WEATHERVANE PLAYHOUSE

It is our belief here at Weathervane Playhouse that everyone should have access to the amazing benefits that result from theatre and arts education. Through our classes here at Weathervane Playhouse we encourage students to think outside of the box and use their imaginations to explore, create, learn, and grow. Whether it’s creating their own story, building a set, or playing a part, it is our goal to develop the next generation of actors and audience members by providing quality educational opportunities.

Our classes allow students to gain an understanding and appreciation for the art of theatre as well as develop into artists and build confidence that can be translated from the stage to their everyday lives. It is also our goal to provide each and every student with a positive experience that they can cherish for years to come.

Weathervane provides educational opportunities on and off-site to nearly 10,000 students per year.

RESPONSES SHARED BY OUR COMMUNITY

Olivia Valentine, Weathervane Student
“I’m so excited that I’ve got to get to take classes at Weathervane. I feel stronger and more confident when I’m around people and speaking to people each day. I’m determined it to be even better each week that I go. I was nervous at first when I was signed up to take the classes that I wouldn’t know anybody or I would be behind. But the instructors are great, and I really love the classes. I’m excited keep taking them and become even better actor and better at speaking in front of people.”

Rebecca Flynn, Weathervane Parent
“The Weathervane staff and instructors have opened up our son's world and have given him more happiness and confidence than we ever imagined. There is truly no place he'd rather be than at the theatre- singing, dancing and being given the freedom and encouragement to be himself, plus the guidance to develop his talents. What an amazing opportunity for growth and development they've given him!”

GOALS OF WEATHERVANE'S EDUCATION PROGRAM

Weathervane’s Education Program is dedicated to:

* Cultivating the talents of youth in Northeast Ohio and beyond.
* Continuing to educate ourselves about methods to instruct others.
* Exploring relevant issues for today’s youth.
* Fostering the appreciation of theatre as an art form.
* Providing tools and materials to assist the growth of each student.
* Building a strong foundation for the future by supporting all young people in our community.

In pursuing these goals, Weathervane Playhouse’s Education Program enriches the cultural landscape of Akron and the surrounding area, and affirms its place in the leadership of children’s theater in Ohio.


WEATHERVANE'S CORE CLASSES

We offer a variety of youth classes in acting, improvisation, auditioning, dance, visual arts, voice training, musical theatre and more for ages 3 to 17. We have classes at the beginning level, intermediate, and advanced level.

Weathervane's core class curriculum provides every student with exceptional, consistent, dramatic training.
All classes have been developed to meet the State academic benchmarks within the applied Fine Art.

Core class content includes:

* The roles and responsibilities of performers, directors, designers and technicians.
* Stage movement skills including: facing the audience, “cheating out,” using the upstage hand and using body language to communicate thoughts and feelings of a character.
* Vocal projection and diction techniques for speaking loudly and clearly.
* Stage directions and theatre, dance, and music vocabulary.
* Methods for working in an ensemble and working as a group to present a performance at the end of each session.
* Memorization techniques.
* Dramatic exploration and creative expression through improvisation games and/or script work.
* Theater history and/or historical, cultural and social contexts of a specific time period.
* Character study through comparisons of story situations and their relationships to real life experiences.
* Monologue preparation and performance
* Audition etiquette, preparation, and tools.
* Proper dance technique and warm-up for performers
* Exploring story telling through choreographed and improvised movement
* Group singing with a healthy clear tone
* Rhythm and form in music