helped mold the program. They participate in regular play readings and committee meetings and provide input on the content and type of shows we select.
Participating actors will also provide feedback and program assessment following each module.
Meet the project team
Our master instructors and directors Amber Ryan and Rachel Cummings facilitate and instruct the Actors PLAYground 20-Something Series, while guest instructors may provide specialized and diverse training, as needed.
Amber Ryan has over 15 years of experience in youth theater. She has directed more than 40 productions and has launched multiple youth theater programs throughout the Valley, each achieving high levels of success.
Amber’s work has received the ariZoni Theater Awards of Excellence for Overall Production for a youth play and Director of a youth play. Several youth actors have also received ariZoni Theater Awards for performances under Amber’s direction.
Amber’s ability to connect with young people stems from her passion to make everyone feel seen and valued. She finds inspiration in the words of Oscar Wilde: “I regard theater as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being.”
Rachel Cummings earned her Bachelor of Arts in theater from Grand Canyon University and her Master of Arts in strategic communication from Liberty University. A professional actor who has appeared in numerous theatrical, commercial, and film projects, Rachel’s true passion is directing and teaching youth theater. Her work has earned her two ariZoni Theater Awards of Excellence nominations for Director of a Youth Play.
Her passion for the performing arts can be summarized by the words of Albert Einstein: “Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.”
For more information or to schedule an interview and audition Contact Us
