Birmingham Youth Visited by Birmingham Playwright!

Local Theatre Group Stage2 are going a bit Brum-centric at the moment – and as the weeks go on and the deadline gets closer it's only getting stronger! Recently, Stage2 members have been working hard trying to answer a question asked by none other than Birmingham born Playwright Claire Dowie (and the title of their next production...);

 'Why is John Lennon Wearing a Skirt?'

Well, it just so happens that the playwright and her Director (Colin Watkeys) are Patrons of Stage2 and recently visited the group for workshops that challenged, supported and helped the young people to make their own conclusions of this challenging question. Leaving everyone feeling proud – not only to belong to such a passionate youth theatre – but also to live in a city that is such a fantastic place for young, talented minds to challenge and be challenged in an exploratory, creative way and finally to have the opportunity to work with an internationally recognised Playwright!

“It was a special experience to meet the author of my very first production. Thank you for this chance” – Ellie Waide age 9 (Playing a lead role)

The deadline for the answer is rapidly approaching and as these young members work hard towards it, they're in their turn asking for you to come along, watch and form your own opinions during the Easter Holidays!

The play is a powerful exploration of stereotyping and pressures to conform  - a journey through a girl’s life that includes frustrated encounters with skirts, incredulous encounters with tights and disastrous encounters with boys. Through the 60s to the early 70s she gets through school by pretending to be in the Beatles and her first office job by pretending to be in the Army. With the exciting addition of a live band on stage, a huge cast of Birmingham’s best bring the perils of being a teenager hilariously and sometimes horrifically to life!

“It is fantastic that Stage2 gets real (and famous!) practitioners in to work with us, you learn so much while thoroughly enjoying it” – Andrew Brown age 18 (Production Assistant)

Stage2 opens its doors at the Crescent Theatre from Thur 17^th – Sat 19^th April 2014 (Performances at 7.30pm + Sat Matinee 2pm).

So spend an evening supporting your local theatres and the young people that work in them. With the action spilling off the stage and taking place all around the auditorium, our young members bring this cavalcade of comedy (blended with current issues) to life – and if you find yourself fighting for the answer to the question above, we've already got some for you – the main one being WHY NOT?

 This play is an experience not to be missed!

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For further information, additional photos, interviews etc please contact

Stage2 on 07961 018 841 or Alex Butler directly on 07790 464 288.

For general information on Stage2 please check out the website on www.stage2.org

Stage1 Assistants

When you say you intend to spend three hours teaching 7-10 year olds about Greek Theatre, the looks you get range from sympathy, to amazement. The 7-10 year olds in question however, were Stage1, and I had a brilliant time. Throughout this term, I have been the senior assistant for Stage2’s younger subgroup, Stage1. Though the prospect was initially foreboding – involving over 20 under-10s – I have progressed in confidence as the term progressed. I started out being in charge of toilet trips and supervising lunchbreaks, but this Saturday I had the chance to lead a session myself. Though it was a challenging topic, I chose to run a week about Greek Theatre… where drama as we know it first began. Over the course of  the session we looked at the Greek alphabet, mythology, plays, stages and theatres. Despite my initial nervousness, the response was fantastic, from Greek alphabets being scribbled down left, right and centre, to a vote to move the break to later on so that we could keep on going. During the afternoon we played a variety of Stage1 favourites such with an Ancient Greek twist (such as the ‘Cat and Mouse’ game becoming ‘Theseus and the Minotaur’), along with a few of my own creation (including ‘Sleeping Centaurs’), and even did a little bit of mask-work. The group responded really well, especially to the discussion and learning sections where we talked about Greek Theatres and Choruses, and produced, when we finished, three performances of Greek myths translated into plays. Being a Stage1 assistant this term has been incredibly fun. I have learnt large amounts, and had a great time working with the younger members of Stage2, and I’d really recommend anybody who’s at all interested to apply. It’s a role that you really can shape yourself to get what you want out of it, whilst also being essential for the running of Stage1, and not to mention extremely fun! 
George Bandy (16) Mentor

March Update

'Stage2 gives young people a sense of purpose, a sense of direction, a sense of belonging' Parent View this email in your browser

We are celebrating being awarded  'Best Play of  2013' at the Birmingham FAME Awards We also won Best Technical Achievement and our kids also won in Solo and Duo Categories... The Arcadian Trophy For Technical Achievement - The Tempest  The Philip Rodway Memorial Trophy for Best Play of the Year – The Tempest The B.D.T.G. Shield For Over 14 Poetry – George Hannigan The Bolton King Shield For Over 14 Drama - Priya Edwards The Frances Kenrick Shield For Drama Duologue - Luca Hoffman & Dan Nash Well done to everyone involved...

