PRESS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: MARCH 8, 2016
CONTACT: Kate Brandt, kate.brandt@mrt.org
PR CONTACT PHONE: 978-654-7595
BOX OFFICE: 978-654-4678
ONLINE: mrt.org
MRT ADDS EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, RELAUNCHES YOUNG COMPANY
New opportunities for young people to connect with professional theatre artists
Lowell, MA – Merrimack Repertory Theatre is unveiling a newly-expanded Young Company, which will encourage area students’ participation in the theatre and connect them with leading theatre professionals from around the country. The new program begins with a two-week intensive summer program and continues throughout the year with access to MRT’s staff and visiting artists. The Young Company is the first initiative of the recently formed MRT Education Department, led by local theatre educator Amy Menkin.
The Young Company is open to students entering grades 6-12 with an interest in theatre, but no prior theatrical experience is required. During each of the two-week summer sessions (July 11-22 for grades 6-8, July 25 – Aug 5 for grades 9-12), students will work with members of the MRT Patriot Program to develop skills needed to communicate their ideas through theatre. They will create a unique theatrical performance that will be performed on MRT’s Nancy L. Donahue stage at the culmination of the session.
The program continues throughout the MRT production season, allowing students to form a long-term relationship with the company and learn more about how a professional theatre operates. They will be invited to observe rehearsals, the technical process rehearsals, and new-play workshops. They will also be invited to learn from visiting theatre professionals during artist talks. More information about the program, including registration, is available at mrt.org/youngcompany. Early bird pricing is available through April 1 and scholarships are available.
In addition to leading the Young Company, Director of Education Amy Menkin will lead MRT’s efforts to create a top notch education program that will benefit and inspire countless numbers of students.
Menkin has taught theater classes at Creative Arts School in Reading, MA and in Lawrence, MA. She has worked for 12 summers at Tufts Children's Theatre at Tufts University, teaching drama and directing many children's theatre shows. She worked as a teaching artist for TheatreWorks Silicon Valley for two years, and taught numerous acting and public speaking classes in the San Francisco Bay Area. She has a B.A. in Theatre from Smith College and a M.A. in Theatre Education from Emerson College, and has her Massachusetts teaching licenses in Theater and English.
Menkin was selected to build the Education Department at MRT by artistic director Sean Daniels. “What an honor to add Amy Menkin to our artistic staff. If we’re going to be a community leader, we need an education program that is as vibrant and nationally known as the work we do on stage. I have no doubt Amy can build this program for us and positively affect our theatre and our community."
Menkin says, “I'm thrilled to be joining MRT in working to bring education and the arts to the community. I am excited to be a part of a new program that will give students the opportunity to work with industry professionals, while also enriching their lives in new and creative ways. I am confident that with the talented staff at MRT we can work together to create an education program that is as exciting and innovative as the work done already on stage here.”
Merrimack Repertory Theatre (MRT) has been Merrimack Valley’s professional theatre company since 1979, and is an integral part of Lowell’s identity as the cultural heart of the region. The company is known for its high production standards and for creating compelling new plays and regional premieres that reflect the lives and emotions of its audiences. MRT is one of just three theatres in Massachusetts that is a member of the League of Resident Theatres (LORT), which has 72 members nationwide.
Merrimack Repertory Theatre
Performance Space: The Nancy L. Donahue Theatre
(In Liberty Hall, adjacent to Lowell Memorial Auditorium)
50 E. Merrimack Street
Lowell, MA 01852
Box Office: 978-654-4678
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