Looking forward to TADW 2015!

It may be the middle of the holidays, but we at the Teenage Drama Workshop are already looking ahead to next summer. It's going to be a great season! We're very excited to be starting production on...

and

And of course, we look forward as always to the

If you're planning to join us for TADW 2015, we encourage you to sign up as soon as possible. Not only does it help the TADW staff to plan for the summer by letting us know how many students to expect, but it's a chance for you to save $300 on tuition. The cutoff for this early enrollment discount is December 31st, which is coming up quickly, so please don't let the opportunity pass you by! To sign up, visit our website at http://www.csun.edu/tadw/application.html.

We can't wait to see our returning students and meet our new ones. TADW is always such a magical place, both on stage and off.

Can't wait to see you all in summer 2015!

Some TADW 2014 highlights - we miss these crazy faces!

TADW 57: Weeks 1 & 2

We're off to a running start with the 2014 Teenage Drama Workshop! 

Level 1 acting class

Performance track students have been building foundations and stretching limits in their acting, voice, and dance classes. Students in the Playwriting elective have been busy writing drafts of their 10-minute plays, which will go into rehearsals starting next week. The students in the Improvisation elective are busy preparing for our first ever Improv Showcase this Friday (you're invited! - see below). Finally, those in the Musical Theatre elective have been selecting songs to perform at the Munch & Crunch musical review on July 27th.

Tech/design student

The Tech/Design students have been doing an amazing job of helping to construct the sets for our productions, as well as learning tech/design fundamentals. They've been painting, sawing, metalworking, building, and designing. "Techies" really get to do some cool stuff!

Joining the Spectrum rehearsal

Our productions are also developing into some beautiful shows. Everything is happening at once - sets are being built; students are memorizing lines, learning dance routines, and rehearsing songs; costumes are being designed and constructed. For Joining the Spectrum, our groundbreaking new production, the script and music are also being created as we go! These students work so hard, and there is so much talent! (The faculty, staff, and designers are not too shabby, either, if we do say ourselves.)

Cirque des Pirates rehearsal

Beauty and the Beast dancers

This summer's program promises to be particularly excellent. Tickets for the shows are on sale now, and we highly recommend purchasing them as soon as possible. Many performances will sell out - some already have! - and we'd hate to have disappointed friends and family members who weren't able to come. You can purchase tickets by contacting the CSUN Associated Students ticket office at (818) 677-2488.

Coming this Friday, June 27th: Our first ever Improv Showcase!

As mentioned above, the Performance track students in the Improv elective class will be demonstrating their skills in a performance this Friday evening at 7:00 in the Little Theatre in Nordhoff Hall on the CSUN campus. This is a free performance, and we would love for everyone to bring as many friends and family

Fun and games in Improv class

members as they like. This fun, interactive show will last about an hour.

That same evening, we are also doing a fundraiser at Pieology Pizzeria in Northridge. Between the hours of 4:00PM and 9:00PM, Pieology will donate 20% of the proceeds to the TADW Scholarship Fund to anyone who presents one of the fundraiser flyers below. For those attending the Improv Showcase, having dinner at Pieology before the show would be both fun and convenient. However, it isn't necessary to be a member of TADW or to be attending the show to participate in the fundraiser - anyone who dines at Pieology between 4:00 and 9:00 can help out by presenting a flyer and letting the restaurant staff know to make the donation to TADW. Please spread the word!

Click here to access a larger, more printer-friendly version!

More ways to help:

Several TADW parents and alumni have stepped forward to help us raise more money for our scholarship fund. We now have several fundraising projects in the works:

TADW Alumni Fund on Indiegogo: Even small donations can add up to making a big difference when enough people participate. Please help us spread the word by sharing this link with anyone who would like to support youth theatre! https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/teenage-drama-workshop-alumni-fund

Online auction - coming soon! We are looking for donated services, goods, TV or movie memorabilia, vacation rentals, tickets, etc. that can be auctioned “ebay” style. Please contact TADW via email if you would like to donate.

LuvnLocket Origami Owl jewelry sale: Run by a TADW mother and daughter team, 20% of proceeds will be donated to the TADW Scholarship Fund.


