Dear Editor: The last week of May, 10 young actors from the Sitka Fine Arts Camp Young Performers Theater program took a trip down to Ashland, Oregon, in order to go see several professional shows at the world famous Oregon Shakespeare Festival. This trip was the first of its kind for our theater program, and my students had an amazing experience.
Over the course of six days, we saw seven shows, including Shakespearean tragedies and comedies, an August Wilson play, a modern retelling of ‘‘Hamlet,’’ Oscar Wilde’s ‘‘The Importance of Being Earnest,’’ and opening night of the musical ‘‘Into the Woods.’’ My students lit up during every performance – awed by the incredible scenery and lighting, along with the extravagant costumes, and they were especially inspired by the high caliber of the actors.
We would like to thank the whole community of Sitka for your support over the past few months. Numerous Sitkans supported our trip by buying raffle tickets or art at our art auction, or by donating time, energy, and money to our fundraising efforts and to our own shows, or even by asking us about the trip and encouraging us to meet our goal! One student mentioned this was the highlight of their year, and maybe their life, so thank you for supporting young artists and giving them a future to aspire to.
Thank you, Sitka!
Zeke Blackwell and the actors of the Young Performers Theater program
