Fall Youth Theatre Festival offers fun, discounts to local families | News, Sports, Jobs

Youth study in preparation for a previous production at the Black Box Arts Center. Courtesy photo

SHEPHERDSTOWN — The Roving Peregrine Theatre Company hosted a Fall Youth Theatre Festival in its performance space, the Black Box Arts Center, on Saturday afternoon.

The festival, which featured a number of carnival games, crafts and snacks, was created this year to help local families plan ahead and get a discount on upcoming children’s workshops and productions.

“We haven’t done anything like this before,” said Roving Peregrine Theatre Company Founding Artistic Director Heather Wallen.

According to Wallen, the festival was created to share information about their upcoming children’s productions and workshops, from the end of this year through the summer. Workshops will include: a spring production for youth ages 8-18 of short plays called, “Mixtape: A Celebration of New Plays Based on Popular Songs”; a Princess, Knights & Dragons Theatre Camp for ages 4-6 in the summer; a Tales of Camelot Theatre Camp for ages 7-9 in the summer; a summer Tech Theatre Camp for youth ages 9-18; and a production of a new play by Don Zolidis, “Emily Bronte, Necromancer,” for youth ages 8-18. Those who signed up at the festival for any of the programs received a 20% discount off of the registration price.

A similar 20% discount was also applied, at the festival, to the purchase of tickets for the company’s next two child-friendly shows: Taz Stahlnecker and Stephen Bennet’s “To Those Who Love the Moon: An Anthology of Lunar Shorts” and “The 42nd Annual: A Very Peregrine Christmas Spectacular,” which was written by Roving Peregrine Theatre Company Founding Artistic Director Heather Wallen.

“We wanted to build up some interest in the kids and get them signed up for our programs,” Wallen said. “We know that kids have so many options to choose from, with their extracurricular activities, so we wanted to make sure they knew what we will be offering, well in advance of when they have been scheduled to be held.”

Wallen and company board member and treasurer Zane Oberholzer oversee the youth educational theater programming, with a focus on ensuring participants learn new skills with each one. Oberholzer, who has 35 years of experience in youth theater education, said the thing that truly sets The Roving Peregrine Theatre Company’s programming apart from the rest, is that it allows every participant to have the opportunity to shine.

“For a lot of kids in theater programs, they never get to play anything more than a tree,” Oberholzer said. “They never get to truly spread their wings in that kind of educational environment.”

Additionally, the programming provides youth with an individualized education from company members and from professionals, who have been hired to share their theatrical expertise.

“We’re trying to make sure that, by the time they have aged out of the kids programming, they’re ready to do adult productions,” Wallen said. “We’re very education based, even for adults. We want to make sure everyone is getting something out of their experience here.”

To learn more about the Roving Peregrine Theatre Company, visit https://rovingperegrine.squarespace.com/.