Grant Helps ISD728 Summer Theatre Program Expand Opportunities for Students

Grant helps ISD 728 summer theater program expand opportunities for students

For more than two decades, ISD 728 Community Education’s summer theater program has given young performers a chance to take the stage.

Today, the program has grown far beyond acting.

Thanks in part to a $9,000 grant from the Central Minnesota Arts Board, this summer’s production of The Addams Family Young@Part® is providing expanded opportunities for students interested in acting, technical theater, stage management and production while helping make participation more affordable for families.

For more than two decades, ISD 728 Community Education’s summer theater program has given young performers a chance to take the stage.

Today, the program has grown far beyond acting.

Thanks in part to a $9,000 grant from the Central Minnesota Arts Board, this summer’s production of The Addams Family Young@Part® is providing expanded opportunities for students interested in acting, technical theater, stage management and production while helping make participation more affordable for families.
 

Students now work with upgraded theater technology, including LED stage lighting, moving lights and a new sound system, while learning skills ranging from scenic construction and painting to lighting and sound design.

“If you look at where we started 10 years ago, the growth is just staggering,” Hess said. “Back then, our set was literally three rolling walls and some stapled posterboard that the actors colored in with markers.”

Today, students operate fly systems, learn rigging safety, program lighting on an ETC Ion console and use theatrical painting techniques to transform the stage into the Addams family’s mansion.

“They aren’t just following instructions — they are making active design decisions based on the context of the story,” Hess said. “They are becoming true artists.”

She said many former participants have gone on to leadership roles in their high school theater departments and even collegiate theater programs.

Before rehearsals began, Community Education also offered an optional three-hour audition workshop led by Artistic Director Jaime Harms and assistant directors Jed Stahlback and Olivia Emmerich. The workshop introduced students to audition etiquette, vocal preparation and performance techniques to help them enter auditions with greater confidence. Jordon Rinta serves as the production’s vocal director.

The production also expands opportunities beyond school-age participants.

Through the HOPE Community Props Practicum, adults with disabilities created featured props used in the production. Participants are recognized as members of the technical crew, enjoy a community meal and backstage tour, and see their work incorporated into the performances.

“There is a massive difference between being a spectator and being a creator,” Hess said. “We didn’t just want to hand them a ticket; we wanted to give them a real sense of ownership.”

While the elementary and secondary casts perform on separate weekends, they share the same technical crew, scenery and many production elements, creating a collaborative experience across age groups and abilities.

Hess hopes audiences leave with more than an appreciation for the music and humor of The Addams Family.

“I want them to look at that set, watch these performances, and realize that these kids have built something truly wonderful — both on the stage and off it,” she said. “The community they’ve built here is so much bigger than just a two-hour show.”

Performances of The Addams Family Young@Part® begin July 31 at the Zabee Theatre at Elk River High School. General admission tickets are $7, and seniors age 65 and older are admitted free with a reserved ticket and valid identification.

This activity is made possible in part by a grant from the Central MN Arts Board with funds appropriated by the Minnesota State Legislature from its general fund.