The Appalachian State University Department of Theatre and Dance will hold a day of theatre workshops for high school students on Saturday, Feb. 23 in celebration of Theatre in Our Schools month (TIOS). This national event, observed annually in March, aims to bring awareness to the importance of youth theatre. Appalachian’s day of workshops is open to 9-12th grade students along with private and public school teachers.
Students will participate in a variety of workshops ranging from scenic painting, to movement, to stage combat and more. Workshops are taught by professionals with graduate-level training in theatre and pre-professional theatre education students from the department. Students of all ability levels are welcome to participate. At the end of the day, students and teachers are invited to attend a performance of the department’s first mainstage production of the spring 2019 season, “Eurydice” by Sarah Ruhl.
With a bachelor’s degree in Theatre Education from Appalachian and an M.F.A. in Theatre Education/Theatre for Youth from Arizona State University, professor of theatre Gordon Hensley is coordinating the event. Hensley is overjoyed at how the event has grown within the Boone community.
“I’ve been involved with Theatre in Our Schools for six years here at App,” he said. “Since I’ve been involved, we’ve grown from 20 participants in 2013 to 120 participants in 2019.”
March is recognized as the official month for TIOS, with performances, classroom activities, student playwriting and video contests and regional conferences taking place in communities and schools nationwide. The American Alliance for Theatre & Education (AATE) created the Theatre in Our Schools campaign to increase public awareness of the impact of theatre education and to communicate the need for greater access to theatre programs for all students.
Registration for TIOS Day of Theatre Workshops is $10 and will remain open until one week before the event or until capacity is reached. All students must be accompanied by an adult over the age of 21. For teachers, the workshops may be listed as Professional Development, and CEUs may be available with prior approval from a local education agency. For more information, visit theatreanddance.appstate.edu or contact Gordon Hensley at hensleyg@appstate.edu.
The event will be held in Chapell Wilson hall and the Valborg Theatre on Appalachian State University’s campus. The Valborg Theatre is located in the back of Chapell Wilson hall. The address for Chapell Wilson is 480 Howard Street, Boone NC, 28607 and parking is available on campus, in the library parking deck, or in the Peacock Building parking lot along Rivers St.
By Glenn Ramey
About the Department of Theatre and Dance
The Department of Theatre and Dance is one of seven departments housed in Appalachian’s College of Fine and Applied Arts. Its mission is to facilitate transformative experiences for students and the public, which cultivate compassionate, creative and collaborative communities through theatre and dance. The department also offers coursework for integrated learning through the arts to the general university student population. Its dynamic co-curricular production program provides exemplary theatre and dance experiences to departmental students, the university community and the region.
About Appalachian State University
Appalachian State University, in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The transformational Appalachian experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and embrace diversity and difference. As one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina system, Appalachian enrolls about 19,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.
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Media Contact:
Kevin Warner
828-262-7323
warnerks@appstate.edu
Student workshop in Valborg
Students participate in Theatre in Our Schools day of workshops at Appalachian. Photo submitted