News
Illinois Theatre Conservatory in partnership with Illinois Valley Community College is excited to be offering a variety of classes, available this spring, designed for community members to have fun participating in as they broaden their knowledge, enhance their enjoyment, and inspire their love of the arts. Classes will be held throughout the month of March at ITC's Grace Performing Arts Center 312 South Main Princeton, IL.
ITC is thrilled to have two experts, Grant Lynch and Dave Roden, available as instructors for these classes.
Starting off the month of classes, on Thursday, March 3rd from 6-9 PM, ITC offers "Let's Play! Theatre Games for Creativity, Spontaneity, & Confidence" with Dave Roden leading the activities. Dave will take you on a fun voyage through a series of friendly group games where participants will learn to bring out the best in themselves and others with exercises that build trust and confidence, promote "group think", and/or prompt innovation with a focus on application to the family, to the workplace, or within community organizations.
Beginning March 7th and continuing on each subsequent Monday in March, from 6-9 PM, ITC offers "Plays You Should Know" with Grant Lynch as instructor. Grant's enthusiasm will quickly put aside remembrances of how you might have dreaded studying Shakespeare when you were in high school or college, and his expertise will answer your desire to know more about the works of this great master! Join Grant for an infectious tour of four Shakespearean classics, Romeo & Juliet, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Macbeth and Hamlet ... and have some fun along the way to the Bard. Rather than focus only on the basic plot, Grant will guide you toward specific speeches, character exchanges, and visual elements which help you gain a quick understanding of some of the most celebrated lines in Shakespeare's works. (12 CPDU credits for educators)
On Thursday, March 10th, from 6-9 PM, ITC offers a class designed exclusively for educators. Dave Roden will teach "Theatre Games Across the Curriculum". In a cultural climate where education is narrowly focused on the acquisition of knowledge and skills, an important question for many educators is how can they fulfill those requirements and still relate to their students as not just the passive recipients of knowledge, but active creators of their lives and learning. Educators will learn innovative strategies to deliver and reinforce classroom content, improve social and communication skills, boost reading skills, increase retention and mastery, and prompt creativity, imagination, and critical thinking through a series of engaging group games. (3 CPDU credits for educators)
The final class to be offered this spring by ITC, "Evolution of American Musical Theatre (How The Black Crook Became an American Idiot)" will be instructed by Dave Roden and held on Thursday, March 24th, from 6-9 PM. Operettas, burlesque, and minstrel shows all contributed to the early years of musical comedy in the United States. On September 12th, 1866, The Black Crook ushered in a new type of extravaganza packed with chorus girls dancing to the music of provocative songs. This event is often heralded as the moment that this unique art form began to move away from European standards and toward what we now know as American Musical Theatre. Take a quick trip with Dave through the major eras and learn about artists and influences that contributed to this child of "mixed heritage" and moved her toward a life that is vibrant with modern influences. (3 CPDU credits for educators)
Shake off the winter blues and join Grant and Dave, as they bring Illinois Theatre Conservatory's Grace Performing Arts Center alive with passion, intrigue, and imagination!
All participants must register for the classes through IVCC Continuing Education Center. More information and registration is available online at www.ivcc.edu/cec or by contacting IVCC Continuing Education - at 815-224-0427. Catalogs are also available at Princeton Public Library.
Instructor Bios:
Dave Roden's theatrical career has included an Off-Broadway premiere as well as regional work in numerous theaters throughout South Florida. Eastlight Theatre, Circa '21, Stage 212, Princeton Arts Center, and Festival 56 are just a sampling of where Dave has performed onstage in Illinois. He also produced, directed and performed comedy impov with As Seen on TV and directed several local productions. Dave currently works as a School Social Worker and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre from the University of Miami, a Master of Social Work from the University of Iowa, and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.
Grant Lynch has a Bachelor's Degree from Indiana University in Shakespearean Literature and English Education and a MLS in Philosophy of Library Science from the University of North Carolina. He is currently the Director of the Princeton Public Library and has served various theater groups in a consulting fashion, working to insure literary accuracy.