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Lert) SY a, b a OFY project provides summer "vacation with a difference If you think the federal government's Opportunities For Youth grants are a piece of cake, a waste of good money on lazy kids, or good money for useless causes, get a load of Theatre Work- shop '75. Keeping track of just under 70 youngsters - each of them with a megatori of energy and untethered from that mortal enemy, school, is a job that most wouldn't volunteer for. Not only do the six Theatre - "75 workers keep track of the youngsters, but they've man- Boas 1anguage by Terry Kennedy portrays colour through motions while group looks on. i Project worker theatre. aged already to instil a little bit of theatre into most of them, After three weeks of opera- tion, there are already some obvious results, "Most of the kids have visibly improved," said pro- ject worker Kathy Daszas. "They find it easier now to get involved. They've lost their inhibitions. But perhaps the main thrust of the project at this point is also the biggest success. The idea is to stimu- late, encourage, and main- tain the natural imagination. "The imagination of these kids is just fantastic," said Kathy. "The idea is to harness this imagination and do something with it. And project does their best to provide that opportunity. The almost 40 young people (ages 8-14) are usual- ly divided into three groups, and subjects covered from make-up to designing stage sets. "We try to give them as much individual attention as _ possible," said Kathy, And the youngsters have been responding very well. An expected drop-off during the first few weeks has as yet not developed, despite the fact that there is no 'school authority" to keep young- sters there. Organizers do their best to avoid the school environ- ment, although the need for - discipline creeps in every now and then. Then, without the benefit of a teacher's training and often no more experience than a younger brother or sister, project workers must find the thin line between getting the needed discipline and "turning off" the stu- dent. "The kids that are here want to be here," said Kathy. "There is no way we: could force them to stay here. We simply have to keep them interested." Although much has al- ready been covered in the program, there is a moun-., tain of things that organizers want to do. In an effort to provide all that they want to provide, project workers have asked for additional funds to hire another project worker. A number of plays will be performed by the young people to gain experience in P2RT § PERRY Second Section 'Vol. 109 -- PORT PERRY, ONTARIO, Wednesday, July 16, 1975 -- No. 36 Margo Fairburn: performance without stage fright, the first lesson. a final production to be held before the public at or near the end of the project. It is hoped that the play will be written by the partici- pants themselves, although Kathy hasn't figured out just how to get the kids to put a little more effort into the writing. "The imagination is noth- ing short of fantastic. But to put it down on paper -- is just too schoollike. We'll have to figure out how to get around Not only do project work- ers provide another interest for those taking part in the program, but there are ad- vantages for organizers. Miss Kaszas has rekindled her own imagination. "We tend to lose it as we grow older." The program, consisting of morning music workshops and afternoon theatrical in- struction, is held at Port Perry High School. Project workers are Sharon Lackie, David Litt, Lillian MacPherson, Janet Watson, Anne Marie Wierz- bicki, and Miss Kaszas. The program will operate until the end of Avast, Anne Marie Wierzbicki and students look over book on costuming. At top is Jamie Hale. Sandra Heayn is at left and Toni Lee Cowe (centre). v NN, Lx « AST sap EEE IR RR AT 2 2 ¢ 3 ¥ a0 5 Pt I PRG 2A FR I SRNR -- a x ADE x ald Bt AS XI meri nt > ia 7 Pati fe Nl ete AMIN RAT Dati Xo ------ > wy lr Ras Sn Ae) - - STE eo IL SS RI es, a