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Collaboration and creation at Summer Theatre Intensive

posted by School of Theatre on Thu, Mar 10, 2011
in School of Theatre

By Allison Whorton
Education Fellow

Berkeley Rep School of Theatre’s Summer Theatre Intensive is entering its 10th year. Over the last decade, middle- and high-school students have spent their summers at our School, and from June to August our building is abuzz with lots of learning, creating, and laughing. But why not hear it from the source? I talked with some Summer Theatre Intensive experts (a.k.a. the teens themselves) and here is what they had to say:

“Spending my summers at Berkeley Rep helped me realize how amazing it can feel to spend my entire day getting to do something I love surrounded by people who feel exactly the same way. You get the opportunity to spend all day building almost every aspect of your acting skills, and then create a play that demonstrates how much everyone, regardless of skill level, has learned. There’s a tremendous amount of community building involved, and two days in everyone could swear they’ve been friends forever.” -- Sierra Baggins, a junior at Berkeley High School

“My favorite part about the Summer Theatre Intensive is creating and performing the final group production, but also getting to watch the other groups perform. Everyone’s show is always so diverse and creative.” -- Bowen Bethards, a sophomore at Albany High School

Here are some of the words that the teens said “first came to mind” when they thought about their Berkeley Rep summer experience:

Creation
Dramatic
Fun
Learning
Friendship
Amazing

Our expert Bowen says it best: “you just need to take it once, and then you will want to come back next year.”

If you know a teen looking for a fun-filled theatre experience this summer, send them to www.berkeleyrep.org/summerintensive. Financial aid is available.