Summerstock Conservatory
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Summerstock Conservatory is a theatre company based out of Westmount Charter School in Calgary, Alberta. Every August, between the 1st to the 14th, high school (and occasionally university) students from across Alberta perform a play in Olympic Plaza. The conservatory has had four extremely successful years. Colin Jackson, the CEO of the EPCOR Centre for the Performing Arts was quoted as saying "Summerstock is a remarkable combination of training, discipline, joy, and public service."
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[edit] History of Summerstock
Summerstock Conservatory, formally MainStage, was founded in 2002 by Jim Senft who directed Summerstocks first show Guys and Dolls. The reviews were great, and the following year Fiddler on the Roof was performed with great zeal to an extremely appreciate audience. Annie Get Your Gun was next to be performed, with a great deal of support, due to Calgary's western enthusiasts. In 2006, West Side Story was performed. Calgarians have continued to show their support for the program, with the highest attendance rate being for the show Annie Get Your Gun. In July and August 2007, Footloose was performed by the company, with support mainly from the performer's friends and family members. Announced for the current 2007-2008 year, Summerstock is due to perform the classic Broadway hit Grease in August.
[edit] Meeting New Faces
Many cast members from previous shows remain close, having facilitated relationships with each other in the extensive rehearsal time. Cast bonding has always been an important cornerstone of the Summerstock Conservatory, and it helps the students with their chemistry onstage. Social networking among the cast centers around parties, outings to Boston Pizza and Facebook event planning, which is used to plan outings such as going to see movies. In previous years, cast social networking also centered around sushi outings, field parties and Ziastock, a MSN group used by the senior cast members to have discussions about everything from song lyrics, to which cast members look like which celebrities, and sharing hilarious photographs. Like any theater group or high school, for that matter, the cast is not without its personal dramas and cliques. However, the cast is always incredibly professional while performing, leaving personal matters backstage. Summerstock members have found great ways to keep themselves focused and positive while backstage, by keeping themselves amused with The Backstage Game, to playing cards or just focusing on one's character and character questions.
[edit] Directors and Producers
While Jim Senft is the original director of Summerstock, he took a year long break from the Calgary show to branch out to Toronto to create another Summerstock Conservatory where they showed another production of Guys and Dolls in 2005 during Calgary's production of Annie Get Your Gun. During that time, Jim Senft was replaced with the current technical director, Josh Collins, who retained both positions for that year. The following year, Jim Senft returned to Calgary. Since the beginning of the program the head Producer was Brandi Sedore who was also the secretary of Westmount Charter School where Summerstock rehearsed. However, in 2007 Brandi officially step down from her position and was replaced for Footloose. Nonetheless, she returned for the current 2007-2008 year with overwhelming support from the cast.
[edit] Advancement in Education
Summerstock also has found a way to provide it's members with high school credits. The theater company provides it's students with the ability to take different courses which are facilitated through rehearsals. Cast members can receive up to 25 credits per summer with this program, making it very worthwhile, particularly for those who lack credits, or need a fine arts requirement to get into a university program of their choice. The company also provides a scholarship program to cast members who fulfill certain requirements, while they are in the 12th grade. The company also offers financial compensation to certain university members each year, who do Summerstock instead of working during the summer.
[edit] Summerstock Theater Festival
The Summerstock Theater Festival is an annual outdoor performance of a musical held in the Arts District in downtown Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Based on the premise of the traditional Summer Stock Theatre, this program presents Broadway-style theatre outdoors at Olympic Plaza. Performers are Calgarian high school and university students who come home from all across Canada to perform Broadway musicals.
[edit] External links
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