FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, December 18, 2018
STEPHENVILLE, Texas — Do you have a child interested in acting or theater? Tarleton State University’s Department of Fine Arts will offer classes on the Stephenville campus beginning in January for students in kindergarten through 8th grade.
Starting Jan. 26, the Lil’ Theatre at Tarleton will offer Saturday morning classes from 9 a.m. to noon in the Clyde H. Wells Fine Arts Center. Students will learn about acting, rehearsing, costumes, stage makeup and scenic painting. Classes conclude April 28.
As part of the course, students will prepare for a public performance at 1 p.m. Sunday, April 28.
“Lil Theatre at Tarleton’s mission is to provide an opportunity for youth to experience multiple facets of theater — acting, basic set and costume design, and painting — all under the guidance of the Tarleton theater faculty and majors,” said Prudence Jones, associate professor of theater.
Last spring, nearly 30 children participated in the classes. They produced an original play Jones entitled Fairytales Then and Now, which was performed for an audience of 150 guests. The play consisted of 17 different fairytales, some told in the traditional manner while others had a modern flare. The fairytales included “The Three Little Pigs,” “Humpty Dumpty,” “Hansel and Gretel,” “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” and “Little Red Riding Hood.”
Tarleton theater students were responsible for directing a different story, rehearsing with the children and teaching different theater topics. For example, one student taught about sound playback, recording of voices and digitally changing the recording. Another taught about using different emotions on stage to portray various characters, Jones explained.
“Clearly, working with Lil’ Theatre allowed Tarleton theater majors hands-on experience, such as using quick problem solving skills and learning different acting and directing techniques that are needed in connection with young actors.”
The cost to enroll a child is $60. For more information, contact Jones at 254-968-9669 or email [email protected]to register in advance.
To learn more about the fine arts program at Tarleton, visit www.tarleton.edu/finearts.
Tarleton, founding member of The Texas A&M University System, provides a student-focused, value-driven education marked by academic innovation and a dedication to transform today’s scholars into tomorrow’s leaders. It offers degree programs to more than 13,000 students at Stephenville, Fort Worth, Waco, Midlothian, RELLIS Academic Alliance in Bryan, and online, emphasizing real-world learning experiences that address societal needs while maintaining its core values of tradition, integrity, civility, excellence, leadership and service.
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Contact: Prudence Jones, Associate Professor of Theatre
254-968-9669
[email protected]
