Saturday, June 17, 2017 marked the end of a week-long adventure at The Paramount for young local theater enthusiasts who participated in the Summer Theater Residency program, presented in collaboration with Compass Creative Dramatics (CCD) and culminating in two public shows on The Paramount’s stage! We were thrilled to welcome 69 participants and two professional actors for the week, and offer five exciting days of rehearsals and theater enrichment workshops with CCD.

During these rehearsals, students in grades 1-12 were provided an opportunity to work alongside professional artists in mounting a full musical production of The Wizard of Oz. With the help of Compass Creative Dramatics, the program allowed students access to all elements of production, including music, costumes, props, make-up, sets, sound, and light. Most importantly, the workshops and rehearsals enabled students to flex their creativity in a safe space without self-judgement, and develop skills such as teamwork and respect.

Learn more about Compass Creative Dramatics HERE, and register for the upcoming Residency Week (The Jumping Jacks and the Beanstalk, June 26 – July 1) HERE!

It was a joy to see these students having a blast learning the ins and outs of musical theater during The Wizard of Oz residency week! Take a look at some of the highlights from Saturday’s two live performances:

Photos by Tom Smith and Marilynn Sting.
Thank you to the event’s sponsors, Ting and Carpet Plus, whose generous support of the Theater and its family programming allows The Paramount to bring quality programs such as The Wizard of Oz to the stage.