What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/1256261
8 WHAT'S UP! JUNE 7-13, 2020 T2 Summer Programs Improv Intensive July 6-10 Ages 14-18 $75 Junior Shakespeare Camp July 13-17 Ages 11-13 $75 AEGIS Summerstage July 20-24 High School Seniors Shakespeare Academy July 27-Aug. 9 Ages 14-18 $150 The Play's The Thing TheatreSquared takes summer learning online LARA JO HIGHTOWER NWA Democrat-Gazette E ven before the sold-out theatrical performances and ground-breaking Arkansas New Play Festival at TheatreSquared, there was educational programming, says Morgan Hicks, T2's director of education and program development. "We actually started our education programs before we started the theater, so we are fully 15 years old," says Hicks. "Education has always been super core and important to us. We've been doing our Shakespeare camp for around 11 years, but we did a summer program even before we did Shakespeare." That's one of the reasons, says Hicks, that the decision to take the their summer educational programming online — including their venerable Shakespeare camps — was a difficult one, even with the concerns surrounding the covid-19 epidemic. "It's heartbreaking not to be able to commune with them in person," admits Hicks. "But we went through all of the things that we would need to do to adjust in order for people to be safe, and it felt like some of those adjustments would be compromising the experience more than if we went with the virtual plan — wearing masks all day, not being able to see mouths and faces, not being able to touch each other. If we went forward with those adjustments in place, we would be having reduced personal experiences." Hicks says she and her lead teachers — T2's Learning Programs Manager Jordan Haynes and teaching artist Emily Tomlinson — will collaborate with other instructors like Shakespeare specialist (and University of Arkansas instructor) Steven Marzolf to develop innovative ways to teach via online instruction. "We know we want it to be synchronous — we're doing a lot of real-time activities, and we're learning from teachers who have made these adjustments to their Teaching artist Emily Tomlinson (upper left corner) got some practice teaching virtual theater games this spring through T2's "Play On" series. This summer, she'll be joined by Director of Education and Program Development Morgan Hicks and Learning Programs Manager Jordan Haynes — along with a few other specialized theater teachers — to bring their virtual summer educational programming to kids and teens across the state and country. (Courtesy Image) FEATURE classrooms this spring," Hicks says. "What we know going in is that we don't want it to feel like school — we want it to have the same feeling as a fun, interactive arts experience. We know there might be a little bit of resistance from students who have been staring at screens for the past couple of months, but this will be a completely different experience for them." Hicks says that the summer program will culminate in a performance, a tradition that has been in place since the first summer T2 offered Shakespeare camps to kids and young adults. In addition to the Shakespeare (ages 14-18) and junior Shakespeare (ages 11-13) camps, other opportunities for youth actors include a one-week improv intensive (ages 14-18) and the AEGIS Summerstage (high school seniors). Interested students can apply online, and Hicks notes that there are scholarships available. And, she points out, the online opportunities are open to students from all over the country — opening up access to the arts for students who might usually miss out. "I feel like we have so many amazing opportunities for students in Northwest Arkansas — that's not the case for most of our state," says Hicks. "This year, all of our summer programs will be available statewide and, really, nationwide." GO ONLINE