Out of the
Matchbox Players:
SUMMER Troupe!
OUR SUMMER THEATRE YOUTH GROUP
At Matchbox Children’s Theatre, we provide theatre education to young people from all walks of life. Kiddos approved to be in our Summer Troupe program are given the opportunity to rise to the challenge to develop their theatre skills. We strive to help them learn important social skills and build self-esteem, confidence, and creative thinking. They also learn the importance of teamwork and respect. Our passionate instructors provide a safe and supportive environment for the students to grow in all areas of their acting skills. We are more than just a theatre program, we are a theatre family, and your kiddo would experience that this summer...for FREE!
We have been fortunate to partner with the Austin Culture & Arts Commission, granted $10,000 from Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council!!!! This has unlocked superb program capabilities, including Jennifer Reif of Drama Notebook joining us as a key instructor. You don't want to miss this incredible theatre education opportunity!
We have worked hard to create a program with all costs covered, so no one is limited. We only ask one thing from you: your commitment. Apply below and tell us why this program would be meaningful for you.
NOTE: In order for our program to maximize the personalized attention to each student, space is limited to 8 students. Application deadline is June 14, so don't wait too long!
SUMMER TROUPE APPLICATION
● Troupe Members must submit an application, which are all contemplated by the MCT Education Committee
● Applicants must be between ages of 11 - 17 years old
● Troupe members must display exemplary behavior
● Members must list conflicts in application. If more than three of the fourteen meetings would be missed, then applicant does not qualify for the Summer Troupe program.
ALL THE INFO
WEEKLY MEETINGS AND CURRICULUM
● Weekly meetings will be on Mondays starting June 24 and ending August 19. To keep up with accurate dates and times, please check the Matchbox Calendar.
Every Monday 4:00pm-6:00pm
● The program will cover a theatre curriculum, covering the following curriculum subjects: Prop Making and Design, Set Design, Theatre Technology, Acting and Stage Skills, Dance and Choreography, and Behind the Scenes Organization.
● Curriculum will be supplemented with rehearsing a production together from a pre-written script, creating all other aspects of it themselves with teaching artists' guidance. They will perform this production at Matchbox and Austin Artworks Festival at the end of the summer.
Matchbox performance: Thursday, August 22 (time TBD)
Artworks Festival performance: Saturday, August 24 (time TBD)
● There will also be a Parent Meeting before the start of Summer Troupe where parents will be expected to attend an informational meeting. Meeting: Monday, June 17 @ 5:00pm
SUMMER TROUPE CALENDAR
READY TO APPLY? LET'S GO!
THANK YOU TO ALL WHO PARTICIPATED IN AND SUPPORTED THIS ACTIVITY
Months of work, inspiration, conversations, meaningful moments, laughter, and...belonging. From June to August, 7 wonderful teens have worked hard creating their own show. One full of meaning. One full of emotion. One full of a strong message: belonging. What does it mean to belong? How does it feel to not? How does the art of theatre create that feeling of belonging for you? And it all started with this graffiti board...
A COMPLETE SUCCESS
Creating a piece based on minimalistic theatre and symbolism, it really hits home in a way not only to them, but also to the audience to translate in their own way. Thank you to the incredible guidance from Drama Notebook's Jennifer Reif, MCT's Ike McIntosh, and MCT's Jen Wiebrand. But most of all - to these kiddos bringing independent success!!
Five different amazing city leaders joined us along the way as guest speakers, sharing with us how the arts have been a part of their lives, and brought that feeling of belonging; furthermore how the arts play a part in their professional lives in various ways. What an incredible window into so many incredible lives. Thank you so much to each of you for leaving a lasting impression and inspiration to these kiddos. How lucky are we??!
Steve King, Mayor
Jenna Viehauser, Austin Area Arts
Mike Postma, City Councilman
Luke Reese, Nature Center Director
Geoff Smith, IBI Data President
We ended this journey with a celebrated performance at the Austin Artworks Festival. Our community watched as our theatre youth brought the message of "Exploring Belonging Through Theatre" to life. What a wonderful ending to our summer. Here's to moving on to a successful Season 50!!
Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council
Special thanks to SEMAC for their grant funding this program
In partnership with the City of Austin Culture & Arts Commission, this program is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Southeastern MN Arts Council and the MN State Arts Board, thanks to legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
