In connection with Shea's Performing Arts Center, high school students enrolled in the Erie 1 BOCES' TV and Sound Production program participated in a two-part workshop series. The first session took place at the Harkness Career & Technical Center in Cheektowaga and focused on "Character Creation & Development." Through the use of improvisation games, partnering and ensemble work, students discovered how relationships impact their character development. Movement and vocal work were also explored to help students create and fully develop their characters.
Jennifer Fitzery, education program coordinator for Shea's Performing Arts Center, conducted today's character session. She used everyday relationships, such as parent to child, to help the students exercise their gestures and voice inflection. Mirroring, an exercise where students mimic each other's movements, was also conducted.
Fitzery will return to the TV and Sound Production program next week to share details about the variety of career options in the performing arts field. In addition, the session will touch upon training, resume format and the education needed in order to pursue a career in a chosen artistic field. Because of the real-life situations provided, students enrolled in Erie 1 BOCES' Digital Media and Career Exploration programs were also invited to participate in the sessions.
Erie 1 BOCES' Television and Sound Production program is a hands-on course where students from across the region acquire skills in video and audio production. Through the operation of state-of-the-art equipment, students combine their artistic creativity with technological knowledge to produce original video and audio productions such as newscasts, music videos, short films, music recording projects, and audio / video post production projects.
Through independent and group activities, like the one offered by Shea's, students gradually build the skills necessary to work in a variety of communication-based industries and to pursue a post secondary degree in video or audio production.
ABOUT ERIE 1 BOCES
As part of the public education model, Erie 1 BOCES offers more than 25 career and technical programs to high school students in Erie County. High school students interested in learning more about how they can participate in various programs such as Culinary, Computer Networking, TV and Sound Production during their normal school day should visit www.e1b.org/cte or speak with their high school counselor.
ABOUT SHEA’S IN SCHOOLS OUTREACH PROGRAM
At no cost to schools, Shea’s education staff visit classrooms and custom design a workshop made specifically for that class. This is an exciting audience enrichment program that introduces students to the basics of theatre performance and production. Workshops can be done in connection with a specific Shea’s performance or as a part of your specific curriculum needs. For more information regarding Shea’s Education Program, please go to www.sheas.org or call 829-1152.
