Elliot Norton Award Nominees, and Special Award Announced!

See HERE for full posting!

Wheelock Family Theatre is happy to receive a special award from the Elliot Norton Award committee for our 30 years in service of theatre for and with families in the greater Boston community!
We are also pleased to congratulate our Technical Director and resident designer, Matthew T. Lazure, on his nomination for the design of “The Secret Garden” this season at WFT. Congratulations, Matthew, it is a thrill to work with you each day.



In the meantime, we are opening “Aladdin & the Wonderful Lamp” on Friday, 4/15! Still need Tickets?

Click HERE for them!

Yours in blogging,

Beth Peters

“Aladdin & the Wonderful Lamp” Opens TONIGHT!

Still need tickets? Click HERE! 

Blogspot Tags: renderings, Aladdin, pictures

Who’s That WFT Superstar? . . . It’s KIMETRA!

One of our most-prized, long-standing students and young actors is the one, the only . . . Kimetra! This sassy young lass gave me the pleasure of a formal interview which will be published later this week, but she also made more than a few rehearsal-cam videos for our blog. Here is our first, for your viewing pleasure!

Beth and Kimetra being silly in rehearsal. xxoo, Kimetra!

Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp opens tonight at WFT!  Still need Tickets? Click HERE for them!


We’ve been taking lots of silly rehearsal-cam videos. Of course, for you, our lovely blog readers, we only post the best. If you want to view more, follow us on FACEBOOK!


Yours in blogging,
Beth Peters (and Kimetra)

Blogspot Tags: Kimetra, videos, Aladdin, rehearsal cam

Write for the WFT Blog!

Hey WFT Family!!!

Fill out the questions below, and email them to wftfamily@gmail.com –

Your answers will be posted on the WheeNews Blog, http://wheenews.blogspot.com

What’s your name?

Have you been in, or worked on, any shows at WFT this season?

Where are you from?

How long have you taken classes or been in plays at WFT?

Why do you come back to WFT?

What’s your earliest theatre memory?

What is your favorite thing about theatre?

What do you eat for a rehearsal snack?

If you could change one thing about theatre, what would it be?

Why do you do theatre?

Do you do other activities or do you have another kind of job? If so, tell us about it!

What kind of shows do you like to see?

What advice do you have for younger actors?

Anything else?

Yay! Yours in blogging,

Beth Peters 

WFT Artist Profile: Cyrus Veyssi!

Cyrus S. Veyssi is performing as a Slave of the Ring in this season’s production of Aladdin at WFT. He is from Brookline, Massachusetts and pleased to be in a play that is so close to home. He attends the Noble and Greenough School, where he is in the 10th grade. Here’s a note from Cyrus, himself!

Hi! I'm Cyrus Veyssi. I'm 16 years old and I'm in tenth grade at the Noble and Greenough School in Dedham. Even though i was born in Brookline,my parents are both from Iran and they decided to move to Paris, then Boston after the revolution [in Iran]. I've been singing for most of my life. I started humming tunes since i was like one and i watch home videos of me sometimes to see what i was singing or what noises i was making.

I sang in my old schools choir and am currently singing at my high school and taking voice lessons in Cambridge. I LOVE acting. The first acting job I auditioned for was a show for WGBH called “Giggle.” Even though the show never aired, we filmed the pilot over a weekend and i got to experience my first acting role.

I then began to act in Jamaica Plain with the Footlight Troop for a few years. I played roles such as Odysseus in “Mything Links” and other roles in plays such as the “Tortoise and the Hare.” In my old school's production of “Finnian's Rainbow,” i played the lead role, Woody. After i left my old School, the Park school, and came to Nobles, I played the character “Itys” as an eighth grader in “The Love of the Nightingale,” the high school's production. I then acted in Batboy the musical and recently had various roles in Metamorphosis, adapted by Mary Zimmerman.

I act, sing, and try to maintain a fit lifestyle, playing sports like tennis and squash.

- Cyrus

See Cyrus this weekend at Aladdin! Still need tickets? Click HERE!

Yours in blogging,
Beth Peters

P.S...Wow! What a wonderful time you’ve had in the theatre! And you’ve only just begun!

Want to share YOUR story on the WheeNews Blog? Email us at wftfamily@gmail.com !

Professional Training for Teens at WFT !

 

A note from your friendly blogger . . .

I personally cannot wait for spring vacation and summer camps and intensives at WFT! I have had the pleasure of teaching with WFT since 2005, and of all the theatres I have worked for, it is by far my favorite. There is a reason why teachers and students come back to WFT year after year, and it’s not the glam of performances! It’s the connections made with other artists, with our community, and even within ourselves.

Interested in taking a class? We look forward to seeing you at the theatre!

-Beth Peters

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WHEELOCK FAMILY THEATRE NEWSLETTER

April 2011, Spring & Summer Classes for Teens

August Performance Intensive 2010, Spring Schedule:

5 weeks, 2 hour classes

Urban Dance

Ages 12-16: Tuition: $250

Sats. 4/23-5/21, 11am-1pm.

Instructor: Robin Connors. Students will explore the roots and varieties of modern street dance, including hip-hop, jazz and more.

*******************************************************

Monologues & Cold Readings for Auditions,

Ages 9-16: Tuition: $250

Weds.4/27-5/25, 4-6pm.

