Go on a swashbuckling adventure at Virginia Rep this weekend!

Win a 4 pack of tickets to see Treasure Island at the Children’s Theatre at Willow Lawn.
Winner will be contacted via email and can redeem their tickets for any one of the following nights:
Fri 3/13/15 7:00PM
Sat 3/14/15 10:30AM
Sat 3/14/15 2:00PM
Sun 3/15/15 2:00PM

The show is about 1 hour long and suitable for children ages 6 and up.

Learn more about the show here

Enter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway
  Treasure Island opens Friday, March 13 at the Children’s Theatre at Willow Lawn, 1601 Willow Lawn Drive, Richmond, Va. The show runs March 13 –  April 19 2015. Learn more here.    

Virginia Rep is a sponsor of Richmondmom

Keep the creativity flowing this summer with camps for budding visual artists, performers and musicians.

Visual Arts

All Fired Up
Registration is OPEN. Get All Fired Up about Art this summer!  All Fired Up is offering camp sessions  for ages 6-14 in Midlothian and Short Pump.  Each week has a unique theme where campers explore a variety of media including clay, ceramics, glass fusing, drawing, wheel-throwing, tie-dye, painting, and more!   Register in store or online at  All Fired Up.  Go to the website to check out  selection of upcoming art camps and register online or in the store!

Art Factory and Party Place
Art Camp twice a month June-August. Ages 6-14. Explore various mediums & techniques, as well as themes including Art & Motion, Abstract & Realism and Wearable Art! Full or Half Day options. Dates & Details listed on our website

Art Works Summer Camps
2015 Summer Art Camp – July 13-17th Ceramics and painting lessons! Limited spaces available!

Creative Arts Day Camp at VCU
For children rising into grades K- 9. Classes are divided by age, and three to four classes are offered each session. Students will explore the fascinating world of contemporary art, learning about the artistic concepts, processes, and media of today. Join our teachers in a summer of brand new lessons and innovative art-making! Each week will be different, so participants may sign up for more than one session!

Modern Artifacts
July Art Camps, featuring Julie Crowder.

Spirited Art
Registration is OPEN. Sessions available in June, July and August. Spirited Art Registration is OPEN.

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts 
VMFA has fun summer camps this summer, with over a hundred week-long studio art camps and classes! Children’s annual Summer Art Adventures & teens’ Summer in the Studio programs run for eight weeks. These exciting programs encourage children and teens to create, learn, grow, and have fun! Each camp is tailored to a specific age group and provides access to professional materials, expert instruction, and a world-renowned art collection.

Visual Arts Center of Richmond Summer ArtVenture Camp
Week-long studio art classes in a positive, nurturing learning environment. Each class provides focused attention on a specific media, skill or subject, and each week brings a selection of unique choices. All classes are taught by a professional artist and artists-educators who will help inspire and develop individual expression. Enrollment is limited to 10 students per class to allow for individual instruction and learning. Some classes integrate teamwork or collaborative projects.

Performing Arts

Center for Creative Arts
Choose from Dance Camps, Art Camps, Robotics Camps, Chess Camps, and Musical Theatre Camps. Most camps are half-day.

Charlottesville Ballet Summer Dance Camps is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit dance school that offers Summer Camps for students ages 3-10 years old and Summer Classes for ages 3-Adult. Camp classes are divided by age (4-6 yrs, 5- yrs, & 7-10yrs), which encourages each child to reach his or her highest potential and really enjoy their experience.

CharacterWorks Youth Theater  
Musical theater day camps for ages 6-13. Themes: Disney Aristocats (ages 6-10) or Broadway Beat (ages 10-13). Locations: Midlothian, Glen Allen and Richmond. Register online. Call 804-306-9159 with questions.

ComedySportz® Improv Camp for Kids
Youth Summer Camps program – an intensive version of popular classes. Summer Camps are a great way to learn about improv and the stage in a fun and supportive environment.

Drama Kids International
Exciting program for ages 5-18. Kids who take our classes and camps have tons of fun and develop important confidence-building skills that will help them personally and academically. Activities include: Improvisations, mini-scripts, speaking skills, character analysis, theater games, creative movement and performances. Please visit our website for more information or call 804-955-8062.

