Registrations are currently open for the Main Street Arts Council’s 2020 Main Street Summer Theater Festival which has been restructured to a virtual format in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“With so many unknowns related to the virus and out of concern for the safety of our participants, staff and volunteers, not to mention the amount of preparatory time required, we believe modifying this year’s festival is the best decision for us at this time. We are excited, in essence, to break down a typical show into its various components, allowing us to continue to provide educational, musical and performance opportunities for youth in northwest Kansas, ages 5-18, in a new medium,” said Karl Pratt, MSAC executive director.
Participation in the festival components remains free of charge to youth from the designated festival counties, including Cheyenne, Gove, Rawlins, Sheridan, Sherman, Thomas, and Wallace. Preference will be given to youth from these counties, though those in the surrounding areas are still encouraged to apply/participate. This is made possible, collectively, through the tremendous support of Dane G. Hansen Community Fund grants from the ACE Foundation, Cheyenne County Community Foundation, Gove County Community Foundation, Sheridan County Community Foundation, Sherman County Community Foundation, Thomas County Community Foundation and Wallace County Foundation. All organizations are affiliates of the Greater Northwest Kansas Community Foundation based in Bird City.
Additional financial support for our student director internship program was made possible with a grant from the Friends of the Cottonwood Ranch, as well as our selection into the Nex-Generation Round Up for Youth, Inc. Intern program. And a marketing intern position was made possible through the Dane G. Hansen Summer Intern Initiative facilitated by K-State Research and Extension.
“We are so grateful to our funding organizations as well as our business sponsors and individual donors for their support of our program and belief in our mission to help spread the arts across the region,” noted Pratt. “We simply can’t say ‘thank you’ enough!”
The festival includes the following components:
1) Theater Workshops - June 1 through July 24
- Workshops will be held weekly for 30 minutes, broken into age groups of 5-7, 8-10, 11-13 and 14-18 years.
- Topics will include a variety of acting exercises with weekly “homework” assignments.
- These will be held throughout June and July.
2) Skits and Scenes Program - June 1 through July 24
- Participants will be cast into monologues, duets or small ensemble skits/scenes based on age (broken into age groups of 5-7, 8-10, 11-13 and 14-18 years) and ability.
- Individual skit/scene rehearsals will be scheduled with each receiving, at minimum, one rehearsal per week for 10, 20 or up to 30 minutes depending on length.
- Skits/scenes will be recorded, edited and made available for public viewing throughout the summer.
- Participants will have the opportunity to participate in up to two different skits/scenes throughout the summer.
3) Dance Program - June 1 through June 26
- Participants will rehearse a dance routine culminating in individual participants recording themselves and submitting them to be edited into a comprehensive video that will be shared online.
- Rehearsals will be held twice weekly for 30 minutes each broken into age groups of 5-7, 8-12, 13-18 years. Each rehearsal session will be recorded and posted to the private MSAC Vimeo page for practice purposes in between sessions.
- The program will last for four weeks in June.
- ***Age groups are suggestions; if individual student dance ability permits them to join a higher age group, we are happy to accommodate such requests.
4) Virtual/Zoom Musical Production of "Mirror Image" - June 1 through July 31
- The full-length musical “Mirror Image” will be produced virtually for students grades 7-12, including graduating seniors, only.
- Participants from all seven designated festival counties as well as the surrounding areas will be eligible, though, casting will be limited to 31 participants.
- Rehearsals will be held Mondays through Thursdays for up to an hour in length, held weekly throughout June and July.
- As part of the recording process, participants will record themselves singing and acting scenes individually, submitting videos to be professionally edited (both sound and video) through a contract with the professional audio/video engineering firm, Arts Laureate.
- The final video will be made available for public viewing on our website at the conclusion of the summer.
Adjustments to the program schedules may be made as needed.
Those wishing to participate are required to register online at www.mainstreetartscouncil.com/msstf2020 where they can also find more detailed festival and schedule information as well as audition requirements. A priority deadline of Friday, May 29 has been set. Those wishing to register after that date are asked to contact the arts council at mainstreetartscouncil@gmail.com to ensure availability.
The arts council is led by Karl Pratt, executive director, and Bonnie Cameron, creative director/founder. They are assisted by Jan Moore, regional office manager. While based in Hoxie, the Main Street Art Council aims to serve the northwest Kansas region.
Along with the summer theater festival, the arts council is currently offering FREE Virtual Art Classes for all ages via Facebook Live. Visit www.mainstreetartscouncil.com/events to learn more and register, then plan to follow along on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mainstreetartscouncil. At this time, the annual Main Street Art Walk is still scheduled for Friday, Aug. 21. A determination of whether to continue with the live event or reformat to a virtual offering as well will be decided at a later date.
All MSAC programming is made possible through the financial support of paid members, donations, and grants. To support MSAC in its endeavor to promote the arts, encourage creativity, serve the Arts community, and act as an advocate for the Arts, please consider paid membership. Varying levels are available for both individuals and businesses, each offering a multitude of benefits and advertising premiums in acknowledgment of support.
Visit www.mainstreetartscouncil.com/join-us for more information and to join today.
Contact Pratt at mainstreetartscouncil@gmail.com with questions related to the summer theater festival or other general inquiries.
