Before the winter break, The Neighborhood Academy theater students participated in the Quantum Theatre Educational Program.
It was a cold, December day.
Puppet Silhouettes from Quantum Theatre's Performance
Scores of students assembled in the abandoned and lightly heated makeshift theater space. Along with The Neighborhood Academy, students from the Pittsburgh Obama Academy and Pittsburgh Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA) packed the rafters to see the play, Fat Beckett and to share their own creations.
Gab Cody and Rita Reis in Fat Beckett
After 75 minutes of intense, bizarre, funny, trilingual, and engaging action, performed by playwright/actor, Gab Cody and collaborator, Rita Reis, the students were ready to show off their own work.
- CAPA students present their work
CAPA and the Obama Academy performed several short skits written and created by the student theater troupes.
Drawing from their own life experience, CAPA students (at right) presented a scene set on a bus in which a particularly rough character highjacks the bus and goes for a drive.
Diva and John present "Borris"
The improv game gets intense!
The Neighborhood Academy theater students took a slightly different approach.
TNA hosted three improv games (see them practicing here).
Although all three improv games had been practiced by the students, each scene performed on Wednesday was with a brand new combination of prompts, context, and actors.
Basically, the students had to think on their feet. And they did a fantastic job!