HATTheatre
Visit website – information to come.

Heart of Ireland
Our 4-day Irish dance camps will give your dancer a taste of both group and solo Irish dancing. Camps meet Monday to Thursday for 2 hours each day – in one week, your dancer will receive the equivalent of 8 weeks of classes! Beginners will learn the basics of soft shoe dancing and show off their skills at an end-of-week mini Feis on Thursday. Campers in our Advanced Beginner/Intermediate camp will hone soft and hard shoe skills and work on drills and brush-up for the fall semester.

Jessica Morgan School of Dance
Summer Dance Camps, Intensive and More! Camp, Ages 3 – 11:Students enrolled in our 4 day dance camps will explore ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, and musical theater. The final day of each camp week concludes with an in studio performance at 12:00 pm for parents to enjoy. Summer Performance “Elements”, Ages 6 and up.

Latin Ballet of Virginia
A summer filled with rhythms, dancing and fun! Ages 5-16. Camps: Movers & Shakers, Hip Hop, Gymnastics-Capoeira, Spanish Through Dance, Latin Ballet, Latin Jazz, Modern Jazz, Dance Improvisation, Dance History, Arts & Crafts, Drums & Percussion, Dance Theater, Fiesta, Story Telling, Zumba-Yoga and more! Two Locations: Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen and Richmond Center Stage. Visit the site for dates of all summer camps.

Henley Street Theatre and Richmond Shakespeare Summer Camps
BARD BASICS – June 26 – 22.  New this year! Learn the acting and performance techniques that are essential to bringing Shakespeare’s words to life by diving into some of his most beloved characters: VILLAINS!  Open to rising 7-10th graders. June 22-26, 9am-3pm, performance at 4pm on final day of class. No audition required.

BARD BOOT CAMP – July 13 – 24.  Ready to roll up your sleeves and really immerse yourself in Shakespeare’s work? This exciting new two-week intensive will take students through the full process of studying and staging one of Shakespeare’s plays as they mount an abbreviated production of Hamlet on the Summer Festival stage at Agecroft Hall.  Open to rising 9-12 graders. Monday-Friday, 9am-4pm, performance on July 27 at 10am.  No audition required.

SPARC summer camps
The School of Performing Arts in the Richmond community – SPARC – has provided incredible performing arts experience to students in the Richmond area for over 30 years. SPARC has full-day and half-day camps for students ages 4 to 18. Our summer camps are filled with singing, acting, dancing, friends and fun! With camps from June to August, every student can find a camp to make them shine. Cheryl Lage of RichmondMom.com wrote in her article, ‘Fanning the SPARC’: “As a part-time (9-3:30 daily) working-in-an-office mama, the timing seemed ideal . . .confidence levels rose. Comfort acting, singing and dancing translates well to increased ease in presenting oral reports, speaking at assemblies, conveying the morning announcements. Thank you, SPARC. We’ll be back…probably this summer!” Voted Style Weekly’s Family Favorites Winner for 2013!

Swift Creek Academy of the Performing Arts
Want the best music, dance & drama instruction with enthusiastic and fun teachers? You belong here!

Swift Creek Mill Theatre Camp
Exploratory and Performance Camps. Ages 8-15.

Virginia Rep: Stage Explorers Camp
Join us this summer for Stage Explorers Camp at the Children’s Theatre at Willow Lawn. In just two weeks your child will learn everything it takes to put on a show in a professional theatre. From singing, acting and dancing, to lights, sound and sets, and everything in between!  No audition is necessary for this fun-filled camp, full of exploration, investigation and imagination! Stage Explorers Summer Camp is for rising first through sixth graders.

West End Academy of Dance 

Music

Melody Magic Music Studio
Join us this summer for our Summer of Music! Your children will sing, play, and dance their way through our 2 months of classes! It’s so much fun, they will never realize they are learning and growing along the way! Weekly classes for ages 0-7 years.

Music That’s Mine
2015 information to come soon.

Orchestra Project
With the Richmond Symphony.

