Students to work on 'Hobbit' script and performance at youth theater

Sugar Loaf — The Kings Youth Theater is holding a summer performance workshop for young people interested in script writing and acting. The six-week program begins June 28 and takes place on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Pavilion of the Lycian Centre in Sugar Loaf. The program gives students access to a professional theater space. Students will be learning and refining the craft of acting while rehearsing a new production. This session will concentrate on developing a new version of “The Hobbit,” based on the novel by J.R.R. Tolkien. Students have been working through the winter developing script and performance techniques for this summer’s workshop. The material is now ready for the next phase, which culminates in two performances on Aug. 6 and 7. Students of all levels will be able to participate and play roles in the Hobbit. The workshop is limited to 20. The objective of the program is to provide young people, ages 13 to 20, from diverse backgrounds the opportunity to participate in a theatre experience that will develop confidence, responsibility, teamwork, and a greater sense of self and community. Instructor Paul Ellis has 40 years of experience in the theater business. He studied theater with Lee Strasberg, Peter Brook and Julian Beck, and playwriting with Jean Claude Van Ittallie. He has directed over 80 plays and produced numerous concerts and festivals. He presently directs and produces for the Wharf series at the Lycian Centre. He also writes and directs the Air Pirates Radio Theater now in its fifth season of presenting original radio plays. The fee for the six-week program is $400. To register, call 469-2287 or visit the box office of the Lycian Centre Tuesday through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For information about the program or course content call 469-7563.