The Educational Theatre Association is a national nonprofit organization with approximately 100,000 student and professional members.
EdTA’s mission is shaping lives through theatre education by honoring student achievement in theatre and enriching their theatre education experience.
In mid-January, Art and Science Academy chartered a performing arts troupe.
Ben Mulhern, Art and Science theater teacher explained that, “Over the course of the last few weeks in February, the troupe brainstormed ideas and themselves wrote four separate skits tied together by what ended up being a combination of two themes: ‘It was all a dream’ and “wedding gone wrong.’”
Students then had the opportunity to perform this series of skits in front of their peers as part of the Freestyle showcase on Sunday afternoon.
Students from the theater troupe also attended the annual Minnesota Thespians conference, a two day festival that took place at Chaska High School on Feb. 19 and the Guthrie Theatre on Feb. 20.
The purpose of the conference was to allow for students to participate in a wide variety of workshops and classes related to theatre, to watch and participate in student performances, and, for Monday, to take a behind the scenes tour of a professional theatre.
“We are recognized by the national organization. As such, we are now only the second middle school performing group in all of Minnesota,” Mulhern said. “At some point this spring, students will have an induction ceremony to recognize the 13 members of the ASA troupe and to make the charter official. If all goes according to plan, this will be a facet of the ASA arts program that can grow and continue into the future as we add more members to the roster and continue to explore opportunities to work on our craft as a part of Minnesota’s school theatre community.”
The Art and Science Academy is a tuition free public K-8 charter school located in Isanti. For more information visit www.asa.k12.mn.us or call 763-444-0342.