School of Rock
For more than a decade, School of Rock has been inspiring kids of all ages to rock on stage and in life. Rock and Roll Boot Camp, Rock and Roll Jr Boot Camp, Rookies and Rock 101 Boot Camp. For more info visit: shortpump.schoolofrock.com or midlothian.schoolofrock.com

The Greater Richmond School of Music
Dates vary by program – Camps include ROCK CAMP, Piano Camp, Chamber Music Workshop, and the St. Cecilia Summer Music Festival.

Don’t see your camp? Contact Richmondmom: Brian@Richmondmom.com and send us your website and a short description for your free listing.  Ask about how to get more out of your listing by adding your logo and getting a feature story.

John Hagadorn as Santa. Photo by Jay Paul.

Santa’s Christmas Miracle is a charming, foot-stomping musical comedy perfect for the whole family. When the sheriff has outlawed Christmas, it is up to a mysterious stranger and a bungling bandit named Big Bad Bart to bring the true meaning of the season back into focus. Filled with a live country-western band, this delightful story directed by Ford Flannagan is sure to put you in the holiday spirit.

Traviania Italian Kitchen is sponsoring brunches with Snow Bear and Santa in the lobby following the 10:30 a.m. shows on November 29, December 6, and December 20 and following the 2:00 p.m. show on December 13. Families can enjoy a light brunch as well as singing, dancing, and an opportunity to meet Santa, Snow Bear, and several cast members from Santa’s Christmas Miracle.

Santa’s Christmas Miracle lasts about one hour and is best enjoyed by children ages 4+.
Book, music, and lyrics by Richard Geirsch.

Santa’s Christmas Miracle 

November 28 – December 28, 2014
Click here for Tickets
or call the  Box Office 804-282-2620
Full Price Show Tickets: $20
Snow Bear Brunch Tickets: $16
Discounted Group Rates available.

Get ready for a night out to see the October 3, 2014 performance of Equivocation and the trained professionals at Virginia Rep will entertain the kids with games, activities and a snack while you see the show.

Equivocation

September 26 – October 19, 2014

By Bill Cain

Directed by Jan Powell

It is 1606, and Shakespeare has been commanded to write a propaganda play about the Gunpowder Plot, in service to King James. Will he agree to be a pawn in the cynical gamesmanship of the king’s spymaster, or will he equivocate—lie by telling the truth? The playwright, his acting company, and a variety of historical figures clash in this high-stakes political thriller about the complexities of the truth and the terrible consequences of compromise.

“One of the most bracingly intelligent, sizzlingly theatrical American plays in a decade.” Variety

Suggested for ages 16 and up. Adult language, brief nudity, some violence.

Equivocation is a co-production with Henley Street Theatre and Richmond Shakespeare

Learn more about Virginia Rep’s Friday Kids Club

Enter to win 2 tickets to the October 3 performance and 1 entry into Friday Kids Club below

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Irene Ziegler, Sandi Carroll, Joe Inscoe. Photo by Aaron Sutten.

Brooke Wyeth, daughter of a prominent Republican politician, returns home for Christmas, and brings home with her a manuscript of her second book – a memoir.  When Brooke’s memoir threatens to reveal a deeply hidden family secret, the truth begins to unravel and Brooke learns something about her parents that she had never imagined.

Sprawling across the stage, the Wyeth home feels perfectly designed by Ben Burke.  Lynne M. Hartman’s lighting compliments the set beautifully, with a soft glow of the sun over the mountains and the gentle reflection from the pool in the backyard.

Sandi Carroll’s Brooke is convincing as the tortured writer, recovering from depression, both seeking the approval of her parents and rebelling against them.  Carroll’s Brooke is flawed and self-righteous yet honest and the audience roots for her as she struggles to learn the truth about her family.

Mike Long, Melissa Johnston Price. Photo by Aaron Sutten.

Irene Ziegler plays the cunning Polly, the strong mother that Brooke vilifies. Joe Inscoe is almost too likable as patriarch Lyman Wyeth.

