Chatham Players is offering an eight-week session of after school theater classes on Monday Afternoons from October 2nd to November 20th.
All classes will be held at Chatham Community Players, located at 23 Passaic Avenue, Chatham, NJ, and will be taught by Dr. Susan Speidel, theatre arts educator and Education Coordinator for Chatham Players.
Classes are open to students with all levels of experience, regardless of whether or not they have had previous theater or acting training.
For enrollment, CLASS REGISTRATION and CLASS PAYMENT are required prior to the start of classes. For any questions, please email Dr. Susan Speidel at ChathamPlayersEducation@gmail.com.
- CREATIVE DRAMA AND THEATER GAMES– 3:30 TO 4:30 PM (ages 5 to 10) This fun-filled class uses dramatic play to help students build confidence and self-esteem while also gaining verbal skills and learning to collaborate. They will take part in a variety of creative activities including dramatic play, pantomime, theatre games, improvisation, and simple scenes while also learning more about themselves and the world around them. ($120)
- IMPROVISATION - 4:30 TO 5:30 PM (ages 11 to 17) A lively and interactive class that encourages students to become imaginative and adventurous, while also developing valuable theater and interpersonal skills. Students explore basic improv techniques and stories and scenes are created from spontaneous suggestions. No experience is necessary – just a desire to be creative and have fun! ($120)
- MONOLOGUES AND SCENES – 5:30 to 6:30 PM (ages 11 to 17) This class is perfect for teens looking to explore acting for the first time, or more experienced performers looking to expand their technique. Each session starts with a warm-up, designed to improve focus, concentration, and communication skills. Short monologues and scenes are also rehearsed and performed to enhance script analysis and explore characterization and storytelling. No previous experience is needed - each student will progress at their own pace. ($120)
SUSAN SPEIDEL – is a theatre artist and educator who appeared off-Broadway in Olio and in The Student Prince, Jesus Christ Superstar, and numerous concerts at Paper Mill Playhouse. She played leading roles in plays and musicals at numerous regional theaters and appeared in Sweeney Todd, August; Osage County, and The Importance of Being Earnest at Chatham Players. She has directed more than 50 high school productions, as well as shows at Surflight Theater on Long Beach Island, and Plays-In-The-Park in Edison. For Chatham Players, she directed Man of La Mancha, Nunsense, Fiddler on the Roof, Little Shop of Horrors, City of Angels, and A Christmas Carol. She appeared in concert with the Seattle and Portland Symphonies, the Key West Symphonic Pops, and the Orchestra of St. Peter’s by the Sea, and performed her cabaret show throughout NY, NJ, and Florida. Named the first Director of Education at Paper Mill Playhouse, she created the Rising Star Awards and Summer Musical Theater Conservatory and, for 12 years, taught theatre and served as Chair of the Performing Arts Department at Morristown-Beard School. She holds a BA in English and Theater from Montclair State University, an MA in Theater Management from NYU, and a Doctorate in Liberal Studies from Drew University. She also studied at HB Studios and the Globe Theater in London and is the recipient of the NJ Governor’s Award for Theatre Education, the NJ Theatre Alliance Applause Award, and an NJACT Hall of Fame Award. She currently teaches in the Theatre Studies Program at Montclair State University and in the Theatre Conservatory at Kean University