FAIRFIELD CENTER STAGE
YOUTH WORKSHOP
@ ROCKWELL DANCE CENTER
ELF JR.
for Ages 6-18
Extremely limited capacity!
Sep 6 - Oct 19 2024
Sep 6 (Fri: auditions): in-person audition date (required) from 5-7:30pm
then, regular rehearsals
Saturday mornings from Sep 7-Oct 19, 10am-1pm (ages 8-18) // (“Littlest Elves” ages 6&7 aka Kindies=10-11:30am)
performances for families: Sat Oct 19 @ 3pm & 7pm
(+ added tech rehearsal Fri Oct 18, 5-9pm)
About the Workshop:
During our seasonal youth sessions, we will mount a workshop style production of a show, starting with the initial audition and followed by a rehearsal process, culminating in an exciting performance with costumes where family and friends can enjoy your hard work. No previous experience required!
ELF JR. OVERVIEW:
for Ages 8-18 (must be 8 years old in Sep 2024, email us if on the edge!):
REHEARSAL/PERFORMANCE TIMES/SCHEDULE
FRIDAY Sep 6 from 5-7:30pm: AUDITIONS (required)
SATURDAYS Sep 7, 14, 21, 28, Oct 5, 12, 19 from 10am-1pm (‘Littlest Elves’ ages 6 & 7: 10-11:30am each week)
FRIDAY Oct 18 from 5pm-9pm added TECH REHEARSAL (‘Littlest Elves’ released at 8pm this night)
SATURDAY Oct 19 dress rehearsal & performances:
10am-noon DRESS REHEARSAL
12pm lunch break (families should pick up)
1:30pm ACTOR CALL TIME
3pm show #1
4:30-6pm dinner break (families should pick up)
6pm ACTOR CALL TIME
7pm show #2
Weather cancelation policy: We have built into the existing schedule a ‘buffer week’, meaning an extra week to account for any potential cancelation of a single rehearsal. If we lose a rehearsal due to weather that forces a studio closure, it would most likely not need to be made up. This is extremely unlikely this time of year (Sep/Oct)! But, if we miss more than one rehearsal we would seek to add a Sunday in a similar timeslot, details tbd.
Rockwell Dance Center in Trumbull
Live performances for families Sat Oct 19 @ 3pm & 7pm (each actor is allocated 4 total tickets at no charge; after initial ticket assignments, additional tickets will then be released for sale for $15 each, max 4 per family, we will alert when all this happens!
Cost:
Regular session (ages 8-18): $645 + $50 costume/makeup fee* (pay-in full option, or $100 minimum non-refundable deposit due at signup to reserve your spot; any remaining balance due in full by Aug 24 = $695 total commitment.
”Littlest Elves” session (ages 6 & 7, reduced hours): $395 + $50 costume/makeup fee* (pay-in full option, or $100 minimum non-refundable deposit due at signup to reserve your spot; any remaining balance due in full by Aug 24) = $445 total commitment.
”Littlest Elves” program for 6-7 year olds! 6-7 year olds, as a type of introduction to theater, will perform in a few scenes in the production and have a dedicated director to lead them for a shortened schedule from 10am-11:30am each Saturday at Rockwell Dance Studio. Space is limited!
About the Show:
Based on the beloved holiday film, this hilarious fish-out-of-water comedy follows Buddy the Elf in his quest to find his true identity.
Buddy, a young orphan, mistakenly crawls into Santa's bag of gifts and is transported to the North Pole. The would-be elf is raised, unaware that he is actually a human, until his enormous size and poor toy-making abilities cause him to face the truth. With Santa's permission, Buddy embarks on a journey to New York City to find his birth father and discover his true identity. Faced with the harsh reality that his father is on the naughty list and that his half-brother doesn't even believe in Santa, Buddy is determined to win over his new family and help New York remember the true meaning of Christmas.
This modern-day holiday classic is sure to make every young performer embrace his or her "inner elf" with plenty of large ensemble numbers featuring elves and (New Yorkers) of every type.
Double casting policy:
In order to provide as many opportunities for speaking roles as possible, we may decide to double cast some principal roles. Each actor sharing that role would get one performance in that part. They may appear in the ensemble for the performance during which they aren’t playing their principal role, or they may be assigned as an off stage singer. This is at the discretion of the production team, as we have a very short rehearsal window.
Sample Day:
10-10:15am Vocal and physical warm-ups
10:15-11am: Music Rehearsal
11-11:15am: snack break
11am-1pm: Choreography/Blocking Rehearsal
Performance/Ticket Policies:
Performances will take place inside Studio 1 which is a small black-box style dance studio. Space is limited, therefore each performer will be limited to 4 tickets total (may be split over the two performances, i.e. 2 tickets to the 3pm performance and 2 tickets to the 7pm performance). (If siblings are both signed up, that family would qualify for 8 tickets). With that said, we always try to get in everyone who wants to come support your little one — we are occasionally able to release a couple extra tickets for families who need them. Families will be provided a link to reserve their tickets about a month before the show.
Additional ticket release:
After the initial ticket reservations have been claimed, additional tickets will then be released for sale for $15 each, max 4 per family, we will alert ahead of when all this happens!)