Melissa Johnston Price wonderful as Silda, Polly’s sister, a recovering alcoholic who hates living with her sister but has no where else to turn.  Mike Long is Trip, Brooke’s TV producing, pot smoking younger brother who provides comic relief and suddenly offers some unexpected insight which can only be offered by watchful little siblings.

The show, however, was not without its challenges.  Other Desert Cities is an intimate production which causes the audience to want to lean in closer, more suited perhaps to their former, more intimate space in Willow Lawn.  Despite the floor mics some lines were dropped. 
Along with the challenges of the space, there was a general lack of stillness on stage which often detracted from the tension.  Actors were fidgety or given extraneous blocking which distracted from the intensity of the moment.

All in all, the production is worth a night out to the theatre.  Other Desert Cities delivers a drama with dysfunctional family, drug use, alcohol addiction, mental illness, and politics without the usual “great, now I’m depressed” theatrical hangover.

Other Desert Cities

April 24 – May 18, 2014
Wednesdays – Sundays
At the November Theatre
114 West Broad Street
(804) 282-2620
$23 – $46 (Students $10 on day of show)

The School of Performing Arts in the Richmond community – SPARC – has provided incredible performing arts experience to students in the Richmond area for over 30 years. SPARC has full-day and half-day camps for students ages 4 to 18. Our summer camps are filled with singing, acting, dancing, friends and fun! With camps from June to August, every student can find a camp to make them shine.

Cheryl Lage of RichmondMom.com wrote in her article, ‘Fanning the SPARC’:

“As a part-time (9-3:30 daily) working-in-an-office mama, the timing seemed ideal . . .confidence levels rose. Comfort acting, singing and dancing translates well to increased ease in presenting oral reports, speaking at assemblies, conveying the morning announcements. Thank you, SPARC. We’ll be back…probably this summer!”

Voted Style Weekly’s Family Favorites Winner for 2013 

Camps for Ages 4 to 9

SPARCLERS Jr. (ages 4-5) and SPARCLERS (ages 6-8)

Three 2-week sessions to choose from!

Each session of camp will bring to life a different beloved children’s tale so campers can participate in multiple sessions and get a unique experience each time! Throughout the session, campers will learn the building blocks of performance – singing, acting and dancing – as they work together to create a final show.

SPARCLERS camp runs from 9a to 3pm and the younger camp, SPARCLERS Jr. runs from 9a to 1p. After-care for SPARCLERS Jr. is available from 1:00 to 3:00pm. Students must bring their lunch to camp every day. Come explore a camp filled with imagination, friends and fun!

Session One: June 16 – 27 | Epiphany Lutheran Church
Theme of performance material: The Land of Oz

Session Two: July 7- 18 | Congregation Or Ami
Theme of performance material: Busytown by Richard Scarry

Session Three: July 21 – August 1 | Congregation Or Ami
Theme of performance material: The Adventures of Peter and Wendy

August Adventure Jr.

In partnership, SPARC and Cadence Theatre Company present Disney’s Jungle Book Kids, where the jungle is jumpin’ with jazz! Campers will enjoy rotations of singing, dancing, arts and crafts, and acting as they collaborate to stage this beloved musical!

Students must bring their lunch each day. Students aged 4-7 will attend from 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m., with optional after-care available from 1:00-3:00 p.m. Students aged 7-9 will attend from 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

 August 11 – 22 | Location One: St. Mary’s, Location Two: St. Cat’s

Ages 9 to 14

BRAVO JR.! (Rising 4th-5th Grades, Ages 9-10)

This engaging summer camp offers a daily rotation of creative performing arts training taught by some of Richmond’s leading professional artists!

June 16 – July 11 | 9:00 am – 4:00 pm | Tuckahoe Presbyterian

BRAVO! (Rising 6th-8th Grades, Ages 11-14)

BRAVO! is our most popular summer camp! Each day is filled with engaging performance arts activities such as; acting workshops, musical theatre training, audition skill building, creative movement and artistic collaborations. Students work with professional guest artists to learn about visual arts, stage combat, stage make-up and much more!

