Where kids who dream of being on Broadway get their start
By Janine Leffler
Where can young thespians learn tools of the trade close to home? There is no better place than the Riverbend School of Theatre Arts at the Souhegan Valley Boys and Girls Club in Milford.
The school was started in 2006 by Toby Tarnow and has grown in leaps and bounds since its inception. Tarnow was a TV and film actress from the 50s to the 90s and wanted to share her talents and passion for the arts with local youth. Shows she starred in included Amerika, Til Death Do Us Part and King of Kensington. Due to her professional background all of the shows that have been done so far have been teaching experiences. The school’s mission statement is: To provide a safe theater environment for children, ages 10-18, to learn the values of cooperation and collaboration, build group communication skills, and develop presence and confidence, all the while discovering and experiencing their own creative process.
The school of theatre offers classes for high school students in which to earn credit which are called Educational Learning Opportunities Credits. These classes are competency based. Currently there are two ELO classes, Iradio Theatre and an Audition Class. Tarnow is hoping to add more ELO classes next fall some of which include Sound Design and Set Design and Construction. One current ELO class that is being offered is Iradio. Instructor Bill Griggs says that this type of theatre is used as a forum for those students studying communications to express themselves through scripting production and distribution of an house radio show. Griggs said the following about what he teaches in the iradio class is as follows “I work on script continuity, and how to enhance the characters through the audio stream. Vocal reads, foley props, what music should be performed and what music should be from needle drop. We have a great contributor, Andrew Cass. He is performing about three or four different characters while sitting at the keyboard and playing our live music cues and stings we need. Radio shows are all about multitasking and overlapping. All of the actors in the show perform various duties as well as performing characters. It is this collaborative decision making and creativity that I try to inspire the students to develop.”
Other classes the School of Theatre offers include Beginner Tap, Beginner Musical Theatre, Costume Design and Construction, a play writing workshop and festival, Sing Broadway and Musical Theatre Dance. Tuition for classes ranges from $50-$300.
Tarnow said that the School of Theatre rises interest amongst youngsters to get involved in theatre and hopes that the prime location of the Amato Center will attract new membership to the Boys and Girls Club. Currently classes are only open to students but Tanrow hopes to have classes for adults in the future.
While there was an initial delay of getting the word out about the fall semester’s classes the fall production of My Fair Lady has a cast of thirty four and two junior apprentices assisting with backstage tasks Tarnow said in a recent interview “The parent volunteers of My Fair Lady have also been a wonderful support to the school.”
Performances through out the year include a winter Jr. Musical, a Fall Musical, A Christmas show, Playwriting Festival, Student Cabaret, Summer Touring Shows and Dinner Benefits.
By Janine Leffler
Where can young thespians learn tools of the trade close to home? There is no better place than the Riverbend School of Theatre Arts at the Souhegan Valley Boys and Girls Club in Milford.
The school was started in 2006 by Toby Tarnow and has grown in leaps and bounds since its inception. Tarnow was a TV and film actress from the 50s to the 90s and wanted to share her talents and passion for the arts with local youth. Shows she starred in included Amerika, Til Death Do Us Part and King of Kensington. Due to her professional background all of the shows that have been done so far have been teaching experiences. The school’s mission statement is: To provide a safe theater environment for children, ages 10-18, to learn the values of cooperation and collaboration, build group communication skills, and develop presence and confidence, all the while discovering and experiencing their own creative process.
The school of theatre offers classes for high school students in which to earn credit which are called Educational Learning Opportunities Credits. These classes are competency based. Currently there are two ELO classes, Iradio Theatre and an Audition Class. Tarnow is hoping to add more ELO classes next fall some of which include Sound Design and Set Design and Construction. One current ELO class that is being offered is Iradio. Instructor Bill Griggs says that this type of theatre is used as a forum for those students studying communications to express themselves through scripting production and distribution of an house radio show. Griggs said the following about what he teaches in the iradio class is as follows “I work on script continuity, and how to enhance the characters through the audio stream. Vocal reads, foley props, what music should be performed and what music should be from needle drop. We have a great contributor, Andrew Cass. He is performing about three or four different characters while sitting at the keyboard and playing our live music cues and stings we need. Radio shows are all about multitasking and overlapping. All of the actors in the show perform various duties as well as performing characters. It is this collaborative decision making and creativity that I try to inspire the students to develop.”
Other classes the School of Theatre offers include Beginner Tap, Beginner Musical Theatre, Costume Design and Construction, a play writing workshop and festival, Sing Broadway and Musical Theatre Dance. Tuition for classes ranges from $50-$300.
Tarnow said that the School of Theatre rises interest amongst youngsters to get involved in theatre and hopes that the prime location of the Amato Center will attract new membership to the Boys and Girls Club. Currently classes are only open to students but Tanrow hopes to have classes for adults in the future.
While there was an initial delay of getting the word out about the fall semester’s classes the fall production of My Fair Lady has a cast of thirty four and two junior apprentices assisting with backstage tasks Tarnow said in a recent interview “The parent volunteers of My Fair Lady have also been a wonderful support to the school.”
Performances through out the year include a winter Jr. Musical, a Fall Musical, A Christmas show, Playwriting Festival, Student Cabaret, Summer Touring Shows and Dinner Benefits.
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