(CAPE MAY, NJ) -- Applications are available for the award-winning East Lynne Theater Company's 16th Annual Summer Student Workshop. For the last fifteen years, students have performed a variety of shows in front of enthusiastic audiences. Previous productions include "The Reluctant Dragon," "Alice in Wonderland," and "Story Theater." Like last year, it will be under the direction of Rob LeMaire. Assisting this year are Andrew Lofredo, and Gayle Stahlhuth.
Rob has been working with children and young adults for over twenty-years. During the 1990's he coordinated Education Programs, including running the Junior Apprenticeship Program, at Historic Cold Spring Village. Since 2001, he has performed with ELTC, in shows including "The Dictator," "The Ransom of Red Chief," and "Dracula." In 2018 and 2019, he was the assistant director for ELTC's "Arsenic and Old Lace," and also portrayed Teddy in the same production. The shows he's directed for the Ocean City High School Drama Guild include "You Can’t Take It With You," "Footloose: The Musical," "Spamalot," and "Stage Door." In October 2018, he, along with other Theater Education Directors, were honored by the New Jersey Theatre Alliance at its annual gala.
Andrew Lofredo is a performer, writer, and stage manager who worked as a production assistant for ELTC in the summers of 2019 and 2020. This year, he's performing in ELTC's "Who am I This Time? and Other Conundrums of Love." Favorite past credits include the Waiter in "First Date" at Theatre UCF and Hugo in "Tuck Everlasting" at the Southeastern Summer Theater Institute. He recently graduated from the University of Central Florida with a BFA in Musical Theater.
Gayle Stahlhuth has been ELTC's producing artistic director since 1999 and directed her 100th production for the company in 2017. While performing, writing plays, and directing in NYC, she started working in public schools in 1981 in New York State, New Jersey, and later Utah, as a guest artist teaching playwriting and directing students in productions.
The workshop is for ages 11 – 17 and the time is 12:30pm - 3:30pm on the following days: Tuesday through Friday: August 2 – 5; Tuesday through Friday, August 9 – 12, and on Monday, August 15. On the first day, August 2, parents/guardians may arrive a little early to talk to the staff, but class will begin at 12:30pm. The performance is on Monday, August 15 at 8:00pm. Students will perform in front of an audience, open to the public, and admission free. Students need to arrive by 7:30pm that evening.
ELTC has a long-standing tradition of working with students and is the only nonprofit in South Jersey that has consistently conducted in-school and after-school theater residencies in Cape May County from 2000 through 2020. The company's guest artists have taught acting and playwriting to fourth grade through high school students, culminating in admission-free performances for the community, in venues in Lower Township, Middle Township, Ocean City, Whitesboro, Cape May, West Cape May, and Wildwood.
The location for the workshop and the performance is The Cape May Presbyterian Church, 500 Hughes St. (corner of Decatur and Hughes) in Cape May, where the company is in residence, and the fee is $225. To receive an application form, visit eastlynnetheater.org or call the office at 609-884-5898 to receive one via snail mail. For questions, contact Gayle Stahlhuth at eastlynneco@aol.com or call the office.
Meanwhile, on ELTC's Mainstage is "Dorothy Parker: A Certain Woman," and "Tales of the Victorians" continues most Thursdays at 4:00pm during the summer.
Photo from one of East Lynne Theater Company's Student Summer Workshop productions.
