Elk County Council on the Arts Summer Theater Camp: Disney's Frozen, JR.

Under the direction of Mr. Adam Brooks, the Elk County Council on the Arts Summer Theater Camp will present Disney’s Frozen, JR. The spectacular 60-minute musical, designed for young performers, is based on the 2013 Disney film and the 2018 Broadway adaptation. The public performance will be held on Friday, June 23, 2023, 7PM, at the St. Marys Area High School Carpin Auditorium.

Do you want to build a snowman? You’ll love this fanciful and heartwarming stage adaptation of the top-grossing animated film of all time! Join Anna, Elsa, and all of your favorite characters as they embark on an epic, ice-filled journey of self-discovery, camaraderie, and the real meaning of true love. Adapted for young performers, this musical includes favorite Frozen songs such as “Love Is an Open Door,” “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?,” and “Let It Go,” as well as wonderful new songs from the Broadway production. With its empowering message of love and understanding, Frozen JR. is sure to melt your heart!

Summer Theater Camp is a weeklong experience for youth entering grade 3 in the fall of 2023, through this spring’s graduating seniors. Camp will be held Monday, June 19 through Friday, June 23 at the St. Marys Area High School.

We have had an unprecedented number of students register for Summer Theater Camp, Frozen, JR.!
To make sure the camp is still manageable, and to ensure a great time for our actors we are cutting the registration deadline a little short.
❄️ REGISTER BY 11PM SATURDAY, MAY 13th. ❄️
The registration form will no longer be available after that time.

The scholarship form is closed because we quickly met our limit, however, they have not all been redeemed. If the cost of Summer Theater Camp is prohibiting you from participating please send us a message. We would be happy to give you a coupon code to use for a full scholarship.

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Auditions for Frozen JR. will be held Thursday, May 11th at the St. Marys Area High School from 6-7:30PM. Please arrive before 6PM to sign in and get settled.

We encourage the entire cast to audition so we know how to best utilize your talents, and it is vital that you audition if you are pursuing a main character role.

Please read the linked PDF information packet for all of the audition information, and don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.

FAQs to consider:
- What songs do I sing for the audition? All of the directions are in the Audition PDF. You can certainly send any questions to me, but the general idea is that I need to hear the campers sing SOMETHING. If it's only one of the audition songs, that's okay!

- What if I can't make it to the audition day? To be considered for a named character part, all auditions must be completed by Thursday, May 11th. Videos may be submitted to sara@eccota.com if you cannot make the audition time/day. A video may have to be cut short in order to send. That's okay.

- When will the cast list be sent out? As soon as possible, approximately a week after auditions.

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The public is welcome to join us for the performance of Disney’s Frozen, JR. on Friday, June 23 at 7PM at the St. Marys Area High School Carpin Auditorium. Doors open at 6:30PM. Admission is free. Donations at the door are appreciated but not required.

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An Evening of Poetry - Poetry Reading Open Mic Event

Everyone is welcome to join us in celebration of National Poetry Month for an evening of poetry reading, both originals and old favorites.

This will be a free-flowing event where anyone may step up to read whenever they feel moved to. No judgment and no pressure.

We will not monitor content, but the event is open to all ages so please be aware of the audience.

Listeners are welcome. Come and go as you please.

Friday, April 14, 5-8PM. This event will be held at The Creative Cup, 239 Main Street, Ridgway.

Learn more about National Poetry Month: poets.org/national-poetry-month
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Earth Day Kokedama Class

Kokedama is a form of Japanese garden art that is centuries old.

In this class participants will learn about the history of Kokedama and create their very own living moss ball planter!

Saturday, April 22, 10AM - Noon.

Cost is $40 per person. All materials included. Plant choices will vary. Ages 10+. Instructed by ECCOTA staff.

Pre-registration is required: https://form.jotform.com/ECCOTA/eccota-class-registration-form

Poetry Out Loud Winner Announced

The Elk County Council on the Arts is proud to announce the winners of the regional contest of Poetry Out Loud. The student winners are Caitlin Blessel from St. Marys High School with Sean McKean of Oswayo Valley High School as the runner up.

Poetry Out Loud - presented in partnership with Elk County Council on the Arts (ECCOTA), the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, and Poetry Foundation - is a national arts education program that encourages the study of great poetry by offering free educational materials and a dynamic recitation competition for high school students across the country. Since the program began in 2005, more than 4.1 million students across the country have participated in Poetry Out Loud.

Runner-up Sean McKean (left), and winner Caitlin Blessel (right).

 On Thursday February 23, six high school students from the region participated in the Poetry Out Loud contest at the Harriett B. Wick Chapel on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. Each student recited three works selected from an anthology of more than 1,200 poems. Judges evaluated student performances on criteria including voice and articulation, evidence of understanding, and accuracy.

 The National Endowment for the Arts and Poetry Foundation have created free, standards-based curriculum materials to support Poetry Out Loud including a teacher’s guide, lesson plans, an online anthology, posters, and video and audio on the art of recitation. These resources are available for free at PoetryOutLoud.org.

 Ms. Blessel will advance to the state Poetry Out Loud contest, with a winner being announced on March 13, 2023. The Pennsylvania state champion will receive $200 and will advance to the national finals next spring where $50,000 in awards and school/organizational stipends will be distributed. The representing school or organization of the state champion will receive $500 for the purchase of poetry materials. The first runner-up in each state will receive $100, with $200 for their school or organization.

 The Poetry Foundation provides and administers all aspects of the monetary prizes awarded and travel arrangements for the Poetry Out Loud National Finals. To learn more about the Pennsylvania Poetry Out Loud contest, contact Cameron Howard at ECCOTA or visit PoetryOutLoud.org.

 The Elk County Council on the Arts is a 501( c ) non-profit organization founded in 1984 as a center for the development of arts and culture in Elk County. ECCOTA provides a variety of opportunities to participate in the arts for the area’s residents. Classes and workshops for adults and children are offered including an annual summer youth theater camp. New programs and exhibits are held regularly.

Poetry Out Loud Regional Competition to be held at Pitt Bradford

The Elk County Council on the Arts would like to cordially invite the public to this year’s regional Poetry Out Loud competition taking place February 23, 2023 at 6:00 pm at the Harriett B. Wick Chapel on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. A partnership of the National Endowment for the Arts, Poetry Foundation, the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, and the Elk County Council on the Arts, Poetry Out Loud is a national arts education program that encourages the study of great poetry by offering free educational materials and a dynamic recitation competition for high school students across the country. Students from Saint Marys Area High School, Elk County Catholic High School, and Oswayo Valley High School will gather to compete and recite the poems they have selected for a panel of esteemed judges. Since the program began in 2005, more than 4.1 million students and 68,000 teachers from 17,000 schools and organizations across the nation have participated in the program. Poetry Out Loud begins at the local level with a school or organization. Winners advance to a regional-wide competition, then to the state competitions in February and March, and then to the national finals in the spring. Arts education programs like Poetry Out Loud matter. National Endowment for the Arts research tells us that children who have arts opportunities in and out of school are much more likely to become adults who participate in the arts. Students who participate in Poetry Out Loud also showed an increase in self-confidence and found that reading and listening to poetry helped them think about situations from multiple perspectives. Supporting these endeavors is important for our community. If anyone has any further questions or if you’re a teacher hoping to get involved next year, please contact the Elk County Council on the Arts at (814) 772-7051.