Blooming Theater Playshop

Ticket covers all 5 classes + final performance: November 13th.

Ready to play? Bring your wildest ideas for skits, songs, improv, dance movement, and more! This is a place where kids unfold, open up, and shine. Explore emotions, express yourself, and discover your own theatrical style all in a safe, joyful space where every child's inner spark gets room to bloom.

Scholarships available for 5 / 20 participants! Please email community@the418project.org to inquire about scholarships.

Please bring something to write with and a notebook, or one can be provided.

"The Play's the Thing!" — William Shakespeare

Meet Your Guide

Michele Newman is a longtime Santa Cruz theater teacher-director who brings child-guided activities to life, helping young performers turn their inner visions into stage magic. A UCSC Theater Arts graduate (+ Teacher Credential Program) with a graduate degree in Music Education & Jazz Vocals from SJSU, Michele is a CA credentialed teacher who grew up in a theatrical & musical family, and began teaching kids' music and theater at just 8 years old. She’s been a performing actress in plays, films, commercials and sang with her own jazz band for many years. She’s now an intuitive sound healer with her Crystal Bowl Orchestra. Her work spans schools and organizations throughout the region, including Helios School-Sunnyvale, Westlake, Gault, Monarch, Delaveaga, Capitola Elementary, EA Hall Middle School, Gateway School, Pacific School-Davenport, Bonny Doon Elementary, Branciforte Middle School, Temple Beth El, Chadeish Yameinu Jewish Renewal of Santa Cruz, Gilroy Unified and Oak Grove School Districts, Watsonville High School, and the Santa Cruz Office of Education's Advanced Studies Drama program (Shakespeare, pantomime, improvisation, and more).

Day 1: Intro to Basic Performance Techniques + Creative Ideas

Objectives: Get to know each other and set expectations 1st Practice in acting out inner emotional expression with physical movement & vocal projection awareness Learn Vocal Awareness Begin emotional expression practice w/ discussion Begin 1st practice of improv & interactions with others on stage

Activities: Circle: Introduce Yourself with Tone of Voice that expresses your Emotion with Physical Movement; students imitate the one introducing; Teacher role model Change your emotion and show us a different emotional expression than our group intro: whisper, talk slow-mo, super-fast cartoon talk, no sound Go over expectations for how to treat each other sensitively; show written board Discussion of Voice Control

1. Projection
2. Pitch
3. Pace
4. Volume
5. Inflection
6. Diction
7. Accent,
8. Emotion
9. Dynamics

Choose partner: Mirror each other’s movements & sounds Crystal Bowl quiet circle Write imaginative ideas in notes for what you want to express through skits, songs, improv Keep working on your ideas; bring to next class + musical instrument, if desired

Takeaway: Students gain understanding of basic performance techniques: vocal expression, beginning emotional expression, stage interactions with others & ideas for next class

Day 2: Share Creative Ideas, Improv + Make a Plan

Objectives: Share creative ideas for performance Work with partner or individually Create plan for performance Take home and complete Improv Practice

Activities: Circle: Share creative ideas and explain your plan to perform Kids can work with partner or on their own to map out plan; teacher circulates Always remind class to treat each other sensitively; written board as needed Teacher explains needs for performance: props, costumes, lighting, etc. Circle: Share your next-level plan with group Crystal Bowl quiet circle Write any new ideas that come to you during quiet time: think about props, costumes, instruments, etc Improv Practice-Discuss how improv occurs even in planned performance Take home plan and finalize

Takeaway: Students map out main performance plan and discuss it with teacher and/or other students for finalization

Day 3: Practice & Play with Performance Ideas

Objectives: Practice plan with partner or individually; teacher circulates Teacher supports Tech Jobs for those who choose not to perform Teacher reminds students of basic performance techniques, as needed Discussion of memorization or script reading Tighten performance ideas Take home and work on it

Activities: Circle: Share final ideas for performance Teacher determines who really wants performance and who prefers tech Discussion of tech jobs: props, lights, mics, costumes Practice skit with partner or on their own to map out plan; teacher circulates Discuss timing of skit Always remind class to treat each other sensitively; written board as needed Teacher explains needs for performance: props, costumes, lighting, etc. Crystal Bowl quiet circle if kids desire for deeper thought Write any new ideas that come to you during quiet time Take home final plan and practice; bring props & costumes to next class

Takeaway: Students feel confident about their final plan based on real-time practice. Practice at home; bring props & costumes to next class

Day 4: Continue Practice for Performance

Objectives: Practice with partner or individually Tech Job practice for those who choose not to perform Basic performance techniques tight Memorization or script reading Refine & Tighten performance ideas Watch each other’s performances Take home and practice

Activities: Practice with partner or individually; teacher circulates Teacher supports Tech Jobs for those who choose not to perform Teacher reminds students of basic performance techniques, as needed Memorization or script reading Refine & Tighten performance ideas Watch each other’s performances: take notes Circle: Healthy Positive Feedback: Take notes Take home and practice

Takeaway: Students feel great confidence about their final plan based on real-time practice. & feedback: Practice at home; bring props & costumes to next class

Day 5: Final Practice for Performance

Objectives: Perform skits & songs for each other with Tech Jobs in place Express Confidence & Lessons with Final Circle discussion Crystal Bowl quiet time One more run-through of performance Practice at home

Activities: Perform skits & songs for each other with Tech Jobs in place Take notes Circle: discuss final notes & support; tell group how you feel & your lessons Crystal Bowl quiet time One more run-through of performance Practice at home

Takeaway: Students feel great confidence about their final performance. Practice at home; bring props & costumes to performance

Day 6 / Final Performance: Performance with Parents & Friends

Objectives: Show the world what you’ve got and what you’ve learned Invite family & friends

Activity: Final Showcase on Stage with All Tech

Takeaway: Students feel wonderful about their final performance and all they’ve learned.

Reasons To Believe:

Childhood is all about Imagination When we support right-brain creativity, left brain activity is also activated for Math & SEP (Science & Engineering Practices) Utilizing imagination in a world that continually trains us to “follow directions” keeps brain-heartmind cells alive and active Accessing imagination, then illustrating inner vision with demonstration, embodiment and optimal implementation supports critical thinking and whole brain skills, while supporting integration of body, heart, mind and spirit.