Instructor: Danny Bolton. How do I select a good monologue for myself? How can I prepare for a cold reading? These and other essential elements of successful auditioning will be the focus of this class.

*******************************************************

Acting for Commercials,

Mons. 4/25-5/23, 4-6pm.

Instructor: M. Lynda Robinson. This class for youth and teens will look at the particular challenges of selling a product on-camera. Attention will also be given to creating compelling head shots and resumes, as well as appropriate etiquette and wardrobe for professional auditions.

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Interested in Summer Classes at WFT?

Story Theatre in June! Story Troupers in July! Specialty Workshops!

Click HERE for the complete listing.

Wheelock Family Theatre's education program is sustained by both a professional theatre staff and an institution of higher learning, Wheelock College.

The result is a dynamic and exciting drama curriculum for youngsters between the ages of 6 and 17 that teaches drama skills AND connects those skills to child development theory and practice.

WFT educators create challenging drama and movement games, improvisations, and exercises that help youngsters learn not just the HOW but also the WHY of onstage thoughts, feelings, and actions.

WFT designs a scope-and-sequence of class offerings within each age group so that students are consistently asked to build upon what came before.  Experienced students can then audition for Wheelock Family Theatre's advanced performance programs and mainstage productions.

Check out WFT's Summer Programs!

Blogspot Tags: newsletter, classes, teens

Malden’s “Wicked Local” Artist of the Week: Alan White!

We are very pleased that Alan White is featured as Malden’s Artist of the Week:
Artist of the Week: Alan White

“I started acting when I was in 6th grade because a friend of told me joining drama club was a good way to . . .”

To Read more: Artist of the Week: Alan White - Malden, Massachusetts - Malden Observer

http://www.wickedlocal.com/malden/archive/x933293687/Artist-of-the-Week

Blogspot Tags: alan white, actors

Rehearsal Cam is in Effect!

One of the things I love most about stopping by rehearsal, is rehearsal cam. Today, I’ve been at rehearsal for only about an hour, and yet- I have recorded ten funny videos!!!

I hope to bring one to you every day! Here is today, starring our lovely AEA Stage Manager, Lindsay Garofalo !

Blogspot Tags: videos, lindsay garofalo, aladdin

And the Wheel Award Goes To . . .

2011 WHEEL Award

Saturday May 14, 2011 at 5:30 pm

at the home of Wheelock College President, Jackie Jenkins-Scott

Tickets: $125.00

Click here to . . .BUY TICKETS

Join Wheelock College President Jackie Jenkins-Scott and the Advisory Board of Wheelock Family Theatre on Saturday, May 14, 2011, at the WHEEL Award dinner to honor the work and achievements of three remarkable women. The WHEEL Award, established in 2002, recognizes individuals who believe the arts can transform lives. These individuals share Wheelock Family Theatre’s commitment to children and families and dedicate their work to making a difference.

This year’s WHEEL Award 2011 honorees are Kate Taylor, Janice Allen, and Victoria Rowell. These three inspiring women, each with her own moving story, remind us all how important it is to reach out to the youth of our communities.

Kate Taylor – Trained in curriculum development and as a classroom teacher, Kate used her special interest in the sciences to produce several educational television series for children. She has developed several programs at WGBH, Boston’s public television station, and has been a leader in her field for over 20 years. She has been involved in projects such as Zoom, Arthur, Design Squad, Degrassi Junior High, and another Peabody award winner, Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? She is currently Senior Executive Producer of Children’s Programming at WGBH and has recently produced FETCH! With Ruff Ruffman and PEEP and the Big Wide World, both funded by The National Science Foundation and recipients of numerous awards, including the Emmy Award.

Victoria Rowell – Victoria started her career as a dancer, working with several companies including The American Ballet Theater and the Twyla Tharp Workshop. She has been featured on the covers of Seventeen and Mademoiselle magazines as a result of her work in modeling. She has been a regular on The Young and The Restless as Drucilla Winters and worked on Diagnosis Murder for eight seasons. Along with her success as a dancer, model, and actress, she has become an advocate for foster children. Growing up, Victoria Rowell spent 18 years in foster care and has written the New York Times Bestseller and literary award winner “The Women Who Raised Me”, published by William Morrow, about her experience growing up. Victoria also founded the Rowell Foster Children’s Positive Plan in 1990 to enrich the lives of foster children through artistic and athletic expression.

Janice Allen – Janice teaches songs, dance, and history from the African and African-American culture. Much of the music is from the Georgia and Carolina Sea Islands. Called "One of New England's most popular children's performers" by the Boston Globe, Janice Allen has toured nationally and made frequent concert appearances in Africa and Japan. Janice Allen conducted the Boston children's choir that was featured at the Nelson Mandela Celebration at Boston Esplanade Hatch pavilion before a live audience of over 200,000 people and a national television audience. She is winner of the 1989 Boston Parent's Paper Children's Entertainer of the Year award and has performed in lead roles in “Black Nativity,” Revels, and the Wheelock Family Theatre musical “Sound of Music.”

All proceeds from The WHEEL Award celebration will benefit the educational and artistic programs at Wheelock Family Theatre.

Hope to see you there!

Beth Peters 

Blogspot Tags: wheel award, janice allen, victoria rowell, kate taylor, events