Summertime is great fun - especially for children. Our Annual Summer Children's Theatre Festival features two plays during the summer, usually during the last week of June and the last week of July. Both shows audition during the middle of May, and are directed by ACC staff. Sets, properties, and costumes are constructed by ACC staff, students and volunteers – often some of the same young people that act in the shows.
The actors for the two shows each summer are young people from the community, sometimes including college students, sometimes not. The mix depends upon the year; some years no college students are on stage; some years it’s mostly junior high students. There is no set pattern.
Typically, 30-50 young people will audition. We try to put everyone who auditions on stage in some role. Of course, schedules, vacations, and natural attrition reduce our numbers, but the vast majority stay with the show. College students are usually given back-stage tasks unless absolutely required to fill roles.
While all participate, the approach is straightforward production. The method is learn by doing, learn by participating, along with the necessary coaching, of course. We offer this program to area young people for no charge; we want it to be available to all who are interested, regardless of their economic situation.
The target audience is also children. Plays are selected for their appeal to young audiences and appropriateness to young actors. We market these shows to area daycare centers as well as to individuals in the community. Attendance has varied from year to year, but, on the whole, the program is well-accepted, and considerably less expensive than other area programs. We have held the group rate ticket price for the Summer Children’s Theater to $1.00 per student to be sure that a student’s economic situation will not prevent him/her from experiencing live theatre.
Anyone in the area, age 6 and up is welcome to audition. You will need a prepared reading or monologue no longer than one minute. View the audition schedule. If you would rather participate by being an audience member, then give us a call at 281-756-3606 for reservations. We often sell out, so reserve your seats early. View the performance schedule.
The Summer Children’s Theatre Festival has a long and happy history. We have operated the program since 1984. For the first eighteen years, the program was funded entirely by Alvin Community College. In 2003, legislative budget cuts caused the college to enter a funding partnership with the community in order to keep the program running.
If you would like to help support this program, make your check payable to Drama Special Fund, and drop it by the Box Office, or mail it to the following:
Drama Special Fund
Dept. of Speech and Drama
3110 Mustang Road
Alvin, TX 77511
Contributions are considered are tax deductible donations. Alvin Community College is a public, non-profit educational institution.
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