For two weeks this summer, drama, music and art have filled the halls of McMinnville’s historic Park Theater.
The Park Theater, in partnership with Warren Arts, is presenting the “Warren Arts Extravaganza,” a collaborative work which takes the stage at 2 p.m. this Saturday. The show features appearances from popular characters including Buddy the Elf, Shrek, and characters from the Wizard of Oz. The Extravaganza will also feature handmade props and set pieces designed by the gifted students of Warren County.
The Warren Arts Extravaganza is a retrospective including aspects of previous Warren Arts productions. The first week of this year’s drama camp focused mainly on acting, while the second week was primarily focused on music and choreography. Participants were able to participate in either, or both, weeks of the camp.
The drama program consisted of two exciting six-day courses which educated participants in all levels of a theatrical production. The camp’s second week ran Monday through Saturday, and concludes with tomorrow’s show conducted by the local students. This week’s production includes 63 local students and more than 10 volunteers who rotate in based on their availability. The show begins at 2 p.m. July 20.
Participants are involved in set design, set staging, prop construction, acting and singing in the performance. Students were given the opportunity to create designs for props and backdrops. The student designs are then crafted, with the help of volunteers, into set pieces and props for the production. Camp co-director Rachel McGee stated another key aspect of the program is developing leadership skills by allowing students the opportunity to take a director’s role. The drama camp also focused on developing a passion for community work in students and encouraging them to be active members of their community.
Local business owners and volunteers go above and beyond by providing their time and materials to bring local students’ visions to life on stage. McGee stated that while the program ended for the kids at three on Monday, volunteers stayed an extra four hours assigning parts to ensure every child plays a meaningful part in the production.
The production was written by recent graduate and Warren County resident Meah Sewell, who is a long-time volunteer at the Park Theater. Sewell has been involved in multiple productions with Warren Arts, and has organized this production as a homage to the past few years of Warren Arts productions.
Park Theater assistant manager Ashley Gillentine Wright shared her perspective on the camp’s purpose.
“The heart of the Park Theater is local performances, and what better way to ensure the future of the arts in Warren County than to get kids excited about it,” Wright said.
Tickets for Saturday’s show are free to the public. Seating is limited, however, due to large numbers of campers and their families who will be in attendance.
