The ACEkids! Theatre Program has announced their new after-school
theatre programs for the 2014-15 school year.

The ACEkids! Theatre Program, run by Pawling Community Services and
hosted by the Pawling Central School District is now in its sixth
year.  In previous years, the program has produced Shakespeare
productions with students in grades K-8.  In 2012, the program was
expanded into two: the Shakespeare program is now located at Pawling
Middle School and includes students in grades 5-8, and a musical
theatre program for students in grades K-4 is now at the elementary
school. Starting in October, the students attend weekly after-school
classes that culminate in a full-scale production in the spring.  The
programs are open to all students, regardless of whether or not they
attend school in the Pawling Central School District.

The K-4 program at Pawling Elementary School will create a musical
production of “The Wizard of Oz,” including all of the classic songs
from the Judy Garland movie. The students will learn performance
skills, including singing, acting, and movement for musical theatre in
this fun and educational program.  The students meet every Wednesday
after school, building skills through theatre games and a rehearsal
process that concludes with a performance at Pawling Elementary School
in May.

The program at Pawling Middle School will create a production of
Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,”  which will be performed at the Pawling Middle
School in April.
Students in grades 5-8 will learn the fundamentals of acting technique
through the use of theatre games and improvisations. Students will
become familiar with William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” through a variety
of “hands-on” activities and explorations of the text. Voice
projection, relaxation techniques, character development and scene
study will be included in the rehearsal process.  The program meets
every Thursday after school in the music room, ending in time for
students to catch the 4:00 bus.

The programs are taught by Amy Emke, who has taught theatre programs
to students in Pawling and the surrounding community for twelve
years.  She also teaches theatre programs for Theatreworks New Milford
in Connecticut and the Camp Herrlich After-School program in the
Carmel Central School District.

Programs begin on October 1, 2014.  To register or for more
information, please call Pawling Community Services at (845) 855-2162
or visit www.pawlingcommunityservices.org.