The Pacific Conservatory Theatre (PCPA) is expanding its PCPA Plays On program, a selection of free, virtual theater-arts-based classes for both youth and adults. Part of the new programming includes Community Enrichment, a series of workshops and virtual tours organized by Kitty Balay, PCPA’s director of engagement, which kicked off on July 8 with “The Need to Speak.” Resident artist Andrew Philpot (last seen as Cassius in PCPA’s The Tragedy of Julius Caesar), explored William Shakespeare’s diverse uses of language during the program’s premiere webinar.
On Monday, July 20, at 6 p.m., PCPA Artistic Director Mark Booher will host “What’s in a Season?” in which he will give a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into the company’s play selection process. Other upcoming entries in the series include two hands-on crafting workshops, “Crown Making” (Wednesday, July 22, at 6 p.m.), with PCPA Costume Shop Manager Robin Newell, and “The Artistry of Costuming” (Wednesday, Aug. 19, at 6 p.m.), with resident costume designers Sara Curran Ice and Eddy Burrows. Those hoping to participate in either class can find a list of required materials on pcpa.org/pcpaplayson.
Admission to each Community Enrichment session, held online through Zoom, is free, but pre-registration is required. Each webinar is roughly an hour in length, a format shared by PCPA’s Youth Enrichment programs, which are organized by PCPA Education and Outreach Director Leo Cortez and intended for ages 8 through 18. Each course in this series is broken up into two separate segments, one designed for ages 8 to 12 and the other for ages 13 to 18. Upcoming youth workshops include “Video Your Audition” with PCPA Casting Director Erik Stein and “There is no ‘I’ in T.E.A.M.” with Resident Artist Yusef Seevers.
Check pcpa.org/plays/youthenrichment for the full schedule of events.
This article appears in Jul 16-23, 2020.