Theatre Horizon Comes to Lower Gwynedd with Summer Program

This summer, Lower Gwynedd Parks and Recreation will host Theatre Horizon, a professional nonprofit theater company, based in Norristown.

The ever-progressing theater company will help youth ages 7—10 to create an original play, "full of one-of-a-kind characters" in the Theatre Horizon summer camp.

The camp will take place at the Penllyn Woods Community Center, located at Township Line Road and Gwynedd Ave. in Lower Gwynedd. in Fort Washington on the following dates:

• July 15-19, ages 7-11

• August 26 - 30, ages 13 - 17
  

Cost of the camp is $165.

According to Leigh Malonee, Theatre Horizon Education director, the summer camp is part of Theatre Horizon's continuing commitment to growing its educational programming.

“We want to expand our educational offerings to make Theatre Horizon a hub of creativity and community engagement,” Malonee said.

The summer camp will fature professional teaching artists trained in collaborative theater to help guide campers through playwriting basics and fun, improvisational games.

As an educator, Malonee said that theater provides numerous developmental benefits for youth, including:

1) Self-Confidence - In addition to building social and communication skills overall, involvement in drama and performance can help youth and teens recognize their potential for success and improve their confidence. Taking risks in class and performing for an audience teaches students to trust their ideas and abilities.

2) Imagination - Making creative choices, thinking of new ideas, and interpreting familiar material (all of which we do in Intro to Acting and Sensational Storytelling!) are a core component of drama classes.

3) Cooperation and how to accept others' ideas - Students learn to work in pairs, groups, and as a whole-class ensemble to present their work or communicate their activity/improv game effectively. Many improvization games follow the rule of "Yes, and!" - accepting an idea that someone else has put forth and adding to it.

4) Communication Skills - Drama enhances verbal and nonverbal expression of ideas. This includes voice projection and articulation, but it's more than that. It helps students who have difficulty expressing themselves or understanding their feelings to convey them in a way that can be understood. Listening and observation skills are also developed by many of our improv games.

5) Problem-solving - Students learn how to communicate the who, what, where, and why to an audience - often as an ensemble. Improvisation encourages quick-thinking and adaptability.

6) Reading comprehension - The performance of a story contributes to a student's understanding of it. In Sensational Storytelling, students use their imaginations to bring some of their favorite stories to life.

7) Art appreciation - Viewing and participating in theatre raises students' appreciation for the art form. Theatre Horizon is dedicated to educating the next generation of theatre goers and theatre makers.

To register for the Theatre Horizon summer camp, contact Sandi Feight, Lower Gwynedd Township Parks and Recreation superintendent, at 215-646-5302 or at sfeight@lowergwynedd.org.

For more information about Theatre Horizon, visit www.theatrehorizon.org.