This first week and a half at TADW has been great, and we know that this year's productions will be really fantastic. We look forward to seeing our TADW families and friends at the shows!

Announcing the cast lists for the 57th Teenage Drama Workshop!

Auditions have wrapped and the shows have been cast! Below are the cast lists for the 2014

Teenage Drama Workshop productions:

Joining the Spectrum orientation

Joining the Spectrum 

***more cast members to be added, coming soon!***

Janelle Avila

Laura McDermott

Rachel Saporito

Madison McCobb

Cameron Maitre

Henry Parker-Elder

Joey Nadler

Megan Phung

Danielle Bray

Nathan Anderson

Cirque des Pirates audition

Cirque des Pirates

Ben	Mateo Gonzales
Ethel	Savannah Ludwig
Amelia	Alia Martinez
Capt. Tea	Arthur Parian
Capt. Weirdbeard	Patrick Fitzsimmons
Capt. Hook	Jordan Haddad
Capt. Mary Read Aloud	Sarah Sperling
Capt. Anne Bonny Voyage	Ariana George
Capt. Silver Longjohns	Sara Renner
	Julia Lester
Pirate Queen	Rosey Murrah
Little Pirate	Larissa Heatley
Jolly Rogers	Dylan Halsted
Double-Patch Pete	Garrett Knoller
Pat	Nick DeJohn
Vanna	Olivia Riddle
Backup Mermaids	Emma Aaronson
	Samantha Fabisch
	JoyAnne Tracy
Ensemble	Alexandra Barnum
	Taylor Bass
	Maya Escobar
	Rebecca Gottbetter
	Danny Halsted
	Adam Jacobsen
	Jennifer McNabb
	Talya Nathanson
	Samantha Raskin
	Haller Rice
	Michael Smith
	Eliana Sternin
	Shayna Sternin
	Pasha Wynant

Beauty and the Beast audition

Beauty and the Beast

Belle: Lyrisa Leininger

Beast: Michael Dager

Gaston: Canaan Smith

Mrs. Potts: Kaitlyn Rickaby

Chip: Danielle Efrat

Cogsworth: Griffen Hamilton

LeFeu: Mikey Fabisch

Lumiere: Will Riddle

Maurice: Noah Gephardt-Canada

Wardrobe: Haley Perkins

Monsieur D’Arque: Colin Mika

Monsieur De la Nuit : Noah Finn

Babette: Jessica Bell

Silly Girls

Liana Leininger

Melanie Besnilian

Emilie Besnilian

Madison Esmailbeigi

Chelsea Rifkin

Renee Melkonian

Taylor Carlson

Elizabeth Lloyd

         

Ensemble

Liliana	Magnanimo
Sierra	Heimlich
Olivia	Dalton
Sophia	Donner
Megan	Ehrenberg
Spencer	Ehrenberg
Willow	Islas
Mackenzie	Rickaby
Tiana	Sandberg
Maya	Hale
James	Johnston
Tom	Johnston
Marisela	Venolia
Maya	Efrat
Allie	George
Jennifer	Torres
Kali	Hale
Heather	Briganti
Sarah	Covault

Countdown to Meet & Greet and Production Sneak Peek

It's just five days until our annual Meet & Greet, and we are so excited! 

We can't wait to see everyone.

The event will take place this Sunday, April 27th, from 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm, in Nordhoff Hall on the Cal State Northridge Campus. We will be in the Campus Theatre. (Those who have been to the Meet & Greet in the past, do take note that we are in a different room this time!) For directions, please click on the "Map of CSUN" link on the right side of this page.

This a fun event that gives TADW families, both new and returning, a chance to meet other students, as well as TADW faculty and staff. We will answer any questions you have about the program, and the directors and designers of our shows will be there to give everyone some insight into their visions for the productions. We welcome anyone enrolled or just interested in TADW at this event, parents and students alike.

We hope to see you there!

In other news, development of this summer's productions is going swimmingly. 

Our production staff has met to finalize scripts and mull over designs for sets, lights, and costumes. This summer's shows are going to be fantastic!

