Inge Center renews Youth Theatre Studio classes Oct. 2nd

News Release
September 15, 2010
Inge Center renews Youth Theatre Studio classes Oct. 2nd

Lisa Kramer, accomplished theater educator, director, and writer, will teach acting classes for the William Inge Center for the Arts Youth Theatre Studio, at Independence Community College this fall.

There will be three Saturday classes for differing age levels: third through fifth grades; sixth through eighth grades; and ninth through twelfth grades. The classes begin Saturday, October 2, and continue for eight sessions on selected Saturdays through December 11. Registration is currently underway.

Kramer greatly enjoys directing theatre for all ages and has extensively taught in school and non-school settings including the Phoenix, AZ, and Colorado. Ms. Kramer holds a Ph.D. in Theatre for Youth from Arizona State University, an MFA in directing from the University of Hawaii, Manoa, and Bachelor of Arts degrees in Theatre and English.

“We are thrilled to offer young people of our area the expertise of a theater educator and practitioner with such breadth and experience,” said Peter Ellenstein, artistic director of the Inge Center. “Providing top-quality theatre training to students of Southeast Kansas serves the core of our mission.”

Kramer most recently lived with her family in Durango, CO where she taught special theatre/drama workshops in area schools, as well as courses at Fort Lewis College in the writing, theatre, and honors programs. She also directed productions for the college and Durango Lively Arts.

In addition to extensive directing credits, Lisa has helped start two theatre companies, and worked as a lighting designer, stage manager, and playwright. She was part of a team that won a Hawaii State Theatre Council Po’okela Award for playwriting for The Kabuki Mikado, and was nominated for a Po’okela Award for lighting design.

Lisa is the wife of Nathan Lee, ICC’s newly hired technical director for William Inge Theatre. Their daughter Sarah is a student at Eisenhower Elementary School.

The Youth Theatre Studio class dates are: October 2, 9, and 16; November 6, 13, and 20; and December 4 and 11. The third through fifth grade level meets from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.; the sixth through eighth grade level meets 10:15 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.; and the 9th through 12th grade level meets 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

The fee is $100 for the eight class sessions for the third grade through fifth grade and the sixth through eighth grade levels. The fee is $160 for the high school level grades, due to the class sessions extended length. Enrollment can be done by phone through the Inge Center office at (620) 332-5491 or by email at hjoyce@ingecenter.org. A $50 deposit is required to hold a spot in the class, which is limited to 15 students each. The balance is due at the first class session.

“The first year of the Youth Actors Studio, under the direction of Marisa Fritzemeier, was a great success,” said Ellenstein, “and we’re thrilled to renew this tradition with Lisa.”

“The Independence Children’s Summer Theatre has shown there is a real thirst for more theatrical opportunity for young people in the area” he said. “We hope the Youth Theatre Studio complements ICST in growing our young citizens in communication, presentation and performing arts skills and appreciation.”

The William Inge Center for the Arts at Independence community College offers quality year-round educational and artistic programming. It is best known as sponsor of the annual William Inge Theatre Festival, which is the Official State Theatre Festival of Kansas. The 30th annual Inge Festival honors Marsha Norman and runs April 13-15, 2011.

Major sponsors include Independence Community College, The Kansas Arts Commission, the Hallmark Corporation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Dramatists Guild of New York.