SOMOS Performance Group is currently working on our Summer Pop-Up Theatre. All information listed below is for informational purposes, and will be presented in depth at the online and in person orientation presented to all performers and their adult collaborators.
Location:
The SOMOS Performance Group Summer Pop-Up Theatre will be held at the Mexican American Cultural Center (MACC) located at 201 W. Franklin Ave, El Paso, Texas 79901.
Timeframe:
Each Saturday June 14th through July 26th from 9 AM to 12 PM.
Contact Info:
Manny Lothamer, manny@somosep.org (915)-224-2567
Classroom Expectations:
Performers need to be present and ready to begin by 9:00 AM each day. Performers will need to wear comfortable clothing that they can move in easily and don’t mind getting dirty. Throughout the Summer Pop-Up Theatre performers will create movement, props, set pieces, and engage in physical activity. If a performer has a medical condition that will limit their ability to participate in any of these activities the staff needs to be made aware.
Throughout the Summer Pop-Up Theatre instruction and directions will be given in both English and Spanish, sometimes freely moving between the two. We encourage performers to ask questions if they do not understand anything that is said, or have questions about the direction of the performance.
Performers will be working collaboratively with teaching professionals in the fields of playwriting, choreography, technical and lighting, costuming, make-up, acting, and directing. Due to the structure of building on prior knowledge, it is the expectation that performers are present for each meeting.
What Should Performers Bring:
- Snacks.
- Water bottle.
- Sweater or hoodie.
- Resources you would like to use in the performance.
What Should Performers Not Bring:
- Valuable, irreplaceable, or easily lost items.
- Tablets, video games, laptops, or other electronics. Phones are allowed, but will not be use throughout.
- Weapons of any kind, even props.
What We Will Do:
During these engaging classes performers will learn fundamental theatre skills, create original plays, craft costumes and props, act, sing and dance with friends all culminating in a free public performance. Performers will hone their skills in the theatre arts with instruction from local teaching professionals in each of the respective fields.
Classes will build on each other through the process of writing short plays, developing characters, building costumes, props, and sets, learning make-up techniques, and culminating in a free performance for the community.
Who We Are:
SOMOS Performance Group is a non-profit dedicated to providing positive youth and family experiences for audiences and performers of diverse backgrounds and abilities in spaces throughout our community. It is our vision that through the performance of culturally diverse and celebratory materials in a variety of performance styles and modes, we will expand the opportunity for our community to see themselves in and be a part of the performing arts.
The Summer Pop-Up Theatre is specifically designed to include and build capacity in participants of all abilities and backgrounds. All classes will be presented with instructors and directors fluent in English and Spanish with extensive experience in adapting instruction for learners with special needs.
Allergy Warning:
Please let us know if your performer has any allergies. We will do our best to ensure your performers safety, but due to all activities being in an open cultural center, we cannot ensure the building is free from the allergen.
Pick Up and Drop Off:
One of our staff will be available in front of the MACC each day starting at 8:45 to receive your participant and bring them to our rehearsal space for the day. You are welcome to park and walk your participant into the building, or stop on Franklin Ave and have your participant get out with our staff member. The staff member will always be wearing a SOMOS Performance Group shirt for easy recognition. The same is true with pick up, but since this event is happening in the summer and the temperature can be extreme, our staff will radio inside for your participant to come out when you arrive. There will be a late pick up fee for participants who are waiting after 12:15 PM.
What If The Performer Is Sick:
If your performer is sick, please keep them home. Our directors and teaching professionals have extensive educational experience and have a protocol in place to help your performer catch up when they return.
Refund Policies:
Up until two weeks before the event you may request a full refund for any reason. Your registration will be refunded minus a $50 fee. Less than two weeks until the event no refunds will be available, however, you are able to transfer the registration to another student, or change it to a donation.
Cost:
The Summer Pop-Up Theatre has a registration fee of $250 and will have to be paid prior to the first class. The $250 registration fee is used in part to pay the teaching professionals for their highly skilled expertise, materials needed throughout the production process, and a monetary donation of 10% to the MACC’s Eduction Fund to help continue making the arts available to our community. SOMOS Performance Group, along with the Braden Aboud Foundation have partial scholarship opportunities for families in need of financial assistance.
Guest Teaching Artists:
Georgina Escobar is an international playwright and musical theatre writer. She is an O’Neill National Musical Theatre Conference, American Musical Theatre Project, National Alliance for Musical Theatre, Alcove, 121 Project, MacDowell, Djerassi, Fornés Workshop, Clubbed Thumb Emerging Writers Group, Kilroy’s, & La Mama Umbria writer. Escobar is the recipient of the Gotham & Variety Audio Honors, the National Kennedy Theatre for Young Audiences, and Outstanding Service to Women on the Border awards. Her plays have been seen in Canada, the UK, México, Italy, Denmark & Sweden and nationally at INTAR, New York Children’s Theatre, Dixon Place, Clubbed Thumb, Hartford Stages, Lincoln Center, Bushwick Starr, Two Rivers, Milagro, Aurora Theatre, and People’s Light. As an arts educator she has taught at Kingsborough College, UTEP, Princeton University, University of New Mexico, and currently at Dartmouth College. Musical writing credits include LITTLE DUENDE, DESAPARECIDAS, VINYL CAFE: THE MUSICAL, FRIDA with director Diane Paulus, and WE BELONG TOGETHER featuring music by Ritchie Valens and Los Lobos.
You can find out more about Georgina Escobar at georginaescobar.com.
Frequently Asked Questions:
SOMOS Performance Group hasn’t done a Pop-Up Theatre performance in the past, do you know what you’re doing?
Absolutely! The directors of SOMOS Performance Group have more than 50 years combined experience working in public education. The directors and all of our guest artists are paid professionals in their fields with experience working with a variety of age and ability groups.
Do you offer scholarships?
Yes. SOMOS Performance Group is offering partial scholarships along with a collaborative effort with The Braden Aboud Foundation to offer partial scholarships to those in need. This is one of the registration questions, so please indicate if you are in need of assistance.
My child needs accommodations to participate fully, will they be able to come?
Once again, our directors and guest artists are experienced educators and know how to adapt to your child’s needs. One of the founding pillars for SOMOS Performance Group is making performing arts available TO ALL, so help us understand what would help your participant so we can ensure they get the most out of the event.
Can I see the space ahead of time?
Yes, the MACC is open to the public. We encourage you to visit and see how the space is laid out. Some of our events will be in the black box and others in the dance studio, which you might not be able to get inside of, buy you can definitely see through the window.
If the space is open to the public, can I come watch my kid during the Summer Pop-Up Theatre?
We ask that you do not for a couple reasons. The main one is that other people’s kids are also participating in this event and may not feel comfortable with you watching. Another one is that your child may feel less inclined to participate if you are there. We do want you to come to the culminating free performance though!
My child is turning 6 by the end of the summer, can they still participate?
Unfortunately we do need our participants to be 6 years old by June 14th. Space is limited for this event, and we do need our participants to have the skills that are generally taught in kindergarten.
Do you have aftercare?
No we do not have aftercare. Each week pickup is at 12:00 PM and there is a fee for participants who are still there after 12:15 PM.
Past Workshops
The energy and enthusiasm of the group was infectious – so glad I got to be a part of it!