Improv Playhouse Now Registering for Winter Classes

Improv Playhouse Now Registering for "Aladdin" and Other Youth Programs

Improv Playhouse Performing Arts Training for Youth

Highland Park Community House, 1991 Sheridan Road, Highland Park, IL 60035

847-968-4529

(Highland Park, IL) - Improv Playhouse, now going into its 18th season, announces its winter youth programming at the Highland Park Community House. This season offers a diverse array of improv ensembles, film-making intensives, and musical theater and drama productions. Youth productions this Winter include “Aladdin” ( 3rd – 7th grades), “Alice in Wonderland” the play (3rd – 7th grades). Improv workshops for 4th – 9th graders are also offered for those who have a strong interest in improv comedy, as well as film-making intensives for 5th – 8th graders. Improv Playhouse is Chicagoland's premier improvisation and performing arts training program in the North Shore Area.

"We are pleased that the theater space created at the Highland Park Community House provides a home for our classes and productions," says David Stuart, IP Founder and Guy in Charge. "Families along the North Shore know us for our outstanding improv training program, but new families every day are discovering our nurturing program for acting and musical theater for young people." Stuart, whose company also comprises a professional Theater for Young Audiences division reaching 14 schools and over 2400 students this past spring with productions of “The Diary of Anne Frank” and “Mini Masterpieces”, says that not all families are interested in a hard core professional training environment for their children. "We are very intentional about retaining the sense of play in our program. Children have enough pressure...our kids can go on to the professional ranks, but quite seriously, if we had 50 kids per show and were driven to 'make them successful pros' it would completely distill our sense of mission. This does not compromise our artistic sense of integrity or excellence. Rather it confirms our educational focus."

The Improv Playhouse program is the outgrowth of a Second City and Players Workshop satellite program in the late 1990's. "It sounds like a long time ago, but seems just like yesterday. Second City now has Musical Theater for Improvisers. We have sensed for some time that developing Musicals for youth is a natural component of children excelling in the performing arts. Our highly successful improv classes merely serve to strengthen a child's (and adult’s) acumen for performing should they choose to jump into that level of training with us. It's so much fun." The North Shore- and Libertyville-based Junior and Teen Improv Ensembles are invited each year to attend the National Teen Comedy Fest in May at the Chicago Center for the Performing Arts. "These kids are at the top of their craft and are coached by some of the best in the business. They are serious about comedy and it shows when they perform!"

All winter productions and classes are presently registering, with improv and film-making workshops beginning in January. Schedules and performance dates for each production may be found on the website, along with registration forms: www.improvplayhouse.com. Tuition for theater productions includes a cast t-shirt. There is a discount with registration of siblings, consecutive, or two or more classes. Workshops are designed for beginning to advanced students. Tuition ranges from $190 for workshops to $395 for musical theater productions.

Website:

www.improvplayhouse.com

For enrollment and further information, call (847) 968-4529 or contact by email at info@improvplayhouse.com.