Sign Your Child Up for Footlighters

Sign Your Child Up for
Footlighters' Summer Theater Workshop

May 11, 2001 - CINNAMINSON - If you have a budding actor, choreographer or stagehand in your family, act quickly to enroll him or her in Burlington County Footlighters’ Summer Theater Workshop for ages 5 to 16. The Footlighters will present their wildly popular theater day camp for the third year in a row, with sessions in July and August. More than 150 kids participated in the first two years, according to Lynn Johnson, Artistic Director and Summer Workshop Coordinator.

"We have participants of all ages from many different school districts," Johnson said. "They are brought together by one thing, a common interest in the theater." The three-week sessions will be held at the Burlington County Footlighters Playhouse from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. The first session is July 9 to July 27, and the second session is August 6 to August 24.Campers will enjoy acting exercises such as character building, animal hunt, sentence game, sound movement, mirror and more.

They will tour the theater to learn the how and why of technical sound and lights, sets and costume design, and guest teachers will instruct them in puppetry, choreography and music.The group will perform, create, rehearse and act out a story and participants will get a chance to be appointed Junior Director and Junior Stage Manager. Finally, the workshop will culminate in a real show on the Footlighters main stage the final Friday evening of the workshop. Participants will perform onstage for their cheering friends and relatives.

As in the past, the sessions will be taught by Barbara Gardner and Nick Sano. Experienced teachers with Shoestring Plus, the duo brings theater classes to school districts throughout New Jersey during the school year, and has become extremely popular at the Footlighters workshops in the summer. "They are incredibly talented and the kids adore them," Johnson said.

Workshoppers should pack lots of imagination, a free spirit, comfortable shoes, and lunch for the summer sessions. The cost for the complete three-week session is only $300 and class size is limited to maintain quality of instruction, so enroll early to avoid disappointment!

"We have many repeat participants who attend workshops throughout the year’ Johnson said. "If they are really into the theater, it is a great way for them to gain stage presence. A number of our kids have gone on to appear in Footlighters productions such as ‘Children of Eden’ and ‘Peter Cottontail."’Plans also are in progress to introduce a theater program for older teens this summer.

If you are interested in learning more about these exciting programs, call 856-829-7144 or check out the website at www.bcfootlighters.com.A non-profit organization founded in 1938, Burlington County Footlighters has been presenting quality community theater to Southern New Jersey for over 60 years. It is an entirely volunteer organization from the directors down to the ticket takers, and welcomes new theater aficionados and talent.

The final production of the current season is the comedy "Return Engagements," playing on the main stage May 4 through May 20 — call for ticket information.The Footllghters will hold a fundraising Flea Market at the Playhouse on Saturday, June 2 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., rain or shine. Donations of new and gently used items are being accepted now. Also, for anyone interested, there is an ongoing personalized brick program — call for details.Burlington County Footlightcrs Playhouse is at 808 Pomona Road (at Wood Park) in Cinnaminson. For more information, call 856-829-7144.