Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The Orange Community Players are putting together a Young People’s Theater Workshop for local children to learn and explore theatre this summer.

This 6-week workshop seeks to teach a new generation all aspects of theater, from creating costumes, stage lighting and how to perform on stage. The workshop is open to all children from 6-17 years old of all skill levels in theater. The program will conclude with a full show for kids to showcase what they have learned.

“It is a workshop for kids who are interested in theatre,” said Mik Koats, Theatre Director and OCP board member. “We have a lot of chances for kids to work not only onstage but also get some experience with helping with some of the backstage stuff. We have some of our other board members and also just some special guests, who are going to be coming in to help explain different aspects of theatre.”

The kids will put on a show titled “OCP TV: The New News Hour, a collection of comedic sketches that resemble a TV news show. 

“We’ve got several people who are parents who are messaging us and they were like, ‘Oh, I used to be in YPTW,’ and now they’re very excited that this workshop is coming back,” said Koats.

This marks the first year that Young People’s Theater Workshop is happening in the new Jeff Hattman Center for Performing Arts, which the organization purchased back in 2017 and officially opened earlier this year. 

“It’s something that a lot of people who’ve been involved in OCP’s rebuilding journey have been really excited to bring back,” said Koats. “I’m just really happy to be a part of it.”

The program will start June 2 and will meet for 6 weeks with multiple shows on July 10-13. Registration is $75 with discounts for registering more children. Rehearsals run Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. 

Those interested in registering can do so online at OCPlayers.org and in person May 31 at the Jeff Hattman Center in Orange, located at 3330 Bowling Lane.