Bucks County Playhouse (BCP) launches The Playhouse Institute, a new educational arm of the nonprofit Playhouse designed to offer training for constituencies ranging from professional educators to members of the corporate community by utilizing theater and communication skills.
Participants in the Institute will receive continuing education credits as The Playhouse was recently certified by the Pennsylvania Department of Education as an Act 48 provider.
The Institute’s first program will be unveiled May 18, when the Playhouse presents the first in a series of conferences designed for educators. With the inaugural conference focusing on directing, the one-day workshop will be held around the opening of the Playhouse’s 80th Anniversary Season and its production of “Dial ‘M’ for Murder.”
Additional one-day conferences will be held June 29 (Musical Theater Production) and Aug. 10 (Technical Theater). A special three-day conference will be offered Nov. 7 to 9, focusing on the elements of production design.
Taught by award-winning professional theater artists currently working on Broadway and at some of the best regional theaters in the country, the Conferences for Educators are designed to inspire teachers and directors of middle school, high school and college theater with innovative teaching methods, production skills and opportunities to connect with peers and Playhouse artists.
The idea for the conferences grew out of a series of focus groups that Producing Director Alexander Fraser held with teachers who were participating in the Playhouse’s annual Student Theater Festival.
“Several teachers said that there were no regional professional development opportunities for drama teachers, and in order to maintain their accreditation, they had to take classes that have no bearing on what they teach,” Fraser said.
The Playhouse has enlisted the support of a steering committee consisting of school superintendents, teachers and arts advocates. The Playhouse also received support for the program from Michael and Alison Dalewitz, David R. McShane, Sam and Happy Shipley and Jeffrey Seller for the 2019 Conferences.
Tuition for any of one-day conferences is $330 and includes breakfast, lunch and a ticket to an opening night performance/opening night party. Scholarships are available.
Tuition to the special three-day conference in November is $775.00. Scholarships are also available for this conference.
To register for any of the conferences, visit
BucksCountyPlayhouse.org or contact Ellen Gallos, education manager, at 267-603-7162.
