Murphys Creek Theatre Conservatory

Greetings!

My name is Chris Hayhurst and I am the Program Director for Summer on Stage - a youth arts education program at Murphy's Creek Theatre in Murphys, CA. We started this program last year because we wanted to provide Calaveras County with an arts program that would grow community and engage children and young adults with the magic and wonder that are inherent in theatre. We wanted to create a program that would put an emphasis on critical thinking and exploration, empathy for others and for the self, and generally giving the self-permission to play and have fun. We had unbelievable success last year with an incredible group of kids and parents, and we need your help to keep that momentum going.

Thanks for stopping by to read a little bit about us:

Our program is designed to immerse students ages 9-16 in a conservatory style theatre program featuring a wide array of subjects from Voice and Movement, Acting, Shakespeare Analysis & Performance, Playwriting, Improv, Stage Combat, Dance, Audition Technique. We also proudly offer design and production classes such as Scenic Design & Set Building, Lighting, Sound, Production & Stage Management.

To accomplish this feat we hire working professionals nationwide to teach our students from a diverse pool of techniques and strategies.

What we need:

By the end of last year's camp, the students had a working audition package with headshots, a working language from which they navigated text and theatrical performance, they built their own set, and mounted a full-length production of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing. This year we are mounting a full length production of A Midsummer Night's Dream!

We are asking for your help to secure the funds necessary to make the second year of this program as spectacular as the first. The cost of operations has increased because we need to pay our professionals what they are worth. But we don't want that to impact whether or not the kids can afford to participate in the camp. This GoFundMe is a tuition scholarship fund. This fund will ensure that everyone, regardless of what they can afford, will be able to take part in arts education. I know that we can accomplish our goal with the help of our national theatre family/network.

Let's continue to help foster interest and engagement of live theatre, as we build and set the stage for the next generation of American theatre artists!

Thank you for your support and for your time.

Warmly,

Chris Hayhurst

Program Director