17th - 19th April 2014 The Crescent Theatre, Brindlyplace, B16 8AE We had a full run through this Saturday and WOW this show is going to be great! It is so exciting to see members ofStage2 working together building fantastically comic scenes. Our Cast and Chorus have been taking on a glitzy dance to the vivacious Hairspray song ‘You Can't Stop The Beat’ -check it out on youtube This Saturday, following another full run through, Claire Dowie and Colin Watkeys are coming in to run 2 workshops with all members of the company. How exciting to work with the actual writer of the play you are doing! Tickets (Thursday to Saturday 7.30pm) are selling fast - theSaturday Matinee (2pmshowing) still has plenty of tickets so if you are planning to bring a big group then that is the performance to go for! So don't delay in getting yours sorted - put a great night to look forward to in your diaries now! Do you know any young people who would like to join Stage2? We have loads of opportunities  for kids aged 7 right through to 21. Booking is open for Summer 2014 - visit www.stage2.org for full details and to book. Summer Term Options Swallows and Amazons - with its atmospheric live music, our creative ensemble of actors, engaging characters and fantastical adventure, will be a stimulating rehearsal process and performance that anyone aged 9-21 can be part of - without auditioning.  General Drama - A different topic to explore each week, learn everything it takes to be fantastic in a show. Skills Workshop - The Teens' Speechby Kate Tempest will be the stimulus for this group, working towards a perfomance of this powerful modern poem. Stage1 - the group for 7-10 year olds, learn, play and explore in a secure, friendly environment. As well as the numerous social events, Mentor Schemes,  and extra workshop sessions, masterclasses and talks we offer throughout the term... If you know any school or community groups who could benefit from us going in and leading a workshop or a talk about the benefits of Stage2 and all we offer, please get in touch with Lucy.Bailey-Wright@stage2.org From poetry to publicity, accents to arts admin, social events to school support - there is something for everyone atStage2!

Coming soon... 22nd March 5.15-7.30pm - Millennium Point Studios - See contract for details Auditions and Interviews For Cast and Crew of Swallows and Amazons (our Summer show) and other Assistant Roles in Summer Term 2014. Open to all members and returning members of Stage2  24th March 7-9.30pm - Kitchen Garden Cafe, Kings Heath, Tickets £5 Young Writers' Showcase Members of our Poetry, Playwriting and the Spoken Word group and our John Lennon Band perform unplugged 1st April 7.30pm - The Crescent Studio, Brindleyplace, B16 8AE     Tickets £5 LAMDA Showcase and Certificates Presentation Evening. Watch members of Stage2 perform short extracts from a  variety of plays, see members receive praise and Certificates for their work and commitment to Stage2in the Autumn Term. 17-19th April 7.30pm (2pm)-The Crescent Main House, Brindleyplace, B16 8AE  Tickets £10  Why is John Lennon Wearing a Skirt? See 80+ members of Stage2 perform this huge scale, fantastic  show with a live band! 26th April 9.30am-2.30pm - Millennium Point - Places £140 (£100 for Siblings) Stage2 Summer Term Join us for our 12 week term and be part of an exciting, dynamic, positive, supportive company, where you can learn a whole range of skills that will equip you for so many other areas of life. 3rd May 1.30pm-5pm - Millennium Point - Places £140 (£100 for Siblings) Stage1 Summer Term Join a supportive, positive, friendly group of 7 to 10 year olds for fun, accessible sessions in drama and creative play. Copyright © 2014 Stage2 Youth Theatre, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email after signing up at a Stage2 session or production or online. Our mailing address is: Stage2 Youth Theatre 12 Valentine Road Kings Heath Birmingham, West Midlands B14 7AN United Kingdom

Swallows and Amazons Contract

Any current or returning member can audition to be in this hugely exciting show!

Costumes in Why is John Lennon Wering A Skirt?

As Why Is John Lennon Wearing A Skirt is set in the swinging 60s we need costume that really represents the era. Girls in miniskirts of vibrant colours and giant beehive hair alongside boys in fitted polos or shirts with thin ties is the look we were going for especially with the band, mother and father who are on stage for the vast majority of the production. To do this we are very lucky to have the help of the excellent Colette Timothy who runs a small vintage clothing business called ‘Top Banana’ in Kings Heath. She has offered the whole company discount on clothing so people could purchase costume as well as providing full costume for the entire band and the mother and father from her shop. As costume assistant for the production I have been working closely with her and it has been incredible to see the way she works and be a part of choosing the costume. Colette knows every era of clothing down to each specific year the fashion industry released a new idea so we were able to explore the different styles within the 60s and decide what would work best for the characters we were dressing and her love for the work she does is inspiring to someone like me who has an interest in costume and fashion. We are very grateful for the work Colette is continuously putting in to helping this production the vivid vintage clothing will certainly add an extra dynamic to the stage.