June 16 – July 11 | 9:00 am – 4:00 pm | Collegiate School

August Adventure (Ages 10-13)

The smash hit musical comes to life on our stage in Disney’s HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL JR.! SPARC, in partnership with Cadence Theatre Company, will work with campers on all aspects of performance; acting, singing, dancing, props design, set design, costume design and more as they work together to stage the popular show. St.

August 11 – 22 | Location One: St. Mary’s, Location Two: St. Cat’s

SummerStarz Touring Ensemble (By Audition) (Rising 4th-9th Grades, Ages 9-14)

Each summer, SPARC’s SummerStarz performing ensemble brings a free, family-friendly performance to over 1,000 people in the community. In 2014, SummerStarz will perform the American jukebox musical All Shook Up, featuring the music of Elvis Presley. Directed by Joy Garrett and Jason Marks, Summerstarz rehearses for five weeks and then tours the Metro Richmond area for several performances, from July 21-25, 2014.

June 16 – July 25 | 8:30 am – 12:00 pm | SPARC Center + Tour

Ages 13 to 18

ADVANCED BRAVO! (Rising 9th – 12th, Ages 14-18)

Designed for the upper level teen who wants to dive into the world of acting, comedy and script writing. Elements of comedy improv, acting and scene work will be the focus, but students will enjoy additional workshops on music, dance, visual arts, combat, and many other exciting theatrical techniques.

June 16 – July 11 | 9:00 am – 4:00 pm | Collegiate School

SUMMER STUDIO (Rising 8th – 12th, Ages 14-18)

Students will focus on monologue selections, character development and audition management practices (deportment, headshots, resumes, etc.) under the guidance of experienced professionals. At the end of the workshop, on August 22nd, students will receive the rare opportunity to showcase their audition pieces for professional directors and performing artists from the Richmond community.

August 11 – 22 | 9:00 am – 3:00 pm | SPARC Center

SUMMER STOCK (Rising 9th – H.S. Graduates, Ages 14-18)

Each summer, SPARC has produced a main stage musical featuring some of Richmond’s finest teenage talentMacbeth will be directed by Richmond favorite James Ricks, and the performance will be July 17-21 at SPARC’s Sara Belle November Educational Theater. A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum will be directed by Debra Clinton, with musical direction by Blanton Bradley, and the performance will be July 24-August 3, also at SPARC’s Sara Belle November Educational Theater.

June 16 – August 3 | 1:00 – 5:00 pm | SPARC Center

SUMMER STOCK TECHNICAL INTERNSHIPS (Rising 7th – H.S. Graduates, Ages 12-18)

Students will get hands on instruction from theater professionals in all basic areas of technical theater: set design and construction, costumes, lighting, sound, and stage management. Interested students are also offered the opportunity to gain practical experience working tech for some of SPARC’s summer productions after this four-week program ends.

June 16 – July 11 | 12:00 – 4:00 pm | SPARC Center

Please call or www.sparconline.org to register for classes. For enrollment information call (804) 353-3393 ex 221 or email agreen@sparconline.org.

Aly Wepplo (Fiona) center, and Ensemble. Photo by Jay Paul

I told my 7 year old son we were going to go see a musical.
“Ugh. A MUSICAL?””What’s wrong with musicals?”
“They are so… songy.”

By the end of act 1, however it was extremely clear, we may be seeing this show again before the run is over.

Virginia Rep’s Shrek The Musical is absolutely everything you love about the movie and then some.
Perfectly cast, Shrek leaves you with a long list of favorite performances.
Jason Marks is lovable from the start as the big green ogre, and carries the show beautifully. Whether he is in the swamp or a dragon guarded tower, the audience is with him every step of the way.

Ally Wepplo’s Fiona combines princess with tomboy perfectly and creates a delightful, well rounded character. Robert King is hilarious as Lord Farquaad, while the only thing that stops Ronnie Brown (Donkey) from absolutely stealing the show is how the rest of the cast steps up with solid and energetic performances.

