Geneva Underground Playhouse to offer children's acting workshops

The Geneva Underground Playhouse will hold three summer acting workshops for children ages 6 to 14. The structured programs in an actual theater environment will be held in three sessions, the first beginning Monday, June 28.

The workshops will be taught by Emily Hanna, who has a bachelor's degree in fine arts and theater from Calvin College. She is a seasoned performer and instructor.

"Going beyond entertainment, I will lead each ensemble to create a distinctive piece, discover the artist within and explore the joy of theater," said Hanna. "From the basics of script structure to the contemporary acting technique viewpoints, I will direct each unique group where they are and tailor their experience in a way that encourages and challenges them to be the best artist they can be."

This program is for all levels of experience from the child who loves acting and wants to develop skills and go to a higher level and for those who want to explore acting with little experience.

The highlight of the week will be a performance on a Saturday in the Geneva Underground Playhouse, 524 W. State St., in downtown Geneva. Each child receives some 15 hours of instruction, a stage performance, a workshop T-shirt, new friends and many memories.

The sessions and dates and times include:

• Session 1 for ages 6-9 will be June 28-July 9. Rehearsal will be from 9 a.m. to noon weekdays. The performance will be at 10 a.m. July 10. The presentation is "All That and a Bag of Chips: A Fairy Tale." In this session, participants will pick favorite fairy tales, stir them together and write their own play. Actors will learn how to work as a group, the basics of theater and the structure of a play.

• Session 2 for ages 8-10 will be July 5-16. Rehearsal will be 1 to 4 p.m. weekdays. The performance will be at 10 a.m. July 17. The presentation is "The Cinderella Remix." In this session participants will spice up the classic tale of Cinderella, jazzing up this old favorite, writing their own script and focusing on character development.

• Session 3 for ages 11-14 will be July 12-22. Rehearsal will be from 9 a.m. to noon weekdays. The performance is at 10 a.m. July 23. The presentation will be "Roses and Thorns from William Shakespeare." Participants will dive into the romance and treachery of the Bard. They will explore the poetic beauty of some of Shakespeare's most infamous love scenes right along side the dark power of scenes from his tragedies.

For information or registration, call (630) 232-7683, or visit genevaundergroundplayhouse.com.