A Red OrKids presents: The New PlayGround Workshop

Go behind the scenes and discover the artistic crossroads of acting ensemble, director and playwright in collaboration. In a week-long workshop for young theatre artists, get an immersive crash course on the actual process used amongst professional theatres in developing new work. Guided by professional Director Steven Wilson and Playwright Shannon Pritchard, students will develop ensemble skills and working knowledge of how a play grows in strength from page to stage. Each three hour class will include games and exercises to create ensemble, fortify performance skills and invigorate the story building of a new play.

Steven Wilson is a freelance director, actor and educator. Previously with A Red Orchid, Steven directed the world premiere of Craig Wright's adaptation of The Iliad and the Chicago premiere of A Very Merry Unauthorized Children's Scientology Pageant, which was the catalyst for the founding of A Red Orchid Theatre's Youth Ensemble. Steven was also a long standing member of The Hypocrites, where he performed in over a dozen productions. Most recently, he directed Green Day's American Idiot, which launched The Hypocrites' 19th Season. Steven has over ten years of education experience and has worked with a wide spectrum of students from ages seven to adult.

Shannon Pritchard is a playwright and educator originally from Los Angeles. She received a BFA in Theatre from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where she trained at Playwrights Horizons Theater School and co-founded The Accidental Shakespeare Company. She spent her summers during college adapting Shakespeare for middle schoolers and teaching storytelling classes at theater camp. Shannon received her MFA in Writing for the Screen + Stage from Northwestern University, where she studied under Rebecca Gilman, Thomas Bradshaw, and A Red Orchid company member Brett Neveu. Her plays have been produced and developed by Jackalope Theatre, TimeLine, The Second City, Chicago Dramatists and A Red Orchid's Incubator series. Shannon is a two-time Eugene O’Neil Playwrighting Conference semi-finalist (2014 & 2015), a Humanitas Drama nominee, and has received commissions from Next Theatre and the DePaul Theatre School.

July 18-22 4th-8th grades
July 25-29 9th-12th grades
Monday - Friday 9am-12pm *Friday 12pm-1pm
Parents/family invited for presentation of work*

$350/ session

To register contact anthony@aredorchidtheatre.org.