Birmingham’s Festival of Acting and Musical Entertainment 2014

Presentation Night 22^nd February, 7pm, Dovehouse Theatre, Olton, Solihull

This festival is in three parts

1. Peripatetic Festival

Each year all amateur companies in the West Midlands are invited to enter all the productions they stage over the year. Stage2 entered our 3 productions – The Tempest, Towerblock Trio and  A Chorus of Disapproval.

We received the following nominations

The Arcadian Trophy For Technical Achievement  - The Tempest

The Savoy Cup For Most Outstanding Female Performance

– Chloe Jones as Prospero in The Tempest

The Roy and Betty Gaunt Cup For Best Supporting Cast – The Tempest

The Emile Littler Cup For Best Set – The Tempest

The Stanwin Cup For Outstanding Achievement – The Tempest

The Brodribb Cup For Direction – Liz Light, The Tempest

The Tempest was the most nominated production of the whole year!

And won the following awards

The Arcadian Trophy For Technical Achievement - The Tempest

The Philip Rodway Memorial Trophy for Best Play of the Year – The Tempest

Obviously Shakespeare is very popular and the grants for sets and costumes pay off!

2. Youth Solo and Duo Awards

Stage2 members won and were highly commended in the following categories, after an evening of pieces in Festival Week.

The B.D.T.G. Shield For Over 14 Poetry - George Hannigan

The Bolton King Shield For Over 14 Drama - Priya Edwards 

The Frances Kenrick Shield For Drama Duologue  - Luca Hoffman & Dan Nash

3. One Act Plays

We have entered the One-Act Play Festival in the past and have been successful – we may enter it again in the future (time permitting!).

A huge thank you to everyone who took part

and contributed to this fabulous success!

Do you want to be part of this festival?

Anyone in Stage2 who is under 19 can enter all the individual Categories:

Acting (solo and duo), Poetry, Singing

All you need is a LAMDA piece – you can sign up to do LAMDA at next term’s Intro Session (26^th April) – there is more information on the Print Table.

The sheets for BFAME next year will be released in the Autumn Term.

Summer Term

Stage2 encourages academic and emotional intelligence in youth

Stage2 Youth Theatre has always had the aim of promoting individuality and instilling qualities such as ambition, passion and dedication in each of its members. Some schools, while sharing these aims, are lacking the time to achieve them; according to the All-Party Parliamentary Group’s Character and Resilience Manifesto, published 11th February 2014, “while teachers felt that building character should be a central aspect of their role, they did not see this as a core element of their school’s strategy.”  

"All too often the development of attributes associated with character and resilience - that is, the development of the pupil as a rounded individual - are neglected or, at best, given second billing," the report laments. At Stage2, however, developing character in young people is put at the forefront - and it works. “When your children’s friends are moving people to tears with their passion and creativity you know you are in the middle of something special,” one member’s parent praises.

Stage2 does, of course, understand the pressure put on schools to get pupils to pass exams, and endeavours to alleviate this pressure wherever possible. The Summer Term 2014, starting on 26^th April, will see dozens of young people performing in an adaptation of classic children’s writer Arthur Ransome’s Swallows and Amazons. This will prove to be an engaging way for these children to revise the curriculum of English Literature, allowing for intimate exploration of the text and characters, as well as providing an invaluable introduction to the writer and his style. It will also be useful for teaching Drama, giving experience of ensemble scenes and stagecraft. Additionally, Stage2 will be running a General Drama Workshop focussing on Performance Skills and a Skills Workshop exploring Poetry focussing on Kate Tempest’s The Teens’ Speech.

Stage2 will also be offering Work Experience and training in areas related to the arts such as Marketing, Fundraising and Mentoring. In this way, Stage2 is the perfect complement to school education; schools focus on academic achievement but sometimes fail to allow pupils to grow into well-rounded individuals, while Stage2 prioritises emotional intelligence and character building while fully supporting academic studies.

Stage2 runs on Saturdays at Millennium Point, Curzon Street, Birmingham B4 7XG. Booking for the Summer Term has already opened. More information can be found at www.stage2.org or on 07961 018841.