In this fast-paced workshop, participants work together to bring a brand new musical to life. Using a familiar story as a starting point, students will explore the elements of musical theatre storytelling, including rhythm, music, movement, and dialogue. Students will build their confidence and artistic skill as they work together to create the beginnings of an original musical performance. This workshop is appropriate for experienced performers and newcomers alike!

Instructors: Jacob Watson & Gwen Tulin

	JACOB WATSON has worked throughout Chicago as a director, designer, and teaching artist. He is excited to return to The Music Theatre Company, where he designed the set for the 2010 world premiere of Happyfoods: A New Musical. A graduate of the theatre program at Northwestern University, Jacob served as Artistic Director of the award-winning Purple Crayon Players. Since then, he has taught with numerous arts organizations, including Urban Gateways, Albany Park Theatre Project, Redmoon, and the Goodman. When he is not in the classroom, Jacob is the Arts Education Consultant at Creative Directions, where he integrates arts learning into schools. He is currently directing The Adventures of Tom Sawyer at Metropolis Performing Arts Centre.
	GWEN TULIN is a musician and theater artist working and living in Chicago, Illinois. She is the Artistic Director and founder of Brain Surgeon Theater, a teaching artist with Urban Gateways, a private music instructor, and performer and composer with Barrel of Monkeys. A cum laude graduate of Brandeis University with degrees in Theater Arts and Creative Writing, she has been practicing and teaching in the arts for over 15 years. Special training includes Meisner technique, Drama-in-Education, and Augusto Boal’s Theater of the Oppressed. She has directed and composed music for 14 Brain Surgeon productions and is currently working on an original play with music, Darla and Lee.

Grades 5 – 8

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