High School Theatre DayFriday, February 16, 2024 | 2-6 p.m.
Schaefer Fine Arts Center | Free Admission
The Department of Theatre & Dance at Gustavus Adolphus College is offering a FREE theatre day for high school students (grades 9-12) the afternoon of Friday, February 16. Students may choose from a variety of workshops taught by theatre faculty, including performance, scenic design, costumes, and special effects. Students will receive free dinner on campus and a free ticket to that evening’s performance of Cymbeline by William Shakespeare.
Schedule - Friday, February 16
2:00 p.m. - 2:20 p.m.
- Check-In and Admission Presentation
2:20 - 2:35 p.m.
- Welcome
2:40-3:30 p.m.
- Workshops (see below)
3:35-4:25 p.m.
- Workshops (see below)
4:30-5:00 p.m.
- Q&A with the director and cast of Cymbeline
5:00-5:45 p.m.
- Tour of Theatre & Dance Spaces
6:00 p.m.
- Dinner at the Jackson Campus Center Marketplace dining hall. The Marketplace has excellent food and a variety of options, including choices for those with food allergies.
Link to menu for the day.
8:00 p.m.
- Performance of Cymbeline by William Shakespeare in Anderson Theatre
Cymbeline is a wild Shakespearean ride packed with royal madness, mistaken identities, romance, tragedy, comedy, and fantasy. Amidst the chaos, this beautiful play explores the power of redemption and forgiveness, leaving a profound emotional resonance in its wake.
Workshops
Performance Workshop with Professor Henry MacCarthy
In this introductory session we will explore the role of tempo performance, engaging physically and vocally with time and space. The workshop emphasizes collaboration and creativity in a non-competitive environment.
Color Theory: Hands-On Fun with Professor Terena Wilkens
Color Theory is one of the most important aspects of scenic, costume, video, and lighting design in theatre, dance, and beyond. Being able to communicate about color as well as collaborate with other designers is very important. This session will provide interactive samples of paint, fabrics, and other items for you to work with hands-on! Try it yourself to make patterns disappear or make colors POP!
The Scenic Design Model: Translating a 2D idea into a 3D World with Professor Lindsay Webster
Scenic designers often turn their designs into smaller, scaled down 3-dimensional "models" before building it in full size. In this workshop, you'll make your own model! You'll be given a story and begin to visualize scenery for a live creation of it. We'll test out your idea in 3D by turning it into a pop-up scale model to take home!
Character Re-Creation: Creating a Modern Look for a “Period Set” Cartoon Character with Professor Larissa McConnell
We will be looking at a “period set” cartoon character and making them live in a more “modern” world. You will get a figure to sketch on and bins to grab fabric samples from. When you are done you will have a formal costume re-design to take with you!
Fire & Water: Safe Special Effects with Professor Matt Rightmire
Excitement, fear, and surprise can get turned up to 11 with special effects, but how do we do it repeatedly AND safely? We'll look at what we are still legally allowed to set on fire or fill with water in the theatre and what that means for performers, crew, and creative storytelling.
Unlocking Shakespeare: Dive into Cymbeline with Professor Matt Trucano
Join us for a crash course into the world of Cymbeline. You’ll get a sneak peak at Gustavus’s production and learn some of the plays' secrets and hidden depths. Plus, you’ll have a chance to step into the actors’ shoes and rehearse a scene from the play.
MEISA: Movement - Exploration - Imagination - Sensation - Awareness with Professor Melissa Rolnick
This workshop will introduce the student to the MEISA form. Directed, sustained movement practice will encourage mobility, physical expression, creativity and a deepening of embodied knowing. MEISA provides an excellent opportunity for anyone interested in moving with less tension, increased range, and enhanced physical expression.
Arrival and Parking
Please arrive between 1:30 and 1:45 so we can get you checked in before the event starts at 2:00.
- Gustavus Adolphus College is located at 800 West College Avenue in St. Peter, Minnesota. Here is a link to the location on Google Maps. You can also find a campus map here, and the building is located at the intersection of E-4, where it says Theatre and Dance Wing.
- There is free visitor parking in the Arboretum parking lots (lots M or N). If that is full, you can park in the Norelius Hall visitor parking lot near the Jackson Campus Center, but you will have a five minute walk to the Fine Arts building.
- After parking in the Arboretum lot, there will be signs and people to bring you to the registration area in the Schaefer Fine Arts Center, near Anderson Theatre.
- If you will be bringing a school bus, drivers can drop students off near the Arboretum parking lots and students will enter the Schaefer Fine Arts Center. There will be signs and people to bring your group to the registration area. Following drop-off, bus drivers can park along the road near the baseball fields (map link). If the drivers don't intend to stay with the buses, our Campus Safety officers can offer them a ride back to the Fine Arts Building (or other area) after drop off.
Parents
Parents are welcome to explore the campus during the workshops, have dinner with their student, and attend the performance in the evening. Downtown St. Peter has various shops, an arts center, and coffee shops/restaurants to visit.
Waiver
Attendees will be required to sign a waiver of liability form before attending. If students are under age 18, parents will need to sign, as well. You can find the waiver at this link, print, sign, and bring it with you.
Contact
If you have any questions or need more information about the workshop, contact Kristi Borowy at kborowy@gustavus.edu or Miguel Sousa at msousa@gustavus.edu.