Performing Arts Consortium Opens Enrollment for Theatre Professional Actor Training Workshop

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - July 8, 2015 - PRLog -- ST. PETERSBURG, FL (July 8, 2015)— Enrollment is now open for the Performing Arts Consortium’s Theatre Training Workshop for students entering grades 9–12. The experiential theatre education program will run from August 3^rd - August 14^th, Monday - Friday, 10:00a to 3:00p, at the Catherine A. Hickman Theater, 5501 27^th Avenue South, Gulfport, FL. The fully staged public performances will take place on August 15^th and 16^th at the same location.

WHAT: Professional Actor Training Workshop

WHEN:  Aug 3^rd - Aug 14^th, Monday - Friday, 10:00a to 3:00p, final performance on Aug 15^th and 16^th

WHERE:  Catherine A. Hickman Theater, 5501 27^th Avenue South, Gulfport, FL

During the two-week long workshop, students will learn character development, dancing, singing and miming with professional theatre artists. Performers are immersed in the process of mounting a production like professional actors. The musical, Bullies Unmasked, is an original production about the problems young people face with bullying today. Performers will go through the process of learning the play, lyrics and melodies, which were written by Leslie “Misty” Waters, with full performance of the musical taking place on August 15^th and 16^th. Performers will then have the opportunity to formally join the Theatre Group and be cast in future productions.

The musical concerns a typical day in the lives of students in school as they face bullying. The main characters range from the school’s staff, to bullies and their victims, and others affected by bullying. The musical’s lyrics and melodies reflect the characters’ intense emotions, while backgrounds are also given as an understanding of the students’ motivations behind bullying. The musical has been written in hopes of raising awareness of the effects of bullying and how these misfortunes are most likely to occur to victims of poverty, various sexual orientations, physical challenges, school achievement levels etc.

“We want to make a difference in the lives of those who are bullied,” said Kirsten Perea, Executive Director of the Performing Arts Consortium. “Bullies Unmasked is being produced as an awareness that bullied students are not alone in their struggles.”

Waters said, “One of the most moving experiences came from composing my music and lyrics as I recalled my experiences as a lonely bullied child, eventually only knowing numbness to block out the physical and emotional pain.  However, it was such a thrill for me to work with the musicians at Big 3 Recording Studios where the sessions helped give birth to my songs.”

Waters was an easy target for school bullies. She was a scrawny, asthmatic child who had to wear orthopedic shoes for scoliosis and had to take the ‘special’ bus for years. After being called names and suffering years of physical abuse, she eventually built strong defensive walls to diminish her feelings. After researching and interviewing others with bullied backgrounds, her resolve is to help other children with her same experiences.  This is why the production of Bullies Unmasked means so much to her.

The Professional Actor Training Workshop, at a cost of $295 for two weeks of instruction and a performance show, is open to studentsentering grades 9-12 (Full and partial scholarships are also available to a select number of students).  Perea then hopes to cast the best performers for the professional production of the musical. Once produced, taped and distributed, the musical is aimed to become a resource for further classroom discussion of the national bullying problem. The Performing Arts Consortium has set up a fundraising account through IndieGogo, to raise funds for the musical’s professional production.

The Performing Arts Consortium: The Performing Arts Consortium is a production, development, and educational company for the advancement of the arts. Dedicated to producing and developing new works for stage and film, encompassing all genres of the arts, The Consortium aspires to touch hearts, change lives, and bring new and local artists into the forefront of the public eye. For more information, call 727.258.8315, or email Producer/Director Kirsten Perea at kperea@tampabay.rr.com.

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