Summer Theater Workshops for Kids

Do your children have a knack for the performing arts?  Discover and develop their talents this summer by enrolling them in a theater workshop.  Here are four theater workshops for kids as young as 3.5 years old.

TRUMPETS PLAYSHOP

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Fee: 5,800 exclusive of recital fee (6,150 for Alabang Town Center classes)

Venues: Podium, Global City, Alabang Town Center

Enrollment:  Visit Trumpets at the 5th Level Shangri-La Mall or call 631-7252 / 6362842

Start of Classes: April 7

Courses and Schedules:

Children’s Theater (4 – 6 years old)

Venue

Class Schedules

PODIUM

MWF  11:00 am – 12:30pm
MWF  12:45 pm – 2:15 pm
MWF  2:30 pm – 4:00 pm
TThS   11:00am – 12:30pm
TThS   12:45pm – 2:15pm

GLOBAL CITY

MWF  10:00 am – 11:30 am

ALABANG TOWN CENTER

MWF  11:00am – 12:30pm

Children’s Musical Theater (7 – 12 years old)

Venue

Class Schedules

PODIUM

MWF  11:00am – 1:00pm (7-9 yrs old)
MWF  1:30pm – 3:30 pm (7-9 yrs old)
MWF  4:00pm – 6:00 pm (7-9 yrs old)
MWF  4:15pm – 6:15pm (10-12 yrs old)
TThS   2:30pm – 4:30pm (7-12 yrs old)

GLOBAL CITY

MWF  12:00pm – 2:00pm (7-12 yrs old)

ALABANG TOWN CENTER

MWF  1:00pm – 3:00pm (7-12 yrs old)

 

 

PETA SUMMER PROGRAM

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Fee:  P 9,000

Venue:  PETA Theater Center at No 5 Eymard Drive, New Manila, Quezon City, Philippines

Enrollment:  Schedule an interview at the PETA Theater Center through CHRIS DIVINAGRACIA ( 725-6244, 410-0821, or 0906 556 4800)

Start of Classes: April 7 (until May 11)

Courses and Schedules:

  • Children’s Theater 1 ( 6 – 8 years old)  8am – 12nn on April 7, 8, 10, 12, 15, 22, 24, 26, 29; May 3, 6, 8, 10, 11
  • Children’s Theater 2 ( 9 – 12 years old) 8am – 12nn on April 7, 9, 11, 14, 16, 23, 25, 28, 30; May 2, 5, 7, 9, 11

 

 

REPERTORY PHILIPPINES

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Fee: 7,000

Venue:  Active Fun Global City

Enrollment: Call the REP office at 843-3570 or 555-0082

Start of ClassesApril 7 (until May 29)

Courses and Schedules:

  • Kiddies Musical Theatre Class (5 – 8 years old)  11:00am – 1:00pm / 1:00pm – 3:00pm  Monday to Friday
  • Pre-Teens Musical Theare Class (9 – 12 years old) 10:00am – 12:00nn / 3:30pm – 5:30pm, Monday to Friday

 

 

KIDS ACTS PHILIPPINES

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Fee: 10,000 inclusive of workshop materials, costumes rental and recital fee

Venue:  The CampArt STUDIO at Unit 209, 2F Cityland Pasong Tamo Condominium

Enrollment: Call 750.1551/0915.4478959/0919.4338565 or Email [email protected]

Start of Classes: April 2 (until May 23)

Courses and Schedules:

  • Kinder Theater (3 – 6 years old)  10:30am – 12:00nn MWF
  • Children’s Theater (7 – 9 years old)  9:00am – 10:30am MWF
  • Junior Theater (10 – 12 years old) 12:00nn – 1:30pm MWF

 

 

Most of the theater companies mentioned above also have other workshops for teens and adults. Kindly check their respective websites or Facebook pages for more information.  As for us, we’re enrolling our daughter again at Trumpets Playshop.  She had so much fun there last summer and is looking forward to another exciting Playshop this year.

