The Transition of Doodle Pequeño

“Oranges the size of pumpkins, vampires, devil horns, tutus and learning to speak “goat” – it’s Halloween and Doodle is the new kid in the quadraplex. When a neighbor dons his favorite costume, the other kids take notice, and taunts of “gay” ring in the air. This play for young audiences, presented as a staged reading, takes a look at a fifth grade boy’s journey to discover his identity and the bumps in the road along his way.”

Come join TAPs Program and Marketing Coordinator, Brian Fahey in The Transition of Doodle Pequeño, The play is about, among other things, a young boy questioning his gender identity.It was written by Gabriel Jason Dean (UT playwriting student) and directed by Abra Chusid (UT Drama/Theatre for Youth Student). It’s part of the New Works Festival at UT.

Come out March 29th or March 30th at 6:30 pm at the AT&T Conference Center (in the ampitheatre). It’s free and about an hour long.

Hope to see some of you there!

TAP at Convio Cares Sign Up Rally

What a terrific time we had at the Convio Cares Week Project Rally on Wednesday. Theatre Action Project was on hand, with several other area nonprofits, to sign up Convio employees who were searching for just the right project with which to contribute their time during Convio Cares Week in April. Kelly Schiller, Community Relations VISTA was proud of our table display at today’s Convio Cares Sign Up Rally. We had several Convio volunteers as well as other nonprofits coming by to check out our table.

It was easy to see why Convio was touted as one of the best places work in 2010 by the Austin Business Journal. Their employees were given time during the work day to visit with nonprofits at the rally to find just the right fit for their passion and interests Everyone was treated to special cups of Amy’s Ice Cream and a vast amount of opportunities with Austin nonprofits. Convio actively encourages their staff to volunteer in order to strengthen the nonprofit sector and improve the community in which they live.

TAP is looking forward to working with Convio volunteers in April. Thanks Convio!

On the Red Carpet

At Friday’s Theatre Action Project Film Festival (aka Spring Break Camp sharing), Lights! Camera! Action!, famed leading ladies and gentlemen strolled down the red carpet with the paparazzi, press and screaming fans. The red carpet was filled with stars and directors galore. It was THE event of Spring Break! (Okay it wasn’t really that hectic, but to see the campers get the chance to stroll down a red carpet after such a fun week was quite a sight.)

This past Friday, we were able to view the films that the Spring Break campers worked on all week. We had a red carpet that they strolled in on as well as popcorn to add to the experience. I have to say that we are looking at the filmmakers of the future; the movies were so creative and full of entertainment. We saw films by two production companies: Haunted Productions and Show Off Flicks which were composed of our younger and older campers. There were numerous laughs and smiles from not only the audience, but the actors and directors themselves, our very own campers!

This week the campers learned all about directing, story boarding, writing as well as how to be an actor. The campers all really seemed to enjoy the camp and making new friends. All the families really enjoyed watching the movies the children helped to create and star in! It was a wonderful way to spend a Friday afternoon. Check out more pictures on our Flicker page.

We would like to extend a thank you to Marcelo, Lillie and Florinda for a job well done! Also, thank you to everyone who helped put this all together and helped out during the week!

If you think that Spring Break camp was fun, just wait until this summer. Summer Camp will be happening June 20-August 12, with each week being a different theme full of fun and adventure. If you are interested in participating, click here to learn more and/or to register.

Lights! Camera! Actions!

The anticipation is building and the stage is set for Theatre Action Project Spring Break campers as they prepare to showcase their film work this afternoon at the Rawson Sanders School. The sharing of their work will involve film shorts created by campers this week who have learned filmmaking elements, including:
· Cameras and camera angles
· Set, sound and lighting
· Casting and directing actors, and
· Film crew positions

So if you’re ready for the walk down the red carpet, come join us for the premiere of today’s new filmmakers. I just love a good movie. Don’t you?

Spring Breaking!

It’s day 2 of TAP’s Spring Break Camp. The office is quiet with camp staff and volunteers on site at the Rawson Saunders School working with campers on “Lights, Camera, Action!” who are creating original films this week. Budding Steven Spielberg’s and Kathryn Bigelow’s are in the making! We can’t wait to see their films.

If you are interested in signing up for TAP’s Summer Camp, we are taking online registration NOW. Click here to sign up!

Theatre Action Project is also searching for volunteers to help our staff at this year’s summer camp, June 20 – August 12, at the McCallum Fine Arts Academy. The full day camps are for students ages 5-12. Camp students are divided into smaller groups and work toward a final sharing at the end of the week for parents and families. Each week is a different theme ranging from acting, puppetry, and playmaking to dance, music and filmmaking.

Who is the ideal camp volunteer? It is someone who likes to work with young people, uses their imagination and creativity, and wants to learn more about theatre from our TAP staff.

Volunteers help TAP staff distribute supplies, participate in activities, and keep an eye on student behavior. They will work directly with the campers during creative art projects and give praise and guidance to campers. Other responsibilities may include helping students learn lines or staging, leading outdoor group games, and sharing any other theatre skills and interests during the camps. Camp volunteers are needed 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. We would like to have two volunteers for each of the eight weeks of camp. If you can help for 1 week, two, or more, we would love to hear from you.

Please contact Kelly Schiller, Community Relations VISTA at kelly@theatreactionproject.org if you are interested in working as a summer camp volunteer.