“It felt just like camp!”

In a significant first step toward welcoming students and audiences back to Imagination Stage’s building, we had in-person spring break camp last week for 10 children in grades K-2 and 10 children in grades 3-5. And it was a truly memorable week! Of course, there was extra hand washing, social distancing, and mask wearing–all in compliance with CDC recommendations and Montgomery County requirements. There was also unbridled enthusiasm, giddy energy, and the joy of making new friends. Families were patient and understanding during the slower-paced drop off and pick up procedures, all in the name of creativity and serious fun. […]

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Behind the Pats of Spy Academy – Amanda Haddock

Behind the Pats of Spy Academy – Amanda Haddock I’ve been fortunate enough to spend the last 7 or so years working almost exclusively in the professional immersive theatre world. I’ve had the chance to work locally with TBD Immersive and I’ve traveled the US performing in large scale work in places like Las Vegas hotels and music festivals in the middle of nowhere! So returning to a familiar form of theatre in the middle of COVID has been life giving to say the least.   Now, I’ll be the first to admit that I have been feeling some serious […]

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Directors’ Notes – A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Directors’ Notes for the IStage Performance Ensemble’sA Midsummer Night’s Dream A Midsummer Night’s Dream is one of Shakespeare’s most popular plays.  Especially for high school actors – its stories and language are so relatable to all ages.  Both Amelia and Nikki played Hermia in their middle and high school plays and Amelia went on to direct and perform in several productions as a professional.  Neither of us tire of the beautiful poetry, silly antics, and the crazy storytelling that comes from the interplaying worlds of humans and fairies. Many Shakespeare productions enjoy setting their versions in various times or locations, […]

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The State of the Classroom: A Second Home

I hope Imagination Stage students remember this time of COVID not only as a time they overcame challenges but also as a fun time. Our programming is joyous and fun. Our classes are filled with laughter. Our virtual field trips are met with smiles. I hope that we are providing an outlet for laughter and creativity while young people are learning from home and social-distanced from friends. I hope they look back at this time and see what they themselves were able to create—whether a Zoom play with peers or learning a Broadway dance with their parents in one of […]

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Behind the Pats – Matthew Pauli

Behind the Pats of Spy Academy – Matthew Pauli As someone who really doesn’t have a non-performing job, I was eager to have the chance to work on Spy Academy. I have been pretty restless, with few safe opportunities to work jobs I actually know how to do. Spy Academy has been a fascinating process, as the role of Pat is more of an outline than it is a scripted role.   We began rehearsals for Pat knowing that portions of the show were already recorded and anything the Pat performers do has to fit together with those portions and […]

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Pegasus Ensemble’s The Ice Adventures – Director’s Notes

Pegasus Ensemble’s The Ice Adventures – Director’s Notes We have updated this post to reflect the contributions of Sisi Reid – Playwright of The Ice Adventures. When we encounter the characters of The Ice Adventures at the beginning of the story, they are each in their own world. Everyone keeps to their own group and tasks simply because it’s the way things have always been done. As the story goes on, we see the friction and stagnation created by clinging to old beliefs. During the climax of the story, Hermes, in a state of shock, says “They did it – […]

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SPY ACADEMY – A New Level of Audience Participation

SPY ACADEMY – A New Level of Audience Participation Audience participation is a hallmark of Theatre for Young Audiences. True, it can sometimes be gratuitous. And true, most adults resist it with all their might, scrunching down in their seats, marveling at their children’s strong investment in the story, their willingness to shout, or sing along, or to pretend play in front of hundreds of strangers without the slightest inhibition! But audience participation, when integral to the plot, can be the starting point for a child’s genuine engagement in live theatre. Developmentally, Elementary School age children need to react kinesthetically […]

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Calling all dog owners! Spy Academy seeks an adorable canine video.

Calling all dog owners! Spy Academy seeks an adorable canine video. Want your pup to appear in an immersive online action adventure? Send us a cute video of your dog (10-15 seconds long), and that video might be included in our upcoming production, Spy Academy and the Lost Treasure of Atlantis. As a “thank you” for submitting a video, we’ll send you an exclusive discount code for tickets to the show! What do you need to do to participate? 1. Take a video of your dog – the dog can be doing anything that you think is cute, but no […]

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Inventing a New Art Form: The Zoom Play Festival at Imagination Stage

Inventing a New Art Form: The Zoom Play Festival at Imagination Stage Written by Nikki KaplanAssociate Director of EducationImagination Stage In mid-December, our first (and probably only) IStage Zoom Play Festival will have its world premiere!  Twenty-seven actors, divided among three plays, will perform live via Zoom and streamed over YouTube over the course of three days this December. Imagination Stage has a rich yearly line up of student work that I have the pleasure of producing. Each season holds a new set of performances in plays, musical theatre, and dance. I walk (often run!) on an ever-moving treadmill to […]

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Top 10 of 2019-2020

IMAGINATION STAGE’S TOP 10 OF 2019-2020 This season was unexpected in many ways, but with great challenges come great opportunities for innovation. We appreciate the dedication and support we have received from our families and supporters. Thank you for being a part of this amazing season – we invite you to look back at our Top 10 moments from the last year at Imagination Stage.   1. Shifting our Educational programming to meet the pandemic. A summer online started off with the popularity of our “You & Me” storytime adventures, providing our families an opportunity to enjoy early childhood workshops […]

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