Also starring in this productions is Brian C. Barker’s vibrant set and Broadway-worthy costume and makeup design from Elizabeth Weiss Hopper.  While it’s hard to imagine Shrek without his signature green looks,  the detail and precision of each character’s costume elevates the show.
Definitely for ages 6 and up,  Shrek takes classic, can’t-fail kid humor (read: fart jokes) and mixes in adult humor (read: one character comes out as a Scientologist) to have the whole audience rolling with laughter.

The show isn’t all jokes and musical dances; there are lessons to be found between the humor: self acceptance, standing up for what’s right and acceptance of each others differences.

Virginia Rep’s Shrek, not only fills expectations, but bubbles over with laughter and delight.
Highly recommended for mature and immature audiences.

Shrek the Musical
March 14 – April 27, 2014

Wednesdays – Sundays
At Willow Lawn
1601 Willow Lawn Drive
(804) 282-2620
Purchase tickets here.

The School of Performing Arts in the Richmond community – SPARC – has provided incredible performing arts experience to students in the Richmond area for over 30 years. SPARC has full-day and half-day camps for students ages 4 to 18. Our summer camps are filled with singing, acting, dancing, friends and fun! With camps from June to August, every student can find a camp to make them shine.

Cheryl Lage of RichmondMom.com wrote in her article, ‘Fanning the SPARC':

“As a part-time (9-3:30 daily) working-in-an-office mama, the timing seemed ideal . . .confidence levels rose. Comfort acting, singing and dancing translates well to increased ease in presenting oral reports, speaking at assemblies, conveying the morning announcements. Thank you, SPARC. We’ll be back…probably this summer!”

Voted Style Weekly’s Family Favorites Winner for 2013 

Camps for Ages 4 to 9

SPARCLERS Jr. (ages 4-5) and SPARCLERS (ages 6-8)

Three 2-week sessions to choose from!

Each session of camp will bring to life a different beloved children’s tale so campers can participate in multiple sessions and get a unique experience each time! Throughout the session, campers will learn the building blocks of performance – singing, acting and dancing – as they work together to create a final show.

SPARCLERS camp runs from 9a to 3pm and the younger camp, SPARCLERS Jr. runs from 9a to 1p. After-care for SPARCLERS Jr. is available from 1:00 to 3:00pm. Students must bring their lunch to camp every day. Come explore a camp filled with imagination, friends and fun!

Session One: June 16 – 27 | Epiphany Lutheran Church
Theme of performance material: The Land of Oz

Session Two: July 7- 18 | Congregation Or Ami
Theme of performance material: Busytown by Richard Scarry

Session Three: July 21 – August 1 | Congregation Or Ami
Theme of performance material: The Adventures of Peter and Wendy

August Adventure Jr.

In partnership, SPARC and Cadence Theatre Company present Disney’s Jungle Book Kids, where the jungle is jumpin’ with jazz! Campers will enjoy rotations of singing, dancing, arts and crafts, and acting as they collaborate to stage this beloved musical!

Students must bring their lunch each day. Students aged 4-7 will attend from 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m., with optional after-care available from 1:00-3:00 p.m. Students aged 7-9 will attend from 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

 August 11 – 22 | Location One: St. Mary’s, Location Two: St. Cat’s

Ages 9 to 14

BRAVO JR.! (Rising 4th-5th Grades, Ages 9-10)

This engaging summer camp offers a daily rotation of creative performing arts training taught by some of Richmond’s leading professional artists!

June 16 – July 11 | 9:00 am – 4:00 pm | Tuckahoe Presbyterian

BRAVO! (Rising 6th-8th Grades, Ages 11-14)

BRAVO! is our most popular summer camp! Each day is filled with engaging performance arts activities such as; acting workshops, musical theatre training, audition skill building, creative movement and artistic collaborations. Students work with professional guest artists to learn about visual arts, stage combat, stage make-up and much more!

June 16 – July 11 | 9:00 am – 4:00 pm | Collegiate School

August Adventure (Ages 10-13)

The smash hit musical comes to life on our stage in Disney’s HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL JR.! SPARC, in partnership with Cadence Theatre Company, will work with campers on all aspects of performance; acting, singing, dancing, props design, set design, costume design and more as they work together to stage the popular show. St.

