Mauldin Cultural Center Announces Year-Round Theatre Program and Collaboration
MAULDIN, SC – The Mauldin Cultural Center is proud to announce it has recently formed a collaboration with American Callboard to expand its programming offerings to include a year-round theatre program beginning Summer 2013. The new program will include two summer camps for children plus three full productions over the course of the year.
The program will be managed by the Mauldin Cultural Center with all production-related needs such as directing, casting, and set construction to be handled by American Callboard.
“We are very excited about this new collaboration with American Callboard. From day one we have always wanted to build a strong community theatre presence in Mauldin and this new program is where it all starts,” says George Patrick McLeer, the Mauldin Cultural Center’s executive director. “We produced our first production in the Spring of 2012 which was well received, but working with American Callboard on this new program gives our organization the opportunity to involve more of our community in the process. Logistically, it also helps free up valuable staff time to help promote each show by giving all production responsibilities to American Callboard.”
American Callboard is a newly-formed, Upstate-based company that leverages the extensive theatrical experience of their director, Andrea Lathbury, to produce live theatre. “Theatre has had an astounding impact on me personally and American Callboard is my way of giving back to the theatrical community. It is my hope that American Callboard can be part of a foundation that will inspire and motivate both beginner and veteran performers to pursue their passions, both on and off the stage,” says Lathbury.
The Mauldin Cultural Center kicks off this new program this summer with two theatre summer camps for children. Each session is a three-week intensive camp where participants learn about every component of theatre – acting, set construction, costume design, singing, movement and more. The first camp session, geared towards children ages 8-14 with little to no experience in theatre, runs weekdays June 10 -28 and will end in two performances of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella on Friday, June 28 and Saturday, June 29. The second camp, geared towards those who are more experienced in theatre, runs July 8-26 and will end with a performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Both productions though will have a unique twist – they will be performed in the Outdoor Amphitheater at the Mauldin Cultural Center.
“These camps bring not only a thorough education into the art of theatre for the campers, but also give the children and the audience the unique opportunity to experience live theatre outdoors,” says McLeer. The performances will be open to the general public and attendees will be encouraged to bring a picnic dinner and enjoy the production under the stars. “We want to make these camps memorable not only for the children, but also for the community.”
The camps will be followed by a Christmas production to be performed during Mauldin’s community Christmas activities such as the Tree Lighting and the Parade. Then the program will kick off in full for 2014 with a production in the Spring, Fall and Christmas plus the summer camps.
All shows and camps will be open to the public and American Callboard will host open auditions for each production. “Community theatre has the special power to bring us together, to help our towns become communities. For a variety of reasons, community theatre thrives in this nation like nowhere else in the world. Seeing the positive impact that it can have on youth, seniors, area businesses, and a community’s identity is a humbling but energizing experience,” remarks Lathbury.
“Every community should have a theatre it can call its own, and this one will belong to Mauldin,” adds McLeer.
Registration for both summer camps is now open and more details can be found on the Mauldin Cultural Center’s website at www.mauldinculturalcenter.org.