TADW staff in deep discussion during a March production meeting

Set designer Kyle Wilson shows off designs for Beauty and the Beast

A preview of a set design for Beauty and the Beast

Chris Halsted dazzles the TADW staff with his musical stylings at a Cirque des Pirates production meeting. Arrr!

At TADW we take our jobs very seriously.

TADW staff cracking up at a reading of Cirque des Pirates

Set designer Carlo Maghirang discusses his vision for the Cirque des Pirates set.

Last Chance for Enrollment Discount + Meet & Greet Announcement

As we make our way through winter, spaces have been filling up for this summer's Teenage Drama Workshop. We've got over 50 students enrolled to far, which is a great start, but there is still room for more students. Our early enrollment discount of $200 off tuition ends on March 1st, so if you or someone you know is interested in participating in TADW this summer, now is the time to sign up!

Enrollment can be done online at http://www.csun.edu/tadw/application.html.

Additionally, please mark your calendars:

We will hold out annual TADW Meet & Greet on the CSUN campus on Sunday, April 27th, from 1:00 - 3:00 PM. 
This is a fun event that gives TADW families both new and returning a chance to meet other students, as well as TADW faculty and staff. We will answer any questions you have about the program, and the directors and designers of our shows will be there to give everyone some insight into their visions for the productions. We welcome anyone enrolled or interested in TADW at this event, parents and students alike. We hope to see you there!

Looking forward to TADW 2014

Happy New Year, everyone!

The holidays have been celebrated, the Spring semester is beginning, and we at the Teenage Drama Workshop are already working hard to prepare for this summer’s productions. We are happy to share that we have already sold out one performance to a camp! The TADW staff has had several production meetings to develop our 2014 program.

TADW staff plotting grand schemes for the 2014 season

And what are these productions, you might ask? 

Good question!

Our 2014 season will include:

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast

Directed by Ray Saar

With Choreography by Candy Sherwin

And Musical Direction by Diane Ketchie

Cirque des Pirates

An original musical comedy by Ronnie Sperling and Chris Halsted

With Choreography by Lindsey Lorenz

Ten Minute Play Festival
With original plays by TADW student playwrights


And we introduce a groundbreaking new production!...

Joining the Spectrum: A Collaborative Play about Inclusion 
Staged by artists from The Miracle Project 
Led by director Elaine Hall and her award winning staff
The play will be created by the students with The Miracle Project team using theatre games, exercises, improvisation, and storytelling techniques to generate the script. Approximately 15 teens with disabilities will partner with 15 non-disabled peers to perform in what promises to be a transformative experience for all.

Along with the new addition of Joining the Spectrum, we have a few other exciting changes in store for the summer of 2014, including:

• An Improv Comedy Night on Thursday, June 26th at 7:00 pm for students in the Improv elective to show off their skills!
• Innovative changes to our annual Ten Minute Play Festival!

We’ve already had a fabulous early enrollment for this coming summer, but we still have room for more students! 

As many of you know, TADW students include not just performers, but technical theatre students as well. This summer we will continue to develop our tech/design program and are always looking for students going into grades 9 and higher to join our excellent tech/design crew. For more information on this program, please see http://www.csun.edu/tadw/images/TADW_TechnicalWorkshop.pdf.

 If you haven’t enrolled yet and would like to join us, you can still take advantage of en early enrollment discount of $200 off tuition if you enroll by March 1, 2014. You can enroll online at www.csun.edu/tadw.

So, are you excited for TADW 2014 yet? Well, you can get a taste of the summer to come at our

Annual Teenage Drama Workshop Meet & Greet

April 27th, 2014

1:00 PM

In the Organ Room of Nordhoff Hall at Cal State Northridge

Come see old friends, and meet new ones!

Find out more about our upcoming productions!

Ask questions! Get answers!

Meet TADW faculty and staff!

We hope you're all as excited about this summer's Teenage Drama Workshop as we are. See you at the Meet & Greet!*

*Please excuse all the exclamation points in this blog post. I can't help it; I really mean them!