Registration for Spring 2013 YPW is now open!

(Click on the flyer to enlarge)

Public town hall-style meeting, Feb. 20

Town Hall Meeting

at

Wayside Theatre

Wednesday, February 20^th

Light refreshments in the Curtain Call Cafe at 6:30pm

Presentation and Q&A session in the Theatre at 7:00pm

The Wayside Theatre staff cordially invites you to attend.

In the days since we announced the emergency campaign at Wayside Theatre, we’ve heard a variety of responses from community members.  Some people demanded answers—and we gave them.  Others were angry—and we listened to their frustrations and worked with them to try to find a mutual understanding. 

But some people have not come to us.  Some people, for one reason or another, aren’t inclined to be in conversation with us.  Maybe they’re afraid.  Maybe it’s more satisfying to make up answers than it is to ask for them.  Maybe people don’t know how to engage Wayside Theatre.  And that’s why we are having a public, town hall-style meeting on Wednesday, February 20^th.

We want to hear what YOU have to say: your suggestions, your ideas, your concerns, your questions, and yes, even your complaints.  We need to know how you want Wayside Theatre to move forward, so if you’d like to see changes, this is your chance to ask us to make them!

Please take this opportunity!  Come and have a dialogue with us, and invite others you know to do so as well.  We can’t have a one-sided conversation.  We need you.

Thank you, as always, for your support!

Warner Crocker, Artistic Director

Thomasin Savaiano, AEA Actress, YPW Coordinator, Administrative Assistant

Steve Przybylski, AEA Actor, Sound Designer, Music Director

Rebecca Cannon Calkin, Assistant to the Artistic Director, Graphic Designer

Kendra Watkins, Production Stage Manager

Molly MacLagan, Education Director

Wes Calkin, Lighting Designer, Scenic Designer, Web Master

Caleb Blackwell, Costume Designer

Zach Fullenkamp, Technical Director, Scenic Designer

Will Gautney, Master Carpenter

Young Playwrights' Competition submission deadline is March 1!

Young Playwrights’ Competition

At Wayside Theatre

The deadline for submitting your play to the Young Playwrights’ Competition is March 1.  If you’re high school aged (between 14 and 19 years old) and still studying at the secondary level, you can (and should!) enter the Young Playwrights’ Competition.  Home schoolers are welcome to enter!

To enter:

Step 1) Write a play!  

         This should be in play format, not like a novel or short story (there is a style guide

         in the submission guidelines, which you can find at 

         http://www.waysidetheatre.org/downloadables/YPC_2013_Guidelines.pdf).

Step 2) Make sure your play meets these requirements:

It must be original—you have to be the author, and can’t have adapted it from another source

It must be a play, not a musical

It must be one act long

It must have no more than eight characters (it may have fewer than eight characters)

Step 3) Make a title page for your play that includes:

Your name, date of birth, what grade you’re in if you go to school (and what year of schooling you’re in if don’t go to school).  Your title page should also include your school name and address (if you go to school), your teacher’s name, your home address and your home phone number and cell phone number.

Step 4) Make an informational page for your play that tells us:

The names of all the characters in the play

A description of all the characters in the play

The sex and/or gender of all the characters in the play

A short synopsis of the play (what happens in the play)

Step 5) Double-check that your play is in the right format!

You should include page numbers.  (Please don’t put your name on the pages of your play, just on the title page)

Make sure you only type on one side of the page

Your font should be 12 point font

Step 6) Check your play against the style guidelines on the Wayside Theatre website (http://www.waysidetheatre.org/downloadables/YPC_2013_Guidelines.pdf)

Step 7) Mail three copies of your play to:

Young Playwrights’ Competition

c/o Wayside Theatre

PO Box 260

Middletown, VA 22645

If you have questions or need more information, call Wayside Theatre at 540-869-1782 and ask for Molly.

Help Wayside With Your Words: Third in a series

(Before I move onto the lovely tribute below, I want to remind you to please spread the word about the Young Playwrights' Competition!  Keeping our programs full and rich is one of the ways we can keep Wayside Theatre strong!)

Many of the students who participate in Wayside Theatre’s Education in Action programming aren’t able to contribute financially to our campaign.  They asked what they could do, and the answer was this: you can help Wayside with your words.  Tell people your experience, share it with the world, and tell our community why this little theatre with a big heart deserves their support—now and in the future.  Today’s post is the third in a series, where you’ll see videos and testimonials that are in our kids’ own words (or in this case, her mother’s words). 

I hope you enjoy these—they are heartfelt, and truly thought-provoking.  If you’re wondering what the EiA programs offer, here’s your answer.

