Drama/Film

The Lawrence Arts Center's Drama Program features performing arts classes for children and adults. Instructors are drama professionals with expertise in all aspects of theater. The professional staff includes nationally acclaimed playwright, Ric Averill, costumer, Jennifer Glenn, technical director, Danny Rogovein, film-makers and directors Christie and Jeff Dobson and theatre director/actress Elizabeth Sullivan.

Classes and workshops include beginning, intermediate and advanced acting, story-playing, improvisation, film making, audition techniques and dramatic writing. The Drama program also sponsors performance based groups including City Youth Theater (for High School - 9th-12th grade students) and First Saturday Players (for 6th – 9th grade students.)

The Drama Program works each year with the Dance Program to offer a large Holiday production. In 2009, THE KANSAS NUTCRACKER with an Act I script by Ric Averill and Choreography by Deb Bettinger, will feature a cast of student and adult community dancers and actors working side by side with professional dancers and actors providing on-stage opportunities for more than 100 people and entertainment for six full houses!

In addition to Theatre at the Center, we have Film and Music at the Center. The exciting calendar for 2009-2010.

Spotlight on our underwriters

We offer our sincere thanks for your support of this year’s Theatre at the Center. Please know how very grateful we are for your involvement.

• Dr. Dennis & Deanna Hoss
• Seven Trees Foundation
• Amy Albright & Doug Davison, Vinland Valley Nursery
• Marilyn & Tom Dobski, McDonald’s of Lawrence
• Colette and Ron Gaches
• Ron Gaches of Gaches, Barbee & Associates
• Beverly Smith Billings, in honor of Bob Billings
• Sharon & James Hammond
• Web & Joan Golden
• Tom & Barbara Hollister
• Bill & Marlene Penny
• Payless ShoeSource Foundation
• Susan & Brad Tate & Family
• Michael Treanor and Treanor Architects, P.A.
• Steve & Kathy McDowell
• Francisco Bido Family
• David and Anne Hollond
• American Century Investments
• AT&T Foundation
• Steve Clark
• Aggi Walsh and Craig West
• Shelly McColm DDS, McColm Orthodontics

Ric Averill
Drama Program Director
lacdrama@sunflower.com
(785) 843-2787

2010 Calendar

Oliver!

Something new for 2010!
Broadway - our way - at the Lawrence Arts Center!

The Lawrence Arts Center will present Ric Averill’s delightful ‘street scene’ staging of Lionel Bart’s masterpiece Oliver! at the Lawrence Arts Center Theatre, 940 New Hampshire, Lawrence, Kansas. Oliver! is one of the most beloved British musicals, vividly bringing to life Dickens’ timeless characters with its ever-popular story of the boy who asked for more.

Ric Averill, Drama Program Director, playwright and composer in residence at the Center & well known local comedic actor, will direct the play with a combination of professional and community actors from Lawrence, Kansas City, Topeka, and surrounding cities and towns. Auditions will be held at the Center on Sunday, Jan. 31st and Monday, Feb. 1st with callbacks on the 2nd & 3rd of February.

Mary Baker will direct the sensational score, which is full of Lionel Bart’s irresistible songs including; ‘Food Glorious Food,’ ‘Consider Yourself,’ ‘You’ve Got to Pick-a-Pocket or Two,’ ‘I’d Do Anything,’ ‘Oom Pah Pah,’ ‘As Long As He Needs Me’ and many more.

Choreography by Molly Gordon of the Arts Center dance faculty, set design by resident Tech Director, Danny Rogovein, lights by resident Facility Operations Manager, Lee Saylor and costumes by resident Costumer, Jennifer Glenn, will fill every inch of the stage. More than 50 young people and 25 adults will be cast, creating a beautiful and evocative glimpse into the world of Dickens’ London.

Performances will be Friday and Saturday, March 26th & 27th at 7:30 PM, Sunday, March 28th at 2:00 PM and Thursday, Friday and Saturday, April 1st, 2nd & 3rd at 7:30 PM. Tickets will be on sale for $15.00 for adults and $12.00 for students and seniors. Group rates are available and reservations will be taken beginning February 8th, 2010. The Arts Center production will be great theatre, but also a laboratory for the education of young actors. In addition to working along side professionals in the production, in the orchestra pit and backstage, students will explore the world of Charles Dickens and Oliver Twist! The Center will bring in experts on Dickens to discuss the world of the play. The entire production will serve as a training ground for young actors looking to improve their craft and look at theatre as a career option as well as an avocation.

The Arts Center’s Drama Program believes that the best education comes from doing the best possible theatre – production values will be high and the demands on both the student and professional actors rigorous. The result will be a highly entertaining evening of theatre for the entire community AND an excellent educational opportunity for all participants.

