Theater program opens new world to children

Theater program opens
new world to children
BY JOYCE BLAY
Staff Writer

LAKEWOOD — Hollywood’s Boule-vard of Dreams beckons far from the streets of Lakewood, but with a grant awarded to the Lakewood school district, aspiring thespians entering grades five though nine can perform at the Strand Theater this summer.

"For three weeks, the children will be learning the basics of drama and then putting on a production," said Pat Snyder, 21st Century Grant coordinator. "This grant pays for the Missoula Children’s Theater Company to come in that last week to audition the children, assign them parts, rehearse with them, teach them the staging, all that’s entailed with producing a children’s play."

Although the Lakewood Community School’s Summer Youth Theater Workshop is not new, it is the first time the district has been able to employ a children’s theater company to prepare children for a professional production.

Angela Corenblith, who has directed Lakewood High School productions, will also provide instruction.

The culmination of the program will be a joint production with the Strand Theater, which is running its own children’s theater program. That program is not free, but the Lakewood Community School’s theater program is, according to Snyder.

"We’re enhancing the program by partnering with the Strand Theater to provide the children of Lakewood with an opportunity to perform," she said. "With this grant, we now have the funds to partner with the Strand Theater."

Snyder said the 21st Century Grant is a federally funded pro­gram. This spring, the Lakewood School District received notifi­cation that its grant application for the program’s funding had been approved. The state, which distributes the five-year grants to qualifying applicants, will begin releasing funding to the district beginning July 1.

That is welcome news for ev­erybody involved in preparing the grant application, said Superintendent of Schools Ernest Cannava.

"I’m very pleased that the Lakewood School District has written a grant that will provide up to $500,000 a year for five years," he said. "This grant pro­vides interaction with other Lakewood community organiza­tions, enabling more children and parents to become involved in their child’s education."

Snyder said that in the future school district administrators hope to partner with the Lakewood branch of the Ocean County Library, which runs a Homework In Progress program; Ocean County College, which runs the Camp Viking program to address the academic needs of children selected to participate; Lakewood Community Services, which is run by Rabbi Moshe Z. Weisberg; Big Brothers-Big Sisters of Ocean County; and the Ocean County Vo-Tech school district’s ETTC after-school enrichment program.

The summer youth theater pro­gram runs from July 12 to Aug. 5 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Residents who will be entering grades five through nine in the fall may enroll.

Michael Matta, community school administrator, said parents may still enroll their children during the first week of the pro­gram. At the conclusion of the program, there will be two per­formances scheduled at the Strand Theater for family and friends.

This year the featured produc­tion will be "Hansel and Gretel." On Aug. 7, there will be two public performances of the play at the Strand, Clifton Avenue and 4th Street.

Snyder said the program will offer children an opportunity they might not otherwise have open to them.

"The exposure and experience of performing in the Strand may affect their lives" and the direction of their careers, she said.

For further information, Lakewood residents can contact the community school at (732) 905-3685. Non-residents who are interested in the Strand Theater’s program for children may call (732) 367-7789.