23800 Summit Road, Los Gatos, CA 95033

408-353-9999 www.theatreinthemountains.org

PRESS RELEASE Contact: Lissa Ferreira-Dunham

May 26, 2005 408-355-4140

All New TIMPAC

Theatre in the Mountains Performing Art Conservatory

offers Play Creation Intensive & Shakespeare Camp for Youth

Theatre in the Mountains, the local Los Gatos community theatre is offering a new program this summer in it’s Performing Arts Conservatory. A Four Week Play Creation Intensive will be offered to ages 8 to 18. This program enables students to collaborate to write their own play, create their own characters and design their own sets. Often student groups don’t feel heard on issues that are important to them and this will give them the opportunity to express themselves in a public setting and take ownership of the production from beginning to end. Based on the work of Daniel Sklar, author of Playmaking, and programs at Berkeley Rep School of Theatre and Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, the benefits are numerous and profound. Attendees will learn~
♦ Critical thinking/problem solving skills: how to take an idea, investigate it from many angles, and turn it into something concrete.
♦ Collaboration skills: learning how to work creatively with others is a skill that is rarely taught in schools anymore and is essential to the development of life skills.
♦ Development of written and oral communication skills: one of the most basic California content standards for grades K-12
♦ Ownership over the product, self-esteem: Participants develop an idea or set of ideas that are important to them into a concrete production that belongs to them. The payback for kids is unmatchable with play creation- it's rare that children truly have the opportunity to share their voices in a public setting.

In addition, classes will be offered in Musical Theatre culminating in a musical review as part of the Play Creation Presentation.

Also, TIMPAC is offering a two-week Shakespeare camp. Two weeks of classes and rehearsals culminating in a performance at the outdoor amphitheatre of The Winter’s Tale (8 to 12 year olds) and Twelfth Night (13 to 18 year olds). All participants will receive speaking parts. These two plays are being produced by Shakespeare Santa Cruz, so we will be attending a performance of each as part of the curriculum.

Play Creation Intensive runs June 20 – July 15 and Shakespeare Camp runs July 18 – July 29. Deadline for Play Creation sign ups is June 6, while Shakespeare Camps sign ups end July 5. Please visit our website for more information: www.theatreinthemountains.org. Or call us at 408-353-9999.