 

8 Reasons Why You Should Let Your Child Take Center Stage

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My thespian Jade in her summer theater class recital. 🙂

It’s never too early to start thinking about extracurriculars, especially if you want your child to attend a top-notch college. But why should you choose theater camp over sports teams or cub scouts? What benefits can you expect from adolescent exposure to the arts? Here are eight reasons to encourage your child to be on stage.

  1. New Skills.  Being involved in the theater means acting, writing, directing, creating and building. Your child may be asked to do anything from peer-reviewing a play to rolling up their sleeves and helping paint a set, so they’ll develop a wide variety of talents.
  2. New Friendships. According to child development experts, building good social skills is one of the key factors in determining later success. Theater is a collaborative process, meaning your child will learn the value of cooperation while also making lifelong and like-minded friends.
  3. Public Speaking. How are you at public speaking? Do you want your child to be the same way? Allow them to overcome this fear early, and they’ll be that much more prepared for their valedictorian speech one day.
  4. Confidence. The arts build self-esteem in a way that math scores simply can’t. Multiplication tables have nothing on the pride your child will feel when the final curtain falls and applause swells for their performance.
  5. Unplugged Fun.  In this increasingly technological world, it’s important for kids to remember that not everything revolves around smartphones, laptops and MP3 players. Some adventures can only be had by turning off the tech.
  6. Year-Round Activities. Even though the bulk of their activities take place during summertime, many camps and clubs will continue operations throughout the school year. For example, this children’s theater in Walnut Creek offers both 3-week intensive camps and year-long programs, keeping you child occupied from summer afternoons to winter nights.
  7. Leadership Building. Confident, driven children become confident, driven adults. By allowing your child to explore their boundaries and establish their independence with a personal hobby, you’re help them build the courage to grow into a real leader.
  8. Individuality.  The arts are a great way to find yourself, and theater camp might just be the first step of many as your child grows up and learns to spread their wings. The greatest gift you can give as a parent is opportunity, so don’t be afraid to let your little one take center stage in the story of their life.

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Up for a Different Kind of Laugh Trip

Our family enjoys watching comedies together.  There are times though when we get tired of the ordinary comedy we get to watch on television all the time. When I came across One Man, Two Guvnors tickets online, I thought it would be a welcome change to see a comedy play on stage. The West End is miles away from here, but there are several theater productions here too. My own little Jade was even part of a children’s production last summer. It would be great to have an international tour of One Man, Two Guvnors come over to stage a Manila run. Those spending the holidays in London would be able to watch this play at the Theatre Royal Haymarket where it runs from November to March 2014.

one man two guvnors

This comedy play is an adaptation of Carlo Goldoni’s Servant of Two Masters. This Venetian writer’s comedic creation was updated in this version written by Richard Bean. The story revolves around how the main character Francis Henshall gets into all sorts of funny situations as he tried to keep his two bosses from finding out that he is juggling two separate jobs. He simultaneously gains employment with local gangster Roscoe Crabbe and upper class criminal Stanley Stubbers. But things are not as they seem. Roscoe, as it turns out, is actually his twin sister Rachel. Things get even more complicated when the Crabbes are connected to Stubbers. Rachel is Stubbers’ girlfriend and it was Stubbers who killed Roscoe. Other characters make the story more colorful and “deliriously” funny.

Critics and theatregoers have raves for this production whether on West End or in other places in the world where the production ran the play. Apart from the 5 star reviews, this play has been described repeatedly as “one of the funniest productions,” “a massive hit,” and a “side-splittingly hilarious production.” One interesting twist that the audiences enjoy is the improv segment where some members of the audience are “recruited” onto the stage to take part in the production.

Getting tickets for this comedy hit is now possible through online ticketrons. You can also find other plays running in different places all around the world in various local online ticket outlets. These online facilities provide a convenient way for theatregoers to check theater schedules and book tickets. I’m already getting excited just thinking about all the different productions we can watch. Laughing through a comedy play like this can be a great way to unwind with the hubby. Perhaps we can also find a children’s production for a separate trip to the theater with the kids.