HOUSTON, May 16, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Ensemble Theatre kicks off its Young Performers Program with sessions held during the June – August 2013 summer break.
The Young Performers Program (YPP) is for young people ages (6–17) who desire to explore their creative and artistic talents. Dates for the four sessions are:
| Session I |
| June 10, 2013 - July 6, 2013 |
| Monday - Friday 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM |
| Tuition Cost including registration fee: $600 |
| Extended Day: $100 |
| Session II |
| July 8, 2013 - August 3, 2013 |
| Monday - Friday 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM |
| Tuition Cost including registration fee: $600 |
| Extended Day: $100 |
The sessions are Monday thru Friday, 8:00a.m. - 4:00p.m. with extended day options. Parents may register their children for any of the sessions now.
Applications are available at The Ensemble Theatre, 3535 Main St. Houston, TX, 77002 or they can be downloaded from The Ensemble Theatre website: http://www.ensemblehouston.org/programs/programs.html. Call Teresa White, Artistic Associate at 713-870-4309, twhite@EnsembleHouston.com for additional information.
Since 1983, more than 5,000 Houston area youth, including some who are now professionals on Broadway, film and television, have participated in this exciting program, which combines the study of theatre, dance, music, arts education, technical, creative dramatics and performance.
The program offers an introductory overview of the arts through theatre, dance and music motivating youth to use theatre as a means to explore and inspire. The curriculum includes: theatre performance - exposure to acting styles and techniques, as well as, behind-the-scenes technical specialties; theatre theory – an exploration of theatre as a communication too and the use of theatre to interpret stories for audiences; dance/ movement, - the use of dance and/ or body language in characterization; and music – develops an understanding of the different ways instrument and song are used in theatre.
Artistic Director Eileen J. Morris, along with Audrey Lawson, President Emeritus, initiated the Young Performers' program — an educational training program for youth ages 6 to 17 that address the collaboration of art and life skills. This program has reached over 5,000 youth who as adults now have careers on Broadway, and in other areas such as law, medicine, education, community and politics, allowing them to use their early learned theatre techniques in their chosen fields.
The Ensemble Theatre was founded in 1976 by the late George Hawkins to preserve African American artistic expression and to enlighten, entertain, and enrich a diverse community. The theatre is known as the only professional theatre in its region dedicated to the production of works portraying the African American experience. In addition to being the oldest and largest professional African American theatre in the Southwest, it also holds the distinction of being one of the nation's largest African American theatres that owns and operates its facility with an in-house production team. Board President Emeritus, Audrey Lawson led the capital campaign for The Ensemble's $4.5 million building renovations that concluded in 1997.