Long Beach Playhouse recently completed its Summer Youth Workshop for children. The workshop began 14 years ago to offer unique exposure to young people. Operations director Christa Svorinich, who developed the program, says it provides an environment for many types of children. “We usually have the artistic children who are naturals onstage and want to perfect a craft. We have children who struggle in school during class projects who want to overcome fear of public speaking,” she said. “We have children who feel the desire to express themselves in facets other than sports, dance, etc. This program also allows for all those children to express themselves freely in a nonjudgmental atmosphere.”
Svorinich says what makes the program a success is the overall determination of the students and the instructors. “Children are born free of inhibition and are taught in our society to suppress their ingenuity, many times losing touch with their imagination,” she said. “Once the children feel comfortable in their environment, the end product is truly inspiring.”
In the program, the kids are taught the basics of acting, movement and voice. In acting, they learn the common stage terminology, how to memorize a script, improvisation, projection, line delivery and basic stage awareness. In movement, they learn pantomime, physical comedy, staged combat, facial expression and body expression. In voice, the children are instructed on the basics of singing, vocal range, vocal expression and lyrical delivery.
This year, 68 children were enrolled, two of whom were accepted on scholarship. The workshop ran from June 30 through August 1, with a final performance on August 2.
For more information about Long Beach Playhouse’s Summer Youth Workshop, contact Svorinich at (562) 494-1014 ext. 501.
