“My dad has a barn,” chirped a wide-eyed, hyperactive Mickey Rooney. “And my mom can sew the costumes,” the pigtailed, pinafore-bedecked Judy Garland replied. And off they went, hand in hand, singing and dancing their way across the barnyard.
Well, it was something like that and they didn’t even live on the Vineyard where the performing arts culture has grown and grown. No more drafty barns here and mom can now sit in the audience and not have to sew costumes.
Kids’ Creative Theater classes at The Yard in Chilmark, featuring fun and skills with veteran teaching artists as well as the opportunity to participate alongside professional actors, dancers and singers in The Yard’s Saturday family matinee, begin July 5.
There are six different week-long sessions for children entering first through eighth grades, and a trainee program for high schoolers. Sessions meet 9 a.m. to noon, Monday to Friday and 3 to 5 p.m. on Saturdays for the matinee. There is an open class for family and friends on Friday mornings.
Story will be fending for itself this summer on the stages of Martha’s Vineyard. Stripped like the economy (and because of it), this season promises something much more seductive than blockbuster pretense, jaw-dropping set design, or celebrity leads: a glimpse at the so-called creative process.
Built on Stilts
The Built on Stilts dance and performance festival is now accepting registrations for 2010. Application deadline is July 1. Festival dates are Thursday, August 12 through Sunday, August 15 and Saturday, August 21 through Monday, August 23. Please see builtonstilts.org for guidelines and registration forms.
The Summoning of Everyman, sometimes known simply as Everyman, is a play focused on morality and mortality within a Christian context that dates back to 15th century England, where it was penned by author/s unknown.
Open Auditions
Auditions for A Midsummer Night’s Dream are on Saturdays, May 15 and 22, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. both days, at the Vineyard Playhouse. Director M.J. Bruder Munafo is seeking young, nonequity actors of all ethnic backgrounds, with access to housing on Martha’s Vineyard.
Arrive at the audition and sign up for an appointment that day. Everyone who comes to the audition will be seen. Actors should come prepared to perform a short (under two minutes) Shakespearean monologue from any play.