Beat the Winter Blues with Winter Youth Studio at Hartford Stage!

Classes for Ages 3-17 Begin January 16

By Erin Frederick, Education Enrollment and Marketing Coordinator

In January, after the eggnog has been consumed, the menorahs have been extinguished, and the ugly Christmas sweaters are packed away, it’s easy to let the shorter days and chilly weather get you down. The Education Department at Hartford Stage has just the cure to beat those winter blues as we start our Winter Youth Studio classes on Saturday, January 16!

At the Classical Magnet School in the Asylum Hill neighborhood of Hartford, our Winter Studio offers a variety of fun classes for students ages 3 to 17. Students can sing and dance their hearts out in Musical Theatre Cabaret Jr. (ages 5-8) or explore the hilarious world of imagination and improvisation with Theatre Games (ages 7-8). Students looking for more focused performance work might be interested in Scene Study (ages 9-12), in which students will learn to develop characters by breaking down scenes and text, or Monologue Building (ages 12-17), in which students will work on age-appropriate monologues to create strong audition pieces.

Performance opportunities also abound this winter with two production classes. In these classes, the students rehearse and perform a full-scale production. The performances are open to the public. Students ages 5 to 8 will explore a whole new world in Disney’s Aladdin Kids, which has all of your favorite characters from the hit film in a musical adventure filled with magic, mayhem, and flying carpet rides. Students ages 9 and up will present the hilarious Mr. Toad’s Mad Adventures. In this adaptation of the classic The Wind in the Willows, the boastful Mr. Toad is imprisoned after racing (and crashing) his motorcar one too many times. During his incarceration, Toad Hall is overtaken by a nefarious band of weasels. It’s up to Toad’s friends Badger, Rat, and Mole to spring Mr. Toad from jail and take Toad Hall back again!

For families who want to try out our programs, our five-week Saturday Sampler workshops begin February 13 and offer shorter, introductory classes. New this year, we invite parents to come Pretend Together with our littlest students (ages 3-4). In this class, students and parents will use their imaginations to explore characters in stories, songs and creative movement.

Students ages 5-8 are invited to join their favorite characters for Spectacular Saturdays!, in which they will explore a favorite book through dance, drama, music and fun, led by one of the main characters from the story itself! Featured books this winter are Frozen, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, Miss Nelson is Missing, Amelia Bedelia, and The Lorax. Finally, students can take a hands-on look at what happens behind-the-scenes with lighting, sound, and other backstage crafts with Tech Wizards (ages 9 and up).

Hartford Stage Youth Studio classes are a terrific way for young people to explore their interest in theatre and make new friends in a warm, supportive environment – all while having a lot of fun! We welcome students of all backgrounds and levels of experience, and we have limited financial aid available for qualifying families. Returning students are eligible for a 10% returning student discount. For more information on Winter Studio classes or to register online, visit www.hartfordstage.org/education.

For personalized service, call Erin Frederick, Education Enrollment and Marketing Coordinator, at (860) 520-7244.