I am the mother of a very talented, passionate teenage daughter who loves the arts, theatre, music, chorus and playing her favorite instrument, the piano.  She is talented, hard-working, attentive and passionate.  She is passionate for the arts.  She loves the theatre and acting, it helps her express herself, be someone else, an escape if you will.  An escape from the drama, peer pressure, bullying, and stress at school.  

 I truly believe every child has a passion in life, and as a parent, it has always been my goal to find what my children’s passion would be and to support that in any way possible.  The very first time my daughter touched a piano key I knew that was it for her, and that was just the beginning.  Now, she is acting on stage, singing solos in school concerts to playing the piano brilliantly and thriving artistically.  Last season, she received a scholarship from Wayside Theatre to attend their Young Performers' Workshop (YPW), studying Shakespeare.  It was a blessing and gave her so much confidence, skill, and she enjoyed every class and at the end, her performance was amazing!  It was her very first performance on stage and it was amazing.

 Wayside Theatre has been instrumental in my daughter’s love of the theatre.  Her acting teacher has had a major impact on her life.  She is an amazing teacher, mentor and my daughter recognizes her as one of the most influential teachers in her life.  My daughter continues to want to enroll in the YPW Workshops every season.  In addition, my family has attended several productions at Wayside Theatre and they are just amazing.  I am amazed that we have a professional theatre right her in our community with the caliber of talent as in major cities.  I am thrilled and amazed that we have a theatre of this magnitude in our community.

 Recently, you may have heard that Wayside Theatre is having financial problems and it absolutely could mean closing their doors for good.  My family was so upset by the news; we had to try to do something to help, to let others know what is right here in our area.  What amazing talent, productions, actors, and what they do for our children who love the theatre.

I would like to share a personal story……..my daughter came to me a few days ago and said, “Mom, I just read in the newspaper that Wayside Theatre may be closing due to financial problems.  My birthday is this Saturday can I donate my birthday money to Wayside Theatre?”  My heart filled with pride, joy and love.  My daughter, who spends her birthday and holiday money from grand-parents and family on clothes, shoes and accessories, wants to donate her birthday money to Wayside Theatre.  I could not be more proud of my daughter.   I know that with all of our help, prayers and regular donations, we can keep Wayside Theatre open and thriving and entertaining for years to come.

Most families have a favorite charity they donate to annually, quarterly or monthly.  I am asking you, if you love the arts, love to see live performances and believe as much as we do that Wayside is more than a theatre--that it’s also a place where they continue to make it essential to teach our children--please consider Wayside Theatre as your place to donate to financially on a regular basis, so they do not continue to have financial problems.  Raising money to keep the doors open is one hurdle they have overcome in the very near future, however, they need continued support from the community in order to keep the theatre open and thriving.  Wayside is a professional theatre and an amazing theatre.  It would be heart breaking if they were not a part of our community.

 If you and your family love the theatre, and want to support Wayside Theatre, please lend them your support now and on a regular basis.  I know that with all of our prayers and regular donations, we can keep Wayside Theatre open and thriving and entertaining for years to come.

Help Wayside With Your Words: 2nd in a series

Many of the students who participate in Wayside Theatre’s Education in Action programming aren’t able to contribute financially to our campaign.  They asked what they could do, and the answer was this: you can help Wayside with your words.  Tell people your experience, share it with the world, and tell our community why this little theatre with a big heart deserves their support—now and in the future.  Today’s post is the second in a series, where you’ll see videos and testimonials that are in our kids’ own words (or in some cases, their parents’ words). 

I hope you enjoy these—they are heartfelt, and truly thought-provoking.  If you’re wondering what the EiA programs offer, here’s your answer.

“I have been coming to Wayside since I was seven years old. I started like many other kids with the YPWs. I remember that the first show my sister and I were both narrators in a show called Mouse Deer. I had never been so nervous and so excited until that day. After the show was over we stayed and watched the older kids show. I knew right then and there that I wanted to keep working at it. From then on I did every single YPW; every summer winter and spring until Wayside started YAG. With YAG I had never been more involved in anything. I loved doing the Shakespeare shows with [Education] In Action and the different fundraisers. when it came time to find a college to study theatre the people at Wayside were the only people to help us prepare for auditions. I currently attend Virginia Tech for a theatre and cinema degree. 

I find myself on many occasions returning to the things that the people at Wayside taught me about performing, auditioning, managing a theatre and Shakespeare. I spent more time at Wayside than I did at home and it’s the first place I visit when I get back from college. Wayside is my home. It is my favorite place in the valley. It holds my favorite memories and some of the best people I have ever met. I don't think the valley should be without Wayside theatre.

“Wayside Theatre is a home to many a kid. It educates us in community and family as well as the business and art of Theatre. Wayside is important to the youth of the valley, I have learned this first hand.”