Tufts Children's Theatre...

encompasses Magic Circle Theater and Creative Arts in the summer, and during the school year, Collins Players. All programs focus on theater and improvisation, and strive to challenge and enhance each child's creative powers. The programs are based on the idea that every child has much to contribute to the creative process.

Magic Circle Theater...
is New England's oldest theater by and for children, in session daily from 9:00 am-4:00 pm for six weeks, July 1-August 9, 2013. The company consists of young actors currently in grades 6-9, meeting each day to rehearse, construct scenery, create costumes, and perform. The summer's activities climax during the 4th, 5th and 6th weeks with public performances of three children's plays in repertory in the Balch Arena Theater.

Magic Circle Theater emphasizes the importance of those backstage as well as those onstage. Each student will appear onstage for one of the three productions and will assume a technical or backstage role in the others. Students will tackle a variety of technical positions, including scenery, stage management, lighting, costumes, scenic painting, and house management. Each day, the Magic Circle program is structured to include time for workshops in acting, music, dance, production design and construction.

Partial registrations will not be accepted as students must plan on attending the entire six-week program. Acceptance into Magic Circle is by audition. Auditions will be held on January 26 & 27, 2013. Both returning and new Magic Circle applicants are required to audition. Audition information will be mailed upon receipt of application form. Deadline for Magic Circle applications is January 18, 2013.
TUITION: $1900.

Creative Arts...
is a unique program that introduces younger children to the basic principles of visual and performing arts in a non-competitive environment. Creative Arts is for children currently in grades 2-5. The program meets each day from 9:00 am-4:00 pm. Creative Arts will meet in two three-week sessions, July 1-19 and July 22-August 9, 2013. The program will continue to offer a Before Care and After Care option at an extra cost of $8.00 per hour beginning at 8:00 a.m. and ending at 6:00 p.m. for both sessions. (PLEASE NOTE: there will be no Before Care offered on the first day of Session 1, 7/1 and no After Care offered on the last day of Session 2, 8/9.)

Through daily hands-on workshops in music, art, creative movement and creative drama, each child will discover and strengthen his or her own powers of creative self-expression. In addition, additional workshops are often scheduled combining the disciplines of these four core workshops. An open-house performance for families and friends is scheduled at the end of each three-week session.

A non-refundable $100 deposit per child is due with the application. This reserves your child's space and is applied to tuition. The tuition covers all program charges (including lunch) except Before and After Care. Parents will be billed for tuition in April and payment is due in full by June 1, 2013. Returning Creative Arts participants have an advance registration period before registrations will be accepted for new campers. Thereafter, enrollment will be accepted on a first come, first served basis until the program is full. Deadline for Creative Arts applications is March 31, 2013.
TUITION: $1000 for Session 1 or Session 2/$1850 for the full season.

Collins Players
Tufts Children's Theater is offering one school year program during the 2012-2013 academic year: Collins Players for children in grades 7 through 12. This program will focus on improvisation and strive to challenge and enhance each child's creative powers. The program is based on the idea that every child/young adult has much to contribute to the creative process. A six-month drama program for young actors, Collins Players explores the fundamentals of theater production with particular focus on improvisation, character development, and stage movement. The program will work towards a full-length production, to take place on Saturday, March 23, 2013. Admission to Collins Players is by audition, to be held on Wednesday, October 3, 2012. Audition information and requirements will be provided upon registration. Staffing for Collins Players is under the direction of Dr. Luke Jorgensen, Artistic Director.

Staffing
Staffing for the Tufts Children's Theater programs is under the direction of Dr. Luke Jorgensen, Artistic Director of Magic Circle and Nicole Frattaroli, Director of Creative Arts. In addition to a core staff of professional artists and college undergraduate and graduate students, the programs feature guest artists from the Boston arts community.

For a brochure/application form to these programs, please email Joanne Barnett at joanne.barnett@tufts.edu or call the Balch Arena Theater at (617) 627-3493.