With arts funding in most school districts continuing to wither, it’s more important than ever for arts organizations to help fill the void. The Arizona Theatre Company provides programs motivated by its vision to inspire creativity. “My belief is that if you can help young people feel included, if you can help them believe they can and do bring a contribution, then it opens a door to boundless possibilities,” says ATC’s Education Director Stephen Wrentmore. “Our programs, many of which we offer around the state, are not about making little actors, but about developing sophisticated, free-thinking individuals with tools to navigate an increasingly complex world.”
ATC, the only major regional theater in the country to operate in two cities, offers a host of programs for young people. Tens of thousands of students have attended student matinees, which always include a post-show discussion as well as study guides that provide lesson plans geared to state educational standards. The Open Door program, originally developed by the late playwright, Wendy Wasserstein, is available to students in the Phoenix area; it introduces students to a wide variety of cultural experiences, followed by discussions with guest artists and staff to enhance critical- thinking skills and inspire confidence. The five-week Summer on Stage program for high school students in the Tucson area includes acting and production techniques and culminates in a fully staged production. Master classes, which involve ATC talent in full-day workshops, and artist-in-residence 2- to 5-day programs, go out to 11 of the 15 Arizona counties, helping to bring theater into rural areas.
In addition to these, one of the programs Stephen is most proud of is the company’s “My Shakespeare” program. It introduces storytelling using Shakespeare as a conduit. The youth are introduced not only to the text, but to the meanings beneath the text, and they go on to use the skills they acquire in other aspects of their education. “Discovering what is going on under the text in Hamlet will help when navigating an exam question, a college paper or a job application,” Stephen says.
Teachers are encouraged to contact ATC’s educational department to learn more about available opportunities: 520-884-8210, ext. 7502, or swrentmore@arizonatheatre.org.