For more information, please call 785-843-2787 or email lacdrama@sunflower.com

Click Here to View the Cast List

don’t u luv me

City Youth Theatre
Friday and Saturday, February 19, 20—7pm
Christie Dobson’s production of the awesome Linda Daugherty play is a co-production with GaDuGi SafeCenter and deals with cyber bullying, dating violence and other social interactions of importance to teenagers. After its Arts Center debut, the show will Lawrence junior high and high schools.
Tickets: $8.50 adults | $$6.50 students and seniors

The Reluctant Dragon by Jennifer Glenn

First Saturday Players
Saturday, March 6—2pm
Theatre at the Center’s 6th grade+ performers do production geared toward the “peepers” — 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds and their families. Each show includes a few sing-a-longs and other entertainment, like “vaudeville for children!”
Tickets: $4 donation at the door

The Three Billy Goats Gruff by Jennifer Glenn

First Saturday Players
Saturday, May 1—2pm
Jennifer’s delightful original script will wrap up this year’s season of plays for the very, very young – performed by our 6th grade+ students. Everybody loves Pirates!
Tickets: $4 donation at the door

A world premiere in April: Rumplestiltskin by Ric Averill and Spencer Lott

Friday, April 23—7pm
Saturday, April 24 (Hot Dog Theatre!)—12:30pm picnic, 2pm performance Come see this fairy tale classic come to life in a unique collaboration of live and puppet theatre by Ric Averill and Spencer Lott. Plans are underway to present this project at the Kansas City Fringe Festival. Don’t miss Hot Dog Theatre on Saturday, April 24, with a picnic at 12:30pm before the 2pm matinee. Fun for all ages!
Tickets: $8.50 adults | $6.50 students, seniors

Spring Break and School’s Out Camps: Film, Musical Theatre and Puppetry

Come join us over Spring Break 2010! Once again, we are offering three different camps — something for all ages (K-12th grade). There is some age overlap, so kids can choose by interest as well as by age. Kids in all three camps will have the opportunity to work together, sharing in the film work, creating puppets for each other and enjoying the Friday productions. For more information or to enroll, see page 11.

Summer Youth Theatre

It’s not too early to make plans for Summer Youth Theatre! Our 35th season will explore Noses, Noises and Zombies. Here’s a preview...

8th-12th graders

• JUNE: Under consideration! Spring Awakening by Frank Wedekind (the play the hit musical is based on)... or Cyrano by Edmund Rostand (the play the movie “Roxanne” is based on)... or Dr. Faustus by Christopher Marlowe (a play about a deal with the devil), Rehearsals June 1-24; Performances June 24-27
• JULY: HAIR; THE TRIBAL ROCK MUSICAL

4th-7th graders

• JUNE: Honk (the Broadway musical based on “The Ugly Duckling”) by Anthony Drewe, music by George Stiles, Rehearsals June 1-16; Performances June 17-19
• JULY: Hamlet and Zombies by Will Averill, Rehearsals July 5-21; Performances July 22-24

K-3rd graders

A two-week session (no Mondays) with performances the second Saturday morning in the studio ... the director shares stories then helps students make up their own fun plays with such titles as:

• June 1-12: This Castle Is Crazy
• June 15-26: Frogs and Ducks Are Out of Luck!
• July 6-17: Summer Ghosty Toasty Stores
• July 20-31: Mom, I Ate My Homework and Now I’m Too Smart — and Other Crazy Notions!

Summer Youth Theatre auditions and callbacks will be held Sunday-Tuesday, April 25-27. Please call us at 785-843-2787 to have your name put on the e-mail list for more information about SYT 2010, our 35th Anniversary Season!

PINOCCHIO - FIRST SATURDAY PLAYERS – December 5th – 2 PM - $4.00
Awesome family theatre for 3, 4, 5, 6 year olds and their families. Our teenagers perform under the direction of Jennifer Glenn for our youngest audience members. Pinocchio learns a lot about telling the truth, growing up AND being a “real” boy. Bring the whole family!

And... Ric and Jeanne Averill will star as Ma and Pa in the COTERIE THEATRE’S production of A LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE all through November and December – Friday night and Sunday afternoon shows are great for Lawrence Families – here’s the link ...http://www.coterietheatre.org/20092010performances.aspx

Film At The Center

FILM AT THE CENTER – films shown on our great new screen, concessions ALWAYS available ... we’re now one of the performance sites of the Free State Travelling Picture Show

SATURDAY, MAY 15TH - 7pm | Second Annual Kansas-Missouri Short Film Festival

Films of up to 30 minutes in length will be adjudicated and two hours worth of great new material each evening will be shared with the audience. Besides the judges award in categories of best comedy, drama, documentary, musical, screenplay, acting and best of show, a people’s choice award will be given by the applause of those in attendance. Evenings will be divided between youth and open divisions. Submissions should be made in DVD format by March 31st, with the name of the film, the filmmaker’s name and contact information, and a $10 submission fee. All films should be submitted to the attention of Ric Averill, Drama Program Director, Lawrence Arts Center, 940 New Hampshire, Lawrence KS 66044. $5 general admission

MUSIC AT THE CENTER

FRIDAY, MAY 21—7:30pm | Local Composers/New Works

Join host Ric Averill and other regional/area composers for an eclectic evening of new music. Composers will range from students to professors emeritus. $5 donation at the door, concessions available