8 JUNE 24-30, 2015
WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM
Gilbert's Glee Club Engages Children in the Arts
By ERINN CRIDER
A relatively new addition to the Gilbert Theatre is its Glee Club. The Glee Club
is an organization geared towards engaging children in the arts community.
"We are the Gilbert Theatre Glee Club and we meet from September to June.
We do all kinds of events like Christmas carol, where we sing at the children's
home and at Methodist. And every year we end with a Glee Week. Monday
through Friday, we
meet from 4-8 p.m. and
rehearse for four hours a
day and then we put on
a performance. This year
we are putting on two
separate plays. Students
are participating in either
one or the other or both
of the plays," Brian Adam
Kline, stage director for
Glee Camp and co-director
of education, explained.
Anyone who has ever worked with children knows that it is a unique
opportunity that sometimes comes with a few challenges. Teaching theatre adds
to the mix.
"When I direct at the Gilbert or at some other theatre with experienced
actors, it is more convenient. When we are directing the kids, we are not only
the director but the teacher, too, and that can be a challenge because you are
not just directing. They are learning new things, but it is a rewarding challenge,"
Kline said. "I think the most important thing for an adult artist is to give back to
the community, especially the artistic community. I have been working with The
Glee Club for three years and so has Robyne (Parrish). I also teach at the Encore
Academy and it is the greatest reward to give back."
This year, The Glee Club is putting on two very different productions at each
performance. Kline describes the two plays.
"(Parrish) is directing a real-life Little Women. She wrote it for the upper
girls. Our club is divided into two groups the upper and the lower. The upper is
made up of the older and more mature and the lower is the younger students,"
he explained. "I wrote and am directing an original story called Gleekosaur."
It is about a group of kids that find a
secret door behind their playground in
the woods. Through this door they find
incredible dinosaurs. Now these are not
the kind of dinosaurs that you find in
Jurassic Park. They like to rock and roll,
play music and sing. It is very fun and we
are very excited for Glee Week.
"Robyne's play is a more classic
storytelling. It is a period piece and
the girls will be in full costumes,"
he continued. "My play is a more
experimental fantasy kind of thing. We
are going to be doing a lot of mask work.
That's a challenge, a lot of people have
been asking how we are going to portray
the dinosaurs through masks, props and
what we call accessories to make this
world believable. "
Gleekosaur and Louisa and Her Sisters:
The Real Little Women will be performed
by The Glee Club on June 27 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. and June 28 at 2 p.m. Tickets
are $12 and it is free for children under 2. For more information or to purchase
tickets ,visit www.gilberttheater.com or call 910-678-7186.
Additionally Kline said, "We are having Auditions for our Glee club
Aug. 22 for any one who is interested. "
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ERINN CRIDER. Staff Writer.
COMMENTS? Editor@upandcomin-
gweekly.com. 910.484.6200.
