The Actors’ Gang Education Initiative – a collaboration between The Actors’ Gang, Culver City Unified School District and SONY Pictures Entertainment

RESIDENCIES WITH CULVER CITY HIGH SCHOOL PERFORMING ARTS ACADEMY AND CULVER MIDDLE SCHOOL
This program is a year-long residency at The Ivy Substation with Culver City Middle School and The Academy of Visual and Performing Arts, based at Culver City High School, in which artists from The Actors’ Gang work with students to develop their own creative voices. The residency is designed to teach youth about themselves and their environment while they learn the principles of the performing arts. The students are trained in the physical acting style of The Actors’ Gang, which is based in commedia dell’arte. The first semester is centered on playing theatre games to enhance focus and ensemble building among the group. Students work with Gang company members to develop their own stock characters based in commedia dell’arte.

The second semester focuses on the process of structuring these characters into a free performance workshop for invited friends and family at The Ivy Substation. Students will learn how to write their own text, in addition to working with classical text. Students participate not only as actors, but also as writers, directors and designers in this process of developing theatre.

RESIDENCIES WITH LA BALLONA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
In the first semester, Gang company members work with third through fifth graders from La Ballona Elementary School. In this residency, the students come to The Ivy Substation twice a week after school and learn the basics of playwriting, acting and movement. In addition to the principles of theatre, students are taught skills in teamwork and conflict resolution. Through theatre games and the creative process of preparing for a show, students learn to work together with respect and trust. The residency culminates with participation in The Actors’ Gang Annual Holiday Show, which features students and professional actors on the company’s mainstage. In lieu of an admission charge for this performance, community members are asked to bring an unwrapped toy for a child in need, which is then distributed to the community.

In the second semester, students continue to work The Gang company members twice a week, but the training focuses more on the physical acting style of The Actors’ Gang, which is based in commedia dell’arte. Through costumes and make-up, students develop their own character images and work together to develop their storytelling skills.