Dear Editor,

I wanted to relay information to your readers about a wonderful summer program offered in West Seattle. ArtsWest offers three theater study and performance programs every summer for our youth.

Apprenticeship Program – ages 16 to 21
Conservatory Program – ages 12 to 16
Musical Theater Academy – ages 8 to 11

My daughter has attended both the Musical Theatre Academy and the Conservatory Programs, and I am hopeful she will land a part in next summers Apprenticeship Program. Our experience during the last four summers has been nothing but exemplary.

The staff is well trained and attentive to each child’s strength as well as their needs. Your children will not only start setting the ground work needed to audition for a production, but they will also learn movement, voice, acting skills, theater history and general history.

Each year, depending on the show being rehearsed, there are discussions on events and history in the world that relate to the play. These discussions help the child to understand the playwright’s point of view.

Maybe the most beneficial thing learned is how to work together as a cast. Helping each other succeed in presenting a top notch performance, and what it means to commit to the program and performances and how each person is important to the production being successful.

This is a “summer camp” type of program being as it is in the summer and for a specific period of weeks. If your child isn’t really interested in performing or learning about theatre it might not be the program for you.

But if the theater interests your child, this is one of the best and reasonability priced programs in the area.

Renee Robison
Seattle