The Souris Valley Theatre is providing students in the southeast the opportunity to catch a glimpse of the opportunities available to them at the theatre’s Youth Musical Camp, which will run from July 6 to July 27, through a series of specialized workshops.
Students in Grades 1 through 12 will be able to participate in these workshops at their school during the month of May, during which Souris Valley Theatre’s camp co-ordinator Joshua Pele will be touring the schools and leading the workshops.
With a focus on role-drama, Pele said the workshops will serve as a creative outlet for anyone interested in being someone else for an hour.
“They’ll be able to take on any given circumstance and totally immerse themselves in that world,” he said, adding lessons will be centred around these scenarios.
One of the workshops referenced by Pele includes an exercise involving the Story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Participants take on the role of one of the bears and according to Pele, they come up with a plan to stop Goldilocks.
The workshops are designed with the participating age groups in mind, and include key items from the Saskatchewan curriculum, therefore allowing teachers to integrate these workshops into their classes.
Pele graduated from ECS and is currently attending Northern Colorado University. He has a degree in theatre education with music minor.
Pele said the camps and workshops are sponsored by the Estevan Lions Club, Trobert Law Firm and Kohaly, Elash, and Ludwig Law Firm.
The workshops will take place on May 27, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Spruce Ridge and on Wednesday at Pleasantdale during the same time period.
Along with the elementary school workshops, Pele will be attending the Estevan Comprehensive School’s Drama 10 and Drama 20/30 class for the entire week of June 8. These extra days at the high school will help the students to further develop their acting and improvisation skills covered in their drama class, Pele said.
“It’s a great way for anyone to be creative and work on their team-building skills,” he said, noting feedback from youth who participated in the camp and workshops in years past was extremely positive.
