Learn more about the cancelation of Summer Fest 2020 >

Freckleface Strawberry (Young Company Summer Festival 2019) Credit: Nile Scott Shots.

​SUMMER FESTIVAL | Acts 1 & 2
FOR STUDENTS ENTERING GRADES 4-9 

Check back later for details about this year's programing.

LOCATION
First four weeks:  Stoneham Central Middle School, 101 Central St, Stoneham MA 02180.
Fifth week:  Greater Boston Stage Company, 395 Main Street, Stoneham MA 02180.
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The Act 1 and Act 2 programs begin at the same time and include shared warm-ups, lunch, cool-downs, and some overlaps in workshops and casting.

ACT 1 (grades 4–6)
Limited to 33 students, our Act 1 Program focuses on key skills needed as an actor:
• Building a strong supportive ensemble
• Creating larger-than-life physical and vocal characters
• Developing confidence by committing to our performances and each other
• Strengthening musical ability, especially rhythm and pitch
• Strengthening dance ability, especially technique and performance

ACT 2 (grades 7–9)
Limited to 50 students, our Act 2 Program builds on the skills developed in Act 1 while widening our focus to:
• Taking on multiple perspective by tackling more dynamic characters
• Analyzing songs and scenes to uncover performance clues from playwrights and composers
• Incorporating more challenging dance styles and storytelling through dance
• Promoting agency and ownership in individual and group work.
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ESSENTIAL INFORMATION
​PROGRAM DAY
Our regular program begins promptly at 8:30am and ends at 2:30pm. To accommodate families’ schedules, students may be dropped off as early as 8:00am and can be picked up no later than 2:45pm.  The fifth and final week, our schedule changes specific times depending on which show your student is cast in.

​CONFLICTS
Part of what makes the Summer Festival so successful is the high level of intense training offered. Our process requires every student to commit to collaborating with their peers and learning the material. A student’s conflicts will factor into what role they receive. Additionally, every absence of one student has a strong impact on the entire production. We ask you to consider this while making travel plans. An excess of conflicts may mean Summer Festival 2020 is not the right opportunity for you.

REFUND POLICY
Please note, GBSC has a strict NO REFUND POLICY. Summer Festival regularly reaches capacity causing us to turn-away interested students. Additionally, from the moment your registration is received, our staff invests time planning for your student's positive experience. While cancellations are sometimes unavoidable, refunds place a financial burden on the theatre that jeopardizes the sustainability of the program and therefore cannot be accommodated. Please consider this before enrolling your student.

ENROLLMENT
Each Act is limited in size; space is filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Enrollment forms can be delivered with either the full tuition or a non-refundable deposit to our Box Office in person, by mail, or, if paying with a credit card, by calling 781-279-2200. After registration is processed, families receive an email confirmation that includes a link to an online participation packet. For all who paid with a non-refundable deposit, the remaining balance is payable in two installments, due on May 1 and June 1. All payments are non-refundable.

TUITION

• Tuition is $1200 for the Act 1 and Act 2 program.

 
FINANCIAL SUPPORT
Every year, generous donors give in excess of $10,000 in financial aid funds for The Young Company at Greater Boston Stage. Please don’t let ability to pay be a barrier to participation. Payment plans are also available by request. Visit our Financial Aid page for more information or download the Financial Aid Form.

AFTERCARE
For an additional fee, students in Overture, Act 1, and Act 2 may enroll in our Aftercare program and be picked up as late as 5:00pm for $25 per day. Children enrolled in Aftercare participate in a loosely structured program that includes daily craft time and games. Aftercare is held at Greater Boston Stage Company. Students in Act 1 and Act 2 will be driven by an instructor to the theatre. The registration form for Aftercare is included in the online participation packet.​ Click to download the Aftercare registration form. 
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PROGRAM STRUCTURE: THE FIRST FOUR WEEKS!
During the first four weeks, the program runs Monday through Friday, 8:30am-2:30pm. Actors spend roughly two-thirds of their day in show rehearsals and the remaining one-third in acting, music, dance, and stagecraft workshops.

CASTING
ALL students will be cast in one production!
For Acts 1, 2, and 3, we use the first two days of the program for the casting process. More information about what the audition process includes and how to prepare is available to each actor upon enrollment via Google docs. In casting, we combine actor preferences with our audition observations, then match them with the technical requirements of each role and learning goals for each actor. At the end of the casting process, we place students in whichever production and role best suits the respective artistic and educational needs of the program and the student. 

REHEARSALS
In rehearsals, actors work with an artistic team that includes a Director, Music Director, Choreographer and Stage Manager. Students are actively engaged to the fullest, learning material for the shows and important skills useful for both artistic advancement and personal achievement. 

WORKSHOPS
In addition to rehearsals, students participate in two daily workshops in various theatre disciplines during the first four weeks. Each workshop lasts two weeks for a total of four. All actors will participate in one acting workshop and one music workshop. All Act 1 and Act 2 students will also take a dance workshop. Previous sessions have included: set design, playwriting, Shakespeare, stage combat and audition prep! At the end of each session, some workshops share what they’ve been working on with family, friends, and fellow actors.  
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To help place students in workshops, each actor completes an online questionnaire via Google docs that assesses previous experience, training, and interest. Additionally, we use the dance audition on the first day of the program to aid in workshop placement. 

PROGRAM STRUCTURE: THE FIFTH WEEK!
TECH WEEK
Costumes, lights, and additional musicians are added during the fifth and final week, known as “tech week.” Rehearsals this week are held at Greater Boston Stage Company - both on stage and in our Large Rehearsal Room. 

During tech week, the schedule changes to accommodate multiple tech processes on one stage. The Act 1 and Act 2 programs have additional rehearsals on Saturday, August 1, 2020 and Sunday, August 2, 2020. A more specific tech calendar is included in the online participation packet after registration.

FESTIVAL PERFORMANCES
All six of the productions culminate in fully realized public performances at Greater Boston Stage Company.  Each production has three performances over the course of Thursday through Sunday of the fifth and final week.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Tyler Rosati
Director of Education
781-279-7885 x104
education@greaterbostonstage.org

WHICH PROGRAM IS RIGHT
FOR ME?
Overture for students in grades 1 – 3
Act 1 for students in grades 4 – 6
Act 2 for students in grades 7 – 9
Act 3 for students in grades 10 – 12
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FORMS 
Overture Registration Form
Acts 1, 2 & 3 Registration Form
Aftercare Form​
Financial Aid
​Payment Plan