What do 36 drama students plus a five-week drama camp equal? Four exciting days of free plays and musicals.
Summer on Stage 2007 is an intensive program put on by Arizona Theatre Company for drama students, mostly local, looking to hone their acting skills.
The program is entering its 11th year and is open to high school students, said program director Alison Terry.
“”We have students who are just going into their freshman year, and we have students who have just graduated from high school,”” she said. “”It’s a lot of fun – many of our students return to do it again.””
While most workshop participants are Tucson residents, a few have traveled a long way to be here.
“”We have two students who came from France and are staying with their
grandparents,”” Terry said. “”We also have another student whose family lives in Korea.””
There are also two students from Mexico.
The camp, held at the UA School of Theater Arts, began with a one-week session teaching students how to audition, Terry said. They were trained in singing and dancing to help prepare for their roles in the musical.
From there, students took classes in the mornings and rehearsed for their shows in the afternoon. Faculty for the camp includes professional actors, former interns of Arizona Theatre and UA students.
The hard work will culminate as the students present a full-length play, “”Snow Angel,”” and a full-length musical, “”Lucky Stiff.””
“”Snow Angel,”” written by Pulitzer Prize-winning author David Lindsay-Abaire, follows 15 confused teenagers as they attempt to help a girl named Eva in Deerpoint, Vt., during a blizzard. This play is told through journal entries and takes place over a single day. It is directed by Lisa Rothschiller.
The musical, “”Lucky Stiff,”” is a comedy about “”a man who has to take his dead uncle to Monte Carlo in order to inherit his money,”” Terry said. “”It’s a farce.””
Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty adapted the musical from Michael Butterworth’s novel, “”The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo.””
“”(We have) a great group of very dedicated and talented actors,”” Terry said. “”Despite the fact that we are all exhausted, they have really put out a lot of effort, and it is going to be great.””
Shows run from Aug. 1-4 at the Temple of Music and Art, 330 S. Scott Ave. Presentations of “”Snow Angel”” will be shown Aug. 1 and 3, and “”Lucky Stiff”” will run Aug. 2 and 4. Admission is free. For more information, visit www.arizonatheatre.org or call 884-8210.
