For more than a decade now, Northern Sky Theater has offered a day of creativity dedicated to children and teens interested in learning more about what it means to be part of a professional musical theater troupe in Door County.
Over the years, hundreds of youth have taken advantage of the opportunity to look behind the scenes, play theater games on the amphitheater stage, join in on cast sing-a-longs, and sneak a rare peak inside the Northern Sky dressing rooms.
Led by veteran company member and Associate Artistic Director Molly Rhode, participants will have the additional experience of learning a song, dance and scene from “Boxcar” with the end result of performing a short bit for their family and friends.
“Molly brings a wealth of experience from her background with Milwaukee’s First Stage Theatre Academy where she spent several years in children’s theatre education,” stated Holly Feldman, Director of Development and Public Relations.
“Boxcar” is nostalgically set in the 1930s. Playwrite Laurie Flanigan Hegge has peppered this story with the colorful language of the characters that made up an often misunderstood element of the Great Depression: hobos, tramps, bums. There will be plenty of hobo lingo for the kids to explore during the workshop.
Northern Sky will also be joined by special guests from the National Railroad Museum. Hobos and railroads go together. A hobo’s most prized possession is the freedom to travel,” stated Bob Lettenberger, Education Director for the museum.”But, are you a real hobo? Do you know who the hobos are? Do you speak the hobo language?” The National Railroad Museum staff will help you discover the secrets of hobo life. Participants will learn about hobo road names, explore who the hobos were, and talk in the hobo language.
Children and teens ages 6 to 16 will have the option of choosing one of two sessions taking place on Friday, July 13th: 9:30 AM until Noon or 1:00 until 3:30 PM. Each session is limited to 30 participants. Admission to the event is $30 per child. A state park sticker is required to attend this event. Each participant also receives a t-shirt that they can have signed by the cast and crew.
Additionally, Northern Sky will have their new coloring book, “Color the Northern Sky,” available for purchase at the event. The 52-page collectible coloring books are $15 each and include a synopsis of each of the shows pictured with several pages laid out so two people can color at the same time. Coloring book artist and Northern Sky intern, Maggie Godfrey, will be on hand to do a book signing together with the book’s author and Northern Sky performer, Chase Stoeger.
Call Northern Sky Theater’s office to register for Creative Kids Day at 920-854-6117.