Acting Out!

Event Description

SESSION INFO

The camp is divided into morning and afternoon sessions. Students may sign up for one or the other or both. Those who sign-up for the full day should bring their lunch. Snacks and water will be provided during breaks.

Both sessions will include physical and vocal warm-ups and games, improvisation, and the application of classic acting principles.

IMPORTANT DATES

Camp: Monday through Friday, July 26-30
Showcase: Saturday, July 31

SCHEDULE

Morning Group: explore character development and monologue writing. The campers will perform an original monologue they’ve written for an original character at the Saturday showcase

• 8:30 AM earliest arrival
• 9:00 AM session begins
• 12:00 AM session ends
• 12:15 PM latest pick-up time

Afternoon Group: explore age-appropriate classic and contemporary works. The campers will perform a memorized monologue from one of the works in a simulated audition format

• 12:45 PM earliest arrival
• 1:00 PM session begins
• 4:00 PM session ends
• 4:30 PM latest pick-up time

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR

Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, storyteller Steven Antoine Willis uses his poetic and theatrical background to embark on the daunting task of creatively articulating African American culture. With art heavily influenced by urban life and religion, Steven mixes elements of hip hop, poetics, and theatrical performance with formal teachings of anthropology and political theory to help express his eclectic personal narrative. Willis is a contributing writer to the Breakbeat Poets Anthology, NYU’s National Council for Teacher of English Journal, is a 3-time individual world poetry slam finalist and former Resident Poet of the Nuyorican Poets Cafe. Willis received his MFA in Acting from the University of Iowa in 2021.

COVID PRECAUTIONS

The health and safety of the campers are our number one priority. As Covid-19 continues to be a prevalent hazard to public health and safety, we at the Englert continue to adjust our operations in the interest of enhancing the safety of our staff, artists, renters, and any other person within the walls of our building or under the care of our organization. Our operational protocols are informed by CDC safety guidelines, yet we reserve the right to enact restrictions beyond CDC guidelines as we see fit.

We have the following protocols in place for Acting Out! 2021. If changes are made prior to the week of camp in light of new information, parents will be notified. In the event of camp cancellation or if circumstances lead parents or campers to no longer feel comfortable attending our in-person camp, a full refund will be issued.

• All appropriate internal spaces will be sprayed or wiped with a disinfectant prior to camp each day, for both sessions.
• While in the building, campers and instructors are required to wear masks at all times. Campers will have the choice to be unmasked one at a time during rehearsals and the performance.
• A physical distance of 6’ will be maintained at all times. Class size was determined based on this step of the protocol.
• Parents and campers are asked to practice self-screening activities prior to arrival and continue to self-monitor throughout the day.
• Participants are asked to monitor for signs and symptoms of COVID-19 including fever above 101°F, chills, cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, fatigue, body aches, headache, new loss of taste/smell, sore throat, congestion/runny nose, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
• We will check camper temperatures at the door with a no-touch thermometer.

At drop off, parents must verbally confirm the following:

• My camper is not experiencing symptoms of Covid-19
• No one in my household is experiencing symptoms of Covid-19
• No one in my household has had contact with a person who has tested positive for Covid-19 within the last two weeks