Pirates, policemen, and maidens, oh my. New programs for youth in the area feature opportunities in opera, singing, acting, and fight choreography at West Windsor-Plainsboro Community Education and at the Waldorf School in Princeton.
Children in grades three to five are invited to join an after-school enrichment program to work on and off stage with professional singers in a production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic opera, “The Pirates of Penzance.” The unique artistic opportunity is a partnership of Opera New Jersey, based in West Windsor, with West Windsor-Plainsboro schools. Classes begin the week of October 6. The cost is $225.##M:[more]##
Classes will be held at Town Center, Dutch Neck, Wicoff, and Maurice Hawk schools one day per week. The students in the program may audition for one of the speaking roles, or learn singing, acting, blocking, and staging from professional actors.
“Working with children in our school district is a natural symbiotic relationship,” says Scott Altman, Opera New Jersey’s artistic director and a West Windsor resident. “It’s in our own backyard.”
Altman, a lyric baritone, and his wife, Lisa, a soprano and former administrator with the now defunct New Jersey Opera Festival, formed New Jersey Opera Theater several years ago. They recently changed the name to Opera New Jersey. Working with both young rising artists and professionals, they have become known for the presentation of more than three seasons of fully-staged productions in Princeton’s McCarter Theater. “The Magic Flute” and “The Pirates of Penzance” education programs have also been successful throughout the State.
The Altman’s older son, Zachary, is a rising first grade student at Hawk School and an active participant in the after school enrichment program. “Scott and I talked about working together at one of the EDP (extended day program) events,” says Marci Rubin, director of WW-P Community Education. “This is new and exciting and a wonderful opportunity.”
The program will be run by Peter Hoyle, pictured at right, Opera New Jersey’s director of education. A Hamilton resident, he formerly presented similar programs with the Metropolitan Opera Guild. “This is an exciting challenge,” he says. Hoyle has already presented the program in Trenton to six elementary schools.
The program features lessons in vocal, acting, and instrumental.
“We’ve always welcomed music programs,” says Rubin. “We hope to get the PTAs, as well as the entire district, involved.”
The interactive program exposes students to music, sets, costumes, and professional opera singers. They will audition for roles and work side-by-side with the singers. “We plan to get the whole district involved in the arts,” says Scott Altman. “Volunteers from the high schools are invited to work with the singers.”
Waldorf School of Princeton has expanded its after school program to children in the community. Acting workshops will be offered for students in grades five through eight at the school’s campus at 1062 Cherry Hill Road in Montgomery Township from September 9 to November 25. Grades five and six meet on Tuesdays, 3:30 to 5 p.m.; grades seven and eight meet on Wednesdays, 2:45 to 4:15 p.m. The cost is $220.
The acting workshops will be taught by West Windsor native, Carol Kehoe. A professional actor, Kehoe is a Hopewell resident and a parent at the Waldorf School. Class participants will explore improvisation, scene work, and stage fight choreography. The program will culminate in a presentation for parents.
“We have had great feedback from the wider community about our summer acting camp, and we are pleased to be able to offer a program during the school year,” said Mollie Rose, the director of the enrichment program. “Program participants will be able to experience the Waldorf approach to education firsthand — an approach that engages their senses, nurtures their imaginations and hopefully brings them a lot of joy as they learn.” — Lynn Miller
West Windsor-Plainsboro Community Education Extended Day Program, 609-716-5000, ext. 5024. www.ww-p.org.
Waldorf School, 609-466-1970, ext. 10. www.princetonwaldorf.org.
