By TONY GUERRERO
Hays Post
PLAINVILLE — Paradise Flats Theatre Collective is extending its stage and welcoming more students to explore their talents as creators, artists and performers.
Established in Plainville, Paradise Flats brings musical theatre to northwest Kansas through its summer Kids Theatre Camp and backstage productions.
Originally for kindergarten through sixth-grade students, music teacher Adam Flax said the summer program will now include students of higher grade levels.
"We're going to have a component for junior and high schoolers that's going to be a more traditional musical program," Flax said.
The summer camp will split the program into the two-week Elementary Kids Theater Camp for younger students and the roughly month-long Mainstage Production for older students.
The Kansas Creative Arts and Industries Commission grant allows for the once-exclusive experience to allow for a greater range of students in the area.
Thanks to the grant from the Kansas Creative Arts and Industries Commission, the once-exclusive experience also allows for a larger range of students in the area.
"With the grant, we're able to open the camp to other communities outside Plainville," Flax said.
The Kids Theater Camp starts on June 3 with a final show on June 14. The Mainstage Production is from May 28 until its final show on June 28 and 29.
Students will also have the chance to work behind the curtain, utilizing their design, outreach and technical skills.
Apprenticeship opportunities include refining skills in the following areas::
- Box office
- Publicity and social media
- Stage crew and construction
- Costumes, hair and makeup
- Lights and sound
"We have two different lanes for students," Flax said. "These are jobs you need to get production off the ground, and it shows that there are opportunities in the arts that aren't singing, dancing and acting."
Summer show auditions and apprenticeship applications are open until April 14.
Rehearsals and performances will take place at Plainville Elementary School and Plainville High School.
Flax said the grant comes as a joint effort between the Kansas Creative Arts and Industries Commission and USD 270 Plainville.
"This will be our first year, and we're hoping to have something that Plainville and other communities can see as opportunities for their kids," he said.
You can follow Paradise Flats Theatre Collective on Facebook. For more information, visit its website.