Spaces Available for December Vacation Week Classes

Looking for a fun, enriching activity for your child during their December vacation? There are a few spaces remaining in the Wheelock Family Theatre’s December vacation week classes, held December 28, 2015 through January 1, 2016

Ranging from musical theatre to Shakespeare, WFT classes will teach your child new skills and help build their confidence on stage and off. Descriptions of the classes for each age group are below, or you can see a complete listing on our website.

If you'd like to register, you can do so online or call us at 617-879-1175. If you would like our help in selecting the best choice(s) for your child, please contact Lloyd Woodcock at 617-879-1175 or lwoodcock@wheelock.edu

Vacation Week Classes

Ages 5-6 Winter Animal Tales.

December Vacation Week: 5-day session. December 28 – January 1. 8:30am - 3:00pm.

Tuition: $450. No extended day.

Although some animals are hibernating, there are others out frolicking and playing in the snow. Students will create characters and stories based on the animals that thrive during winter.

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Ages 7-8 Act Now!.

December Vacation Week: 5-day session. December 28 – January 1, 9:00am - 3:30pm.

Tuition: $450. Extended day 3:30-5:00pm, $75/week.

What are the essential skills any good actor must have? In this class, beginners and more experienced performers will explore and build upon the fundamentals of acting through movement, voice, and building a character.

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Ages 9-11 Scene into Song: The Art of the Musical Theatre Segue.

December Vacation Week: 5-day session. December 28 – January 1, 9:00am - 3:30pm.

Tuition: $450. Extended day 3:30-5:00pm, $75/week.

Musical theatre is full of fantastic transitions. In this class, students will learn how to transition from a scene to a song, creating a believable shift that allows the audience to follow a character’s journey.

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Ages 12-16 The Sound and Fury of Shakespeare.

December Vacation Week: 5-day session. December 28 – January 1, 9:00am - 3:30pm.

Tuition: $450. Extended day 3:30-5:00pm, $75/week.

Shakespeare’s words come to life as students explore the actions and tempo of the Bard’s writings. Using script analysis, movement techniques, and other acting tools, students will begin to unlock the power of Shakespeare’s plays.

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Theatre as a Rehearsal for Life!

Education Programs at Wheelock Family Theatre

Wheelock Family Theatre’s Education Programs are sustained by both a professional theatre staff and Wheelock College, whose mission is improving the quality of life for children and families. Child-development faculty from Wheelock College work with artist-educators from WFT to create a challenging and rigorous theater curriculum that is available throughout the year. The result is a dynamic and exciting education program for students between the ages of 5 and 18. A scope and sequence process can inspire at any age. Some young people might pursue a career in the arts, some may develop an appreciation for patronage, and others might take the practices of critical thinking and creative problem solving into business or science. WFT wants to develop healthy, caring, engaged citizens with the necessary tools and skill sets for life!

WFT's new Director of Education: Lloyd Woodcock

WFT is pleased to welcome Lloyd Woodcock to the Wheelock community as Wheelock Family Theatre’s new Director of Education. Lloyd began on July 1 and already has endeared himself to students, parents, and teachers alike. Prior to WFT, he worked with the celebrated “TADA! Youth Theatre” in New York. As the former Theatre Coordinator of the New York City Department of Education’s public schools, Lloyd oversaw multiple programs and collaborations, including those with the Shubert Foundation and Music Theatre International Broadway Jr.

And a great big thank you to John Bay upon his retirement!

To the Wheelock Community,



It is with mixed emotions that I write to inform you that John Bay is retiring, effective June 30. As WFT’s first full-time Director of Education John built a model program that continues to thrive. Firmly grounded in child development and multiple intelligences theories, he hired and mentored countless teachers in a child-centered approach to teaching and learning through and about the arts. He developed longstanding partnerships with schools and organizations to make classes available to students who are most in need. With intelligence, thoughtful planning, a collaborative spirit, and openness to new approaches, John made the WFT’s education program a crucial component of the theatre.