Rehearsal/Performance location:
Rockwell Dance Center
18 Lindeman Dr., Trumbull 06611
Costume/Makeup gameplan:
The $50 costume/makeup fee will cover the performer’s costume and fun makeup for the show. Any allergies please alert us, meanwhile we will communicate along the way the gameplan for costuming and makeup. In addition to the costume fee, families are expected to provide appropriate footwear (dance shoes, style tbd) for rehearsals and the performance (FCS does not provide footwear, nor does the costume fee cover footwear).
Liability Forms:
FCS staff will be in touch at some point over the process regarding standard medical forms and other waivers. Please remember that your child’s forms must be filled out before the first rehearsal on Sep 7. Balances are due by Aug 24 or the deposit is forfeited and the slot is given someone on the waiting list.
Right to Refuse Service and/or Removal Policy: In order to maintain a high standard of service and provide a safe work environment for its staff and artists, this program and organization reserves the right to refuse or remove participants from the program, at the discretion of the directors.
Fees/Discounts/Policies:
Total fee is $695 ($645 program fee + $50 costume/makeup fee)$100 minimum deposit due at signup to reserve your spot, or pay-in-full option; any balance due by Jan 10. Sibling Discount: $100 discount per sibling (i.e. brother and sister would pay a total of $1,290 including their costume fee). Deposit is non-refundable. Once program begins, any/all fees paid are non-refundable. In the unforeseen case of a full cancelation of the program, a full refund would apply. If an individual rehearsal is canceled, our goal would be to make up the rehearsal on another Saturday by starting earlier or ending later. With that said, we have built in a week extra padding in our planning in the case of a canceled rehearsal. Late pickups: most of our staff do have other commitments immediately following the rehearsal day -- if you are later than 15 minutes late, we will require a $25 late fee, which goes directly to the affected counselor/staff member.
refund policy: deposits are non-refundable. Tuition is non-refundable after August 24th. In the unforeseen case that the program needs to be canceled, a full refund will take place.
Questions?:
christy@fairfieldcenterstage.org
DIRECTOR: Christy McIntosh-Newsom. Christy is a professional actress and Artistic Director of Fairfield Center Stage. As a voice teacher and audition coach, her students have appeared on Broadway, Off-Broadway, regionally, locally and on national television and feature films. Christy is proud to have helmed BTC Jr. (which then merged into DCT Jr. at the Downtown Cabaret, where she served until 2018 as Associate Artistic Director). In her tenure with these programs and Summer Stage, she has produced over 20 children’s productions. She was also an instructor for the Playhouse on the Green summer program, Project Broadway, Coleytown Middle School, and Broadway 101 for the Trumbull Youth Association. She is currently the Drama Director at Fairfield Ludlowe High School. Some directing highlights include “CATS Youth Edition”, “Footloose”, “A Christmas Carol Experience,” “Matilda,” “The Secret Garden,” “Barnum,” “The Music Man,” (Fairfield Center Stage) “The Hunchback of Norte Dame,” "In the Heights," "Hairspray," "Memphis," "Fancy Nancy," and "Rapunzel,” (Downtown Cabaret). Christy is a proud member of the Actors' Equity Association and SAG/AFTRA. Proud mommy to CJ and Melody.
PRODUCER / MUSIC DIRECTOR: Eli Newsom. Along with running the day-to-day operations for Fairfield Center Stage, Eli staffs and supports all of the production teams throughout the season. He also works as a Director/Music Director/Producer for various Fairfield county school productions throughout the year. Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, after many years in non-profit and professional theatre as a singer/actor/dancer, he eventually discovered he much prefers directing and producing. Eli is a proud resident of downtown Fairfield with his wife Christy (also FCS Artistic Director!), kids CJ and Melody, and dogs Abby and Fozzie Bear.
LITTLE ELVES DIRECTOR: Marcelle Morrisey. Marcelle is a 4th grade teacher at St. Thomas Aquinas School in Fairfield, and has been a theatre educator in various capacities all over CT for nearly 15 years now. She is currently the Drama Director at Joel Barlow High School, and John Read Middle School. She has worked alongside Christy and Eli for years now as an actor, director, stage manager, and so much more, and can’t wait to work on these productions. Some of her directing highlights include, “Elf”, “Aladdin JR”, “Seussical the Musical”, “Carrie the Musical”, “Once Upon a Mattress JR”, “Addams Family JR”, “Peter and the Starcatcher”, “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown”, “Cinderella JR”, “Beauty and the Beast JR” Marcelle likes to hang out around Fairfield and Black Rock with her family and friends, and spend time with her two fur babies!
PARENT LIASON: Maggie Meath. Maggie has worked in theatre education across Fairfield County for nearly 20 years. She has been a part of Fairfield Center Stage since its inception, and has worked with Christy and Eli Newsom since 2010 as a producer, director, stage manager, performer and more. She has worked in various capacities for summer camps, including Fairfield Summer Stage, BTC Jr., Broadway Boot Camp and Camp Gan Izzy. She worked in after school programs in Darien, Bridgeport and Fairfield Public Schools, and she was director of Kids’ Theatre at The Bijou and Darien Arts Center. In theatre administration, she was previously Artistic Director of The Bijou Theatre and Operations Manager at the Downtown Cabaret Theatre. Maggie is a small business owner at SukiShima.com and is a proud mom of two.