Professional Development Production

Hello!

For those of you who don't know me, my name is Sarah Elizabeth Yorke. I am a director, producer, actor, and educator from Schuylkill County, PA. Growing up I always wanted to be a part of the arts, but didn't always have the means, resources, or access. Schuylkill County, and its arts community, have come a long way since then, and offer incredible shows, workshops, classes, and beyond for young artists now. Seeing the growth and expansion of the arts has been a joy, and was pivotal to my own growth as a theatre professional. After college, I returned home to direct at Shenandoah Valley for several years, as well as community theatres and organizations in the area, like the Majestic Theater and Schuylkill Free Shakespeare. It was always my goal to return home and create more artistic opportunities, which brings me to my next endeavor...

Over the past few years, I have been self-producing a lot, but primarily working with professional actors and theatre artists. One thing I realized was that I missed working with youth actors, and wanted to connect with them again. So, I cooked up and idea that I'm really excited about and need your help to make it happen! I am proposing what I'm calling a Professional Development Production; a hands on experience for students to come together and work on a full length show, not only as actors, but designers, producers, choreographers, and beyond!

This tactile experience will allow them to try their hand at music direction, design, acting, stage management, producing, and more, learning from industry professionals over the 4-5 weeks of the process. Each student will be assigned a professional mentor that specializes in a theatre discipline (props, scenic, lighting, etc.) and will meet with them once a week to discuss their ideas, progress, and experience on the production. These mentors will be folks actively working in professional theatre who can offer guidance, and invaluable insight on college preparations and portfolio/resume development.

Pre-college programs are incredible resources for those interested in attending college for theatre, but aren't always accessible to everyone, due to cost, or location. This Professional Development Production will borrow from the concepts of the pre-college program and apply them to a fully realized production at the end of the process. Learning in a classroom is KEY, but getting that hands on experience is just as important. So, this will be a combination of the two, allowing students to learn from mentors, just as much as they're learning from their time working on the production.

Here is where you come in! I would like to offer this program for FREE to all students who apply/audition and are selected for the program. However, as many of you may know, putting on a production and securing artists costs money, and theatre expenses have only inflated over the past few years. We need your help to make this a reality, so that we might financially support the materials needed for the production. Any amount helps, and you would be donating to an incredible cause, supporting the arts in a small community, and fostering the passions of young artists.

Please help me make this a reality and donate today! Let's create more accessible opportunities in theatre and beyond.

Sincerely,

Sarah Elizabeth Yorke

ESTIMATED COST BREAKDOWN:

Design Materials: $2000-3000

Artist Stipends: $1000-2500