(WEST ORANGE, NJ) -- Luna Stage has been awarded a $20,000 grant from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts to support COVID-safe re-opening, including the return of in-person summer youth programs. First up is the Teen Collaborator Intensive, a four-week theatre, filmmaking and playwriting program using both outdoor space and Luna’s new flexible Green Screen studio. Additional programs for younger students will be announced soon. Virtual and hybrid options will also be available.
Drawing on experiences from last year’s virtual Strangest Summer 4-week Filmmaking Intensive and the previous year’s in-person Teen Summer Theatre Conservatory, Luna is fusing on-camera and stage options into a dynamic and innovative new program. Middle school and high school students will spend the morning honing acting skills and the afternoon polishing their craft as a filmmaker and/or playwright.
Collaborator Intensive classes include on-camera technique, scene study, voiceover, film editing, cinematography, animation, improvisation, playwriting and screenwriting. Students will learn from working professional artists, and the camp structure will be modeled after real-world production processes. Students will work in teams to create, produce and perform original work. The program will culminate in a public (socially distanced) performance.
“We are so grateful to NJSCA for their support of our re-opening,” said Luna Stage Artistic Director Ari Laura Kreith. “We have offered youth and adult programming throughout the pandemic, and it has been a privilege to provide creative opportunities virtually to so many during this time. But we have all missed being able to collaborate in person, and we are thrilled to be able to share this experience with our community.”
The Collaborator Intensive runs July 6-July 30 from 10am-2pm. Space is limited to ensure social distancing and individualized instruction.
Luna Stage is committed to supporting diversity, equity and inclusion. To ensure that all students have access to its programs, Luna has instituted a pay-what-you-wish model for all artistic programs through the end of summer 2021. Further details about how to choose your tuition level are available on the company’s website.
Luna Stage develops and produces vibrant plays about local and global experiences. Firmly rooted in New Jersey's Valley Arts District - a crossroads of cultures - Luna brings its communities together for artistic events that spark conversations and create understanding and change.
Luna Stage is the recipient of the 2019 People's Choice Award for Favorite Small Theatre in New Jersey. Luna has contributed to the development of over 100 new works for the stage, many of which premiered at Luna and have gone on to be produced in New York, regionally and internationally.
As producer, innovator, and educator, Luna is dedicated to eliminating barriers to participation and allowing all community members to nurture their own creativity and vision. Luna offers classes for children and adults, as well as opportunities for early-career and established theatre artists to develop and incubate new work.
