Theater Games and Dance Moves train “YouthReach Summer Theater Ensemble” for Premier of Original Comedy

Ingrid Schatz and Julian Fox

Theater Games and Dance Moves train “YouthReach! Summer Theater Ensemble” for Premier of Original Comedy

Ingrid Schatz, one of the founding members of the Inside Out Dance Company in Orange, is hard at work training young actors in theater and dance movement as part of the Athol Area YMCA’s YouthReach! Summer Theater Ensemble during the eleventh season of their Annual Summer Theater Program.

According to Manuel King, the program director and producer for the YouthReach! Summer Theater Ensemble, “Members of the cast have been working hard to develop an original drama which was recently titled, ‘Now and Then and Now Again.’ The play centers on a guided tour of the castle of King Humphrey with stories narrated of events that happened in the castle during Humphrey’s reign in the middle ages.”   

Manuel King

“The goal of the YouthReach! Summer Theater Ensemble is to provide teens the chance to explore their imaginations and creativity while learning about the craft of stage writing and acting. During four weeks of intensive work, they develop their own original play and then perform it publicly,” King explained.

Theater Ensemble

Actors for the Athol Area YMCA’s Annual Summer Theater Program include Anastasia Anderholm, Aldan Clyatt, Naomi Cope, Jessica Funa, Tim Funa, Dominic Funa, John Hume, Quinton Illhardt, Andrew Illhardt, Paige Parsons, Ashley Reed and Nicole Savoy.  This year, Julian Fox and Cory Flood are serving as co- performance directors.

Cory Flood blows the horn

“Now and Then and Now Again” will be performed on Saturday, July 23 at 7:00 pm in the Ruth B. Smith Auditorium, Orange Town Hall at 6 Prospect Street, Orange, MA.  For further information, call Manuel King at Telephone # (978) 249-3305. 

Ingrid teaches the actors about horizontal and vertical lines and meaning

Story and Photo Credit:  Genevieve Fraser