Kids encouraged to act up all summer with School of Rock and Transformer Tales

Dramatic Academy offers seven weeks of full-day programming in Downtown Bangor

Bangor, ME – Registration is now open for Penobscot Theatre Company’s Dramatic Academy Summer 2016. Young performers, technicians and theatre newbies are invited to help bring two sensational productions to life. “We are beyond thrilled to produce the hit musical that is currently rocking Broadway, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s School of Rock, based on the Paramount movie starring Jack Black!” said Director of Education Amy Roeder. “In addition, we have a tremendous new work, Transformer Tales: Stories of the Dawnland which is being devised with members of the Penobscot Nation. This world premiere production will be produced as part of Acadia National Park’s Centennial Celebration and will be performed on Indian Island, in Acadia National Park, and of course on our own historic Opera House stage. What an exceptional summer this is for Dramatic Academy!”

Session 1
School of Rock (musical)
For ages: 4-18
Session dates: June 20 – July 15
Performance dates: July 14, 15, 16 and 17
Synopsis: School of Rock is the story of Dewey Finn, a wannabe rock star. When Dewey poses as a substitute teacher at a prestigious prep school to earn a few bucks, he creates his own curriculum, turning his class into a guitar-shredding, bass-slapping, mind-blowing rock band. With a rockin’ score (including the original songs from the film) and hilarious story, this musical will make your summer EPIC. May the spirit of rock be with you!

Session 2
Transformer Tales: Stories of the Dawnland
For ages: 4-20
Session dates: July 25 – August 12
Synopsis: Wabanaki culture is alive onstage in this original piece conceived and devised by local Wabanaki artists, the People of the Dawnland. Experience a multimedia exploration of what it means to be of and from the Dawnland itself, incorporating cultural tales from the past with the vibrant life of the Wabanaki present and an eye to the future. Celebrate the earth, the skies, the rivers and the people of the Dawnland in these evocative tales told via poems, stories, music and Wabanaki language. Conservation, preservation and passion come together to become Transformer Tales.

Both sessions offer Tech Track, a special course of study for young people aged 13 and up interested in work behind the scenes, including set design and construction, stage management, prop design and construction, costuming, lighting, and sound. Because production and performance go hand-in-hand, Tech Track participants will learn alongside their performing peers. Through Tech Track, students will get valuable hands-on training and play an integral role in producing School of Rock and Transformer Tales.

Faculty for Dramatic Academy Summer 2016 will include teaching artists Ben Layman, Christie Robinson, Phil and Tina Burns, Amy Roeder, and other experts in the craft.

Classes will run Monday through Friday from 9:00 am-12:00 pm (lunch noon-1:00 pm optional) for students aged 4-6; and 9:00 am-5:00 pm for students aged 7 and up. Tech Track will run daily Monday through Friday from 9:00 am-5:00 pm. Students may be dropped off as early as 8:30am. A limited number of scholarships are available for each session. Information about scholarship application will be available on the Penobscot Theatre Company website soon.

For more information and to register, visit www.penobscottheatre.org and click on the Education tab.

Amy Roeder

About Amy Roeder

Director of Education – Amy Roeder is pleased to be joining the staff at PTC. Amy received her BFA in theatre from the University of Evansville and her Master of Fine Arts in acting from The University of Georgia. She recently relocated to Bangor from Chicago where she taught and performed with famed comedy institution The Second City. Local audiences may have seen her onstage with Improv Acadia in Bar Harbor where she has been a company member since 2005. Amy has performed all over the country including at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Cincinnati’s Playhouse in the Park and with the Improv Asylum in Boston. In addition to teaching acting and improvisation classes all over the world, Amy is also designs and facilitates workshops in improvisational techniques for businesses. Amy hates writing in the third person.