September 27, 2007

Philadelphia, PA - Arden Theatre Company announced its 2007/08 theatre classes for kids – called Kids' Crew – as well as spring break and summer theatre day camp. A brand new party on New Years Eve called Countdown to Noon has been added to our family programs, offering a safe, kid-friendly celebration on New Years Eve DAY!

Countdown to Noon - NEW!
Monday, Dec 31, 2007
Arden Theatre Company
11:30am - 2:00pm

Your whole family is invited to a New Years Eve party on Monday, December 31! This is a kid-friendly New Years bash with all the trimmings – tons of yummy food, a rocking concert, a dance party, noisemakers, even a balloon drop. The Arden difference? It's for families with young children – the festivities start at 11:30am and we count down to noon. Then party till the wee hours of the afternoon with actors from your favorite Arden Children's Theatre productions. Your kids will ring in the New Year with singing, dancing and plenty of activities, all in a family-friendly environment just their speed.

Tickets are $35 per person. Everyone who has celebrated their second birthday and older must have a ticket. Kids under two without a ticket will be expected to sit on their guardian's lap during the concert.

Join Arden Kids' Crew!
Arden Kids' Crew provides fun, high-quality interactive theatre classes that enliven imaginations, get kids working together and instill a lifelong love of theatre. All classes are taught by professional theatre artists with a penchant (and talent!) for teaching kids. Kids' Crew classes develop speaking, problem-solving and listening skills while increasing confidence and self-esteem.

Eight-week theatre classes
Every Saturday morning for eight weeks
$160 per session

Session One: January 12 - March 1
Session Two: March 29 - April 24

• Treasure Trunk
  Kindergarten 10am-11am
  Kindergartners discover the power of creation by inventing their own stories. Boxes full of hats, baskets full of costumes, and trunks full of props inspire kids to new height of creativity.
• Storycrafters
  Grades 1 and 2 - 10am-11:30am
  Star in your favorite book! Kids learn acting and storytelling by reading their favorite books and working together to act them out dramatically. Learn how to create a character and be a great storyteller! Every session - in fact, every class -is unique! Take it once or six times; it's always a new journey.
• Acting
  Grades 3 and 4 - 10am-12noon
  Kids begin to learn the techniques that actors use on stage! They will use their bodies, voices and minds to create characters, play intentions, and work together to create new pieces of theatre. Kids will work with scripts they create as well as scenes from plays. Session one focuses on drama, session two focuses on comedy.
• Acting
  Grades 5 and 6 - 10am-12noon
  Kids begin to learn the techniques that actors use of stage! They will use their bodies, voices and minds to create characters, play intentions, and work together to create new pieces of theatre. Kids will work with scripts they create as well as scenes from plays. Session one focuses on drama, session two focuses on comedy.
• Treasure Trunk
  Kindergarten - 10am-11am
  Kindergartners discover the power of creation by inventing their own stories. Boxes full of hats, baskets full of costumes, and trunks full of props inspire kids to new height of creativity.
• Storycrafters
  Grades 1 and 2 - 10am-11:30am
  Star in your favorite book! Kids learn acting and storytelling by reading their favorite books and working together to act them out dramatically. Learn how to create a character and be a great storyteller! Every session - in fact, every class -is unique! Take it once or six times; it's always a new journey.
• Acting
  Grades 3 and 4 - 10am-12noon
  Kids begin to learn the techniques that actors use on stage! They will use their bodies, voices and minds to create characters, play intentions, and work together to create new pieces of theatre. Kids will work with scripts they create as well as scenes from plays. Session one focuses on drama, session two focuses on comedy.
• Acting
  Grades 5 and 6 - 10am-12noon
  Kids begin to learn the techniques that actors use of stage! They will use their bodies, voices and minds to create characters, play intentions, and work together to create new pieces of theatre. Kids will work with scripts they create as well as scenes from plays. Session one focuses on drama, session two focuses on comedy.

Play in a Day
10am - 3pm
Grades 1 - 5
$50 per class

Kids work together to conceive, write and perform a play of their own creation! Parents and other guests can enjoy the fruits of their kids' labor at the end of the day. Each Play in a Day is as unique as each group of children. Take it once or take it ten times, the story and characters are always new.

• Saturday, November 3
• Saturday, December 15 (Go holiday shopping then catch a show - starring your kid!)
• Saturday, January 5
• Monday, January 21 (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day)
• Saturday, February 23
• Saturday, March 15
• Saturday, April 12
• Saturday, May 10

Saturday Workshops
1pm - 4pm
Grades 1 - 5
$30 per class

• November 24 Improv
  You'll use your imagination and teamwork to create characters, skits and stories. Hilarious and active.
• December 1 Puppet Making
  Learn how to make excellent puppets and take one home with you that day.
• January 12 Scenic Painting
  For every visual artists who loves theatre.
• January 26 Musical Theatre
  Learn a song and dance to a Broadway musical!
• February 2 Acting
  Rehearse a scene from start to finish to get a taste of acting.
• February 16 Costume Design
  Design a costume for a favorite character.
• March 8 Shakespeare
  Learn about the Bard and work on scenes from A Midsummer Night's Dream and As You Like It.
• April 5 Improv
  You'll use your imagination and teamwork to create characters, skits and stories. Hilarious and active.
• May 3 Puppet Making
  Learn how to make excellent puppets and take one home with you that day.
• May 17 Clowning
  You can guess this one! It will bring out the comedian in everybody.

Spring Break Theatre Camp - NEW!
An action-packed theatre day camp taught by working theatre professionals with all the care we give to our full-scale productions. Kids will spend the week taking acting and design classes, all while creating a theatre piece of their very own. Each group of campers, guided by their teachers, will create a world-premiere production that they present on Friday afternoon!

Monday - Friday
9am - 3pm
Grades 1 - 5
$300 per session
Session One: March 17 - 21
Session Two: March 24 - 28

Summer Theatre Camp - FOUR SESSIONS THIS SUMMER!
An action-packed theatre day camp led by Arden's Associate Artistic Director Amy Dugas Brown and taught by working theatre professionals, Arden Theatre Company is filled with all the care, focus and enthusiasm we give to our full-scale productions. Kids take two acting classes a day (one basic class and one specialized class like Improv, storytelling or Shakespeare) and at least one design class a day. Each afternoon the kids rehearse for the Camp Show that is presented to parents and families on Saturday! At lunchtime, kids are treated to a special presentation from guest artists who perform for – and sometimes with – them!

Monday - Saturday
10am - 4pm
For kids entering grades 1 - 6
$360 per session

Session One: June 23 - 28
Session Two: July 14 - 19
Session Three: July 21 - 26
Session Four: August 11- 16

To purchase tickets or for more information, call the Arden Box Office at 215.922.1122, visit us online at www.ardentheatre.org, or stop by the box office. Arden Theatre Company is located at 40 N. 2nd Street in the heart of the historic neighborhood of Old City Philadelphia.