This summer, Young Actors Space (YAS) is proud to host its 17th Annual Summer Production Conservatory.
The conservatory is run by Patrick Day, owner and Artistic Director of YAS, and Nora Eckstein, Associate Director at YAS for 35 years. The Annual Production Conservatory will mark the 17th original play performed by actors from ages 10-17.
The play – written by Eckstein – is a work in progress right up until the performances and is heavily influenced by the students input throughout the camp based on improvisational scenes they perform during the week. The original plays vary in genre from murder mystery to epic westerns to Shakespeare adaptations. The camp is a fast-paced workshop where actors from all over the world create an original production in about 75 hours over two weeks. Actors get to experience the art of creating a play from concept to final performance in the YAS Theatre.
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“Our summer production workshop offers a truly unique theatrical experience for young actors,” says Eckstein, who has written 14 original plays for young actors, as well as scores of scenes and monologues.
“There are no ‘spear-carriers’ or ‘townspeople’ in our shows – they are ensemble plays, with everyone having a good part, no matter how large the cast. I write to the actors’ strengths and skills, and everyone has a chance to shine.”
“We are looking for actors with endurance, fortitude and heart that can work really hard in an incredibly positive and supportive environment to make this year’s flower bloom,” says Day, who directs the conservatory’s play. Day himself started out as a child actor, appearing in such films as “Ernest Goes to Camp” and American Playhouse’s “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” as the titular character. “Since Nora and I started building these original ensemble shows, I look forward to summer again like I did when I was 13 years old.”
Past students who have participated in camp have gone on to have professional careers as actors. “My time at the Young Actors Space summer conservatory were some of the best summers I’ve had,” says YAS actor Fallon Smythe (Disney’s “I Didn’t Do It” and Nickelodeon’s “Lost in the West” trilogy). “The conservatory gave me the opportunity to work on my craft and be a part of something completely original.”
Students also get to work with actors of all ages. “It gives you great experience working with a variety of different age groups,” says Robert Prephan (CBS’s “Scorpion”). “You don’t just work with new people, you make new friends.”
Other past participants include Nichole Bloom (NBC’s “Superstore,” Showtime’s “Shameless”), Uriah Shelton (Netflix’s “13 Reasons Why,” Disney’s “Girl Meets World”) and Hudson Thames (ABC Family’s “The Secret Life of the American Teenager,” ABC’s “Malibu Country”). Camp alumni have also been accepted into undergrad programs at UCLA, NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, UC Berkeley, Chapman University, USC and The Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London.
The YAS Summer Production Conservatory is for kids and teens ages 10-17 and runs from July 9 – 22, 2018. It includes roughly 75 camp hours, and 4 performances for friends, family and invited industry professionals. The cost for camp is $1,300. Registration is available at www.YoungActorsSpace.com or by calling (818) 785-7979.
Established in 1979, Young Actors Space (YAS) is the original and premier school for performers as young as age five to adults and is currently celebrating its 38th year of operation in the Sherman Oaks, CA. YAS alumni include Academy Award Winners Emma Stone, Leonardo DiCaprio and Hillary Swank, as well as notable actors Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal, Shailene Woodley, Tobey Maguire, Elijah Wood, Molly Ringwald and Jessica Biel. For more information, please visit www.YoungActorsSpace.com.
YAS SUMMER PRODUCTION CONSERVATORY SCHEDULE:
WHEN:
July 9 – 22, 2018
Performances:
Fri. July 20 @ 7 p.m.
Sat. July 21 @ 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Sun. July 22 @ 2 p.m.
WHERE:
Young Actors Space
5918 Van Nuys Blvd.
Sherman Oaks, CA 91401
Join the YAS Summer Production Conservatory>>
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