August 11 – 22 | Location One: St. Mary’s, Location Two: St. Cat’s

SummerStarz Touring Ensemble (By Audition) (Rising 4th-9th Grades, Ages 9-14)

Each summer, SPARC’s SummerStarz performing ensemble brings a free, family-friendly performance to over 1,000 people in the community. In 2014, SummerStarz will perform the American jukebox musical All Shook Up, featuring the music of Elvis Presley. Directed by Joy Garrett and Jason Marks, Summerstarz rehearses for five weeks and then tours the Metro Richmond area for several performances, from July 21-25, 2014.

June 16 – July 25 | 8:30 am – 12:00 pm | SPARC Center + Tour

Ages 13 to 18

ADVANCED BRAVO! (Rising 9th – 12th, Ages 14-18)

Designed for the upper level teen who wants to dive into the world of acting, comedy and script writing. Elements of comedy improv, acting and scene work will be the focus, but students will enjoy additional workshops on music, dance, visual arts, combat, and many other exciting theatrical techniques.

June 16 – July 11 | 9:00 am – 4:00 pm | Collegiate School

SUMMER STUDIO (Rising 8th – 12th, Ages 14-18)

Students will focus on monologue selections, character development and audition management practices (deportment, headshots, resumes, etc.) under the guidance of experienced professionals. At the end of the workshop, on August 22nd, students will receive the rare opportunity to showcase their audition pieces for professional directors and performing artists from the Richmond community.

August 11 – 22 | 9:00 am – 3:00 pm | SPARC Center

SUMMER STOCK (Rising 9th – H.S. Graduates, Ages 14-18)

Each summer, SPARC has produced a main stage musical featuring some of Richmond’s finest teenage talentMacbeth will be directed by Richmond favorite James Ricks, and the performance will be July 17-21 at SPARC’s Sara Belle November Educational Theater. A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum will be directed by Debra Clinton, with musical direction by Blanton Bradley, and the performance will be July 24-August 3, also at SPARC’s Sara Belle November Educational Theater.

June 16 – August 3 | 1:00 – 5:00 pm | SPARC Center

SUMMER STOCK TECHNICAL INTERNSHIPS (Rising 7th – H.S. Graduates, Ages 12-18)

Students will get hands on instruction from theater professionals in all basic areas of technical theater: set design and construction, costumes, lighting, sound, and stage management. Interested students are also offered the opportunity to gain practical experience working tech for some of SPARC’s summer productions after this four-week program ends.

June 16 – July 11 | 12:00 – 4:00 pm | SPARC Center

SUMMER REGISTRATION: Begins on January 31^st for most camps and February 3^rd for August Adventure

Please call or www.sparconline.org to register for classes. For enrollment information call (804) 353-3393 ex 221 or email agreen@sparconline.org.

This is the 10th annual Acts of Faith Theatre Festival which is the largest faith-based theatre festival in the United States, and 15 area theaters are participating with a total of 18 shows.  The Acts of Faith Theatre Festival is not limited to one interpretation of faith or any one specific theatre-goer.  Professional theaters as well as Christian, Muslim, Jewish, and other faith communities participate to create a truly diverse season that runs from January 12 – April 19, 2014.

Don’t believe me that this is a super-cool event not to be missed? Check out the article in the Washington Post!

As in past years, the 2014 festival offers something for everyone.  Several shows deal with faith questions about loss, forgiveness, and redemption, such as Quality of Life from HATTheatre, Grace from TheatreLAB in collaboration with Henley Street Theatre Company and Richmond Shakespeare, and High from Richmond Triangle Players.  Chamberlayne Actors Theatre is offering an original play by a local playwright, Amy Berlin, and a formerly-local playwright, Ann Bucci.  The Joshua Plant is about Josh, a teen with severe autism, trapped in parallel realities while he and his mother struggle to connect, communicate, and save each other.

Henley Street and Richmond Shakespeare are Participating with Wittenbur

Get a little preview of the preview here.

This is one my favorite events every year, I love to see the whole theatre community in one place (and how rare that you get a chance to preview a show?). You don’t want to miss this year’s event!

Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad at The Childrens Theatre at Willow Lawn