HuckleBerry
Center for Creative Learning
Mike Anderson
Shakespeare Kids
Mike Anderson is a writer, actor, comedian and Father. He received his classical acting training at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and improvisation with the Upright Citizens Brigade. Writing: Honorable Mention, Screencraft TV Pilot competition. Third place, UCLA pilot competition. Was featured in the Hollywood Reporter as a writer to watch. Plays at Red Bull Short Play Festival, published by Stage Rights. Acting: Comedy of Errors, Othello, and Three Musketeers (Alabama Shakespeare Festival), Love's Labour's Lost and Romeo and Juliet (Riverside Shakespeare Festival), The Foreigner (Pioneer Theater), Bell, Book, and Candle (Triad Stage), Fat Pig (Speakeasy Stage), The Rover (New York Classical Theater), as well as the Off-Broadway premiere of The Invested. He wrote and starred in the sketch series "Gubers" at Second City Los Angeles. Teaching: Workshops for Riverside Shakespeare Festival, Sioux City East High School, as well as Young Storytellers and Reading Partners in Los Angeles.
Great Stories!
Ages: 6-9
Location: In Person in Valencia
Homework: Practicing lines for final end of session productions.
Type of Class:
Standalone. Students that attend this class do not need to do additional learning in this subject outside of the class.
PreReqs: Ability to read simple sentences and memorize lines for an end of session performance!
Fall: Reader’s Theatre ~ The Gingerbread Man at Christmas!
This is a fun class for readers of ALL levels. While we are reading (and sometimes acting) the script we will ALSO be working on expression as well as good pacing and pronunciation. As we prepare for a presentation of this holiday classic during lunch on the last class day of the Fall trimester, all students will have parts to play best suited for their comfort and reading level. The script has parts suitable for emergent AND transitional readers which allows our students to work with their classmates who may not be in their reading groups and allows fluent readers to model good reading habits and let struggling readers participate in reading a “meatier” text WHILE having FUN! This program provides a safe, fun and supportive atmosphere where students will be encouraged to their best potential. We’ll bring it all together as we prepare for a short presentation during our last class for friends and family.
Winter: Aesop’s Fables
Aesop was an oral storyteller believed to live in ancient Greece. Originally told for adults addressing religious, social and political themes it was later during the Renaissance (and onwards) that his stories were then used as ethical guides in child education. Each week we will learn, discuss and explore these Fables THEN using fun active theatre exercises PHYSICALLY explore these great stories, characters and themes. This program provides a safe, fun and supportive atmosphere where students will be encouraged to make bold and creative acting choices, while also developing new levels of personal confidence, finding their voice and ensemble skills while learning this great story.
Spring: Hans Christian Anderson
Hans Christian Anderson was a writer of plays, novels and poems but is MOST famous for his fairy tales. We will explore his many stories as well as an intro to acting and physical character exploration. Through active creative exercises and theatre games, students will learn how to create a character, understand this great writer’s stories, and use their voices and bodies to convey the dramatic and comedic stories. This program provides a safe, fun and supportive atmosphere where students will be encouraged to make bold and creative acting choices, while also developing new levels of personal confidence, finding their voice and ensemble skills while learning this great story. Our classes favor physical movement and active learning over traditional lectures. The richness of the lessons lies more in the doing and feeling than in the intellectualizing of material.
Contact
Shakespeare Kids