Living the Moment: Teen Intensive

The Advance Performance Intensive for teens was terrific! Such a talented crew and such varied work they presented, scenes from "Asleep on the Wind" by Ellen Byron, "Blithe Spirit" by Noel Coward,  "The Women of Lockerbie" by Deborah Brevoort, "Lovers" by Brian Friel, and "The Case of the Crushed Petunias" by Tennessee Williams.

Musical Intensive: Helen on 86th Street

The 2-week Musical Intensive class performed "Helen on 86th St" on Friday August 15 AND playwright Nicole Kempskie and composer Robby Stamper came to see the show!

Circus Spendida at WFT

Our summer students (7-9 yrs. old) have prepared the mini-musical, CIRCUS SPLENDIDA.

Background for Helen on 86th St. THE TROJAN WAR

The ancient Greek story of the war between Greece and Troy is an epic of love, revenge, sorrow and bloodshed. But this quick overview will help in the background of WFT Musical Performance Intensive, "Helen on 86th St."

 

When the goddess of Discord made trouble by throwing a golden apple labeled 'to the fairest' into the midst of a party of gods and goddesses, three goddesses all rushed to claim it.  Paris, a prince of Troy, is asked to settle the argument: just who is the fairest?  Each goddess tempted him with a bribe.  The first, Hera, offered him a wide empire.  The second, Athena, offered him glory in war.  Lastly, Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty, offered him the most beautiful woman in the world. This last offer he could not resist. And who is this beauty? Helen.

The most beautiful woman in the world, Helen, was married to king, Menelaos.  Since Aphrodite had promised Helen to Paris, she made Paris journey to Greece and made sure he was irresistible to Helen.  So Helen ran away with Paris to Troy, leaving her husband behind.  Not such a good move.

To reclaim his wife, Menelaos took his troops to Troy, led by his brother Agamemnon, and the greatest warrior in all of Greece, Achilles.  Troy fought back and after nine years the war waged on.  Agamemnon and Achilles fought (over another woman) and Achilles was determined to punish Agamemnon, so he refused to fight.  Without Achilles things went badly for the Greeks.  Achilles' best friend Patroklos persuaded Achilles to let him lead the troops himself and in Achilles armor, Patroklos fought brilliantly but was killed by Hector, the Trojan champion, and one of Paris's brothers.

Achilles was full of sorrow and rage. Now he wanted to rejoin the battle to avenge his friend's death, but he had no armor. He begged his mother, the sea-goddess Thetis, to get him some new armor made by the smith god.  Equipped with new armor, Achilles raged through the battle looking for Hector.  Finally the two great warriors met. Each was supported by a god.  As Achilles rushed forward, his goddess Athena stood behind him. As Hector fell, the god Apollo was forced to leave him.

Even though he had killed Hector, Achilles was not yet fated to die. He still had time to fight the Amazons, fierce female warriors who were on the side of the Trojans.  The Amazons fought hard and killed many Greeks, but when their brave queen, Penthesilea, came face to face with Achilles, she had met her match.

Paris was desperate to avenge his brother's murder.  He managed to fire an arrow into the one area of weakness that Achilles had - in the heel of his foot.  Achilles was killed just as his mother had foreseen.  However, Paris himself died in battle soon after.

The war had now gone on for ten years.  To win, the Greeks knew they had to somehow get their troops inside the city of Troy.  They came up with a clever plan.  They made a huge hollow wooden horse, filled it with their best warriors and left it outside the city, then they pretended to sail away. Thinking it would bring them luck, the Trojans brought the horse inside.  After nightfall, the Greeks hidden in the horse sneaked out and opened the gates to the rest of the army.

When the Greeks got inside the city, they began killing people wildly.  To make sure that none of Hector's family lived to avenge his death, they even killed his old father Priam, the king of Troy, and his baby son Astyanax.

Menelaos found Helen.  He drew his sword to kill her because of all the trouble she had caused, but the goddess Aphrodite protected her, and when Menelaos looked at Helen, he was so overwhelmed with her beauty that his sword fell to the ground. And so the war ended.