Theatre Palisades is hosting The Page to Stage summer theater workshop for high school students, taking place at Pierson Playhouse for two weeks, with a final show, produced by Diane Grant, planned for Sunday, July 10. Nine students, many of whom live in the Palisades, will participate in the workshop. The course, taught by Amy Friedman and Jim Pentecost, is designed to teach students how to write and revise a personal essay and learn the techniques required to deliver it most powerfully and provocatively on stage. Premiering this summer, the course begins on June 28 and runs on the following dates: June 28, 29 and 30 July 5, 6 and 7, 7 to 10 p.m. at Pierson Playhouse. The Final Performance will be July 10, at Pierson Playhouse, 941 Temescal Canyon Rd. at 8 p.m. Amy Friedman, writing coach, teaches Personal Essay and Creative Nonfiction at UCLA Extension and has performed in several spoken word venues, including Sit, Spin and Melt in Your Mouth. She has taught writing for 25 years (in NYC, Ontario, Canada and Los Angeles) and is currently a writer-in-residence for the online personal essay magazine, Fresh Yarn (www.freshyarn.com), where her advice to writers is featured on blog’s Fresh Daily. For eight years Amy wrote a weekly newspaper column “personal essays” and she has published several books, among them the memoir “Kick the Dog and Shoot the Cat” and two books for children based on her internationally syndicated newspaper column, Tell Me A Story (Universal Press Syndicate). She works as editor and coach with many of the writers and performers working in this genre in L.A., including Hillary Carlip, Alan Olifson, and Lauren Tom. Her husband Dennis Danzinger teaches English at Palisades Charter High School. Jim Pentecost, performance coach, made his motion picture debut with the Disney animated feature “Pocahontas,” and co-produced the live-action “Homeward Bound II.” He was the Executive Producer for the Stephen Schwartz musical “Geppetto” on the Wonderful World of Disney. As a producer at Disney for over 10 years, Jim developed and created stories for live action, animation and TV. Most recently he was associate artistic director at the Manhattan Theatre Club and Vice President for Clear Channel Theatrical. Jim’s involvement in films follows a distinguished career as a producer, director and stage manager for theater. His credits include the smash Broadway productions “Crimes of the Heart,” “La Cage Aux Folles,” “Romance, Romance,” “Gypsy” with Tyne Daly, and the musical “Nick & Nora.” Jim also teaches theater courses and has taught at UCSD. In addition, he has produced and directed summer programs for high school and college students. Those interested are encouraged to go out and see some of these performances, and to contact Amy Friedman at kellsmom@adelphia.net. Please provide your contact info. The course is limited to 10 students.
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