| YPC 2012
February 22 - 26, 2012
Piven Theatre Workshop announces its current Young People’s Company (YPC) production of Who Am I This Time? celebrating 40 Years of the Young People’s Company, opening Wednesday, February 22. Highlighting the very best in improvisation and story theatre form, YPC is comprised of Piven’s most advanced high school students who work as an ensemble over the course of six months to create new and original adaptations of stories.
This year’s line-up of stories celebrates the long history of the performance company and includes an adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut’s short story Who Am I This Time? The story, directed by Piven’s Artistic Director Jennifer Green, follows the evolution of a “showmance” which develops during a production of A Streetcar Named Desire.
Also featured is One Thousand and One Arabian Nights, directed by YPC Director and longtime instructor and theatre artist Rebecca Kling. The story is a clever adaptation about King Sharyar, who marries a new wife each day, only to have her executed the next morning. His newest wife Shahrazad is determined to breakthe cycle using the power of story.
The production concludes with adaptations of Jand the Robbers, directed by Tom Herman, and a wonderful retelling of The Princess and the Pea, directed by Joanne Underwood, a senior instructor and artistic associate at Piven.
Never to shy away from challenging literature, the Workshop has created new adaptations of texts ranging from Kurt Vonnegut to Greek myths for several decades. With a strong foundation in story theatre training, students are given a professional experienc,e exploring the levels and depths within not only the characters, but the narrative as well. The result has always been exceptional performances by countless YPC ensemble members.
Alumni of Piven’s Young People’s Company are a testament to the excellence intraining. Actors and artists such as award-winning playwright Sarah Ruhl, Steppenwolf ensemble member James Vincent Meredith, director Jessica Thebus, and actors Joan and John Cusack and Jeremy Piven all developed their talents while studying at Piven Theatre Workshop.
|
