Theatre Horizon Comes to Upper Dublin with Summer Program

This summer, Upper Dublin 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 Upper Dublin Township Building, located at 801 Loch Alsh Ave. in Fort Washington on the following dates:

• August 12-16

• August 19-23

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 Tammy Echevarria, Upper Dublin Township Parks and Recreation superintendent, at 215-643-1600, ext. 3241 or at techevarria@upperdublin.net.

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