Seven Stages, Inc.

Since its inception, 7 Stages has nurtured collaborative relationships with theatre artists around the world. This work has brought playwrights, directors and designers from Germany, France, Holland, Mexico, Israel, the Netherlands, Albania, Serbia and South Africa to 7 Stages to share their styles, techniques and perspectives. In return, 7 Stages has traveled to South America, Asia, South Africa and throughout Europe to present plays and create new works with the local international artists. Currently 7 Stages has active cultural exchange programs with Israel, the Netherlands, and Serbia.

7 Stages provides low-cost
performance space rental to local theatre, dance and youth performance
companies which do not have a permanent space of their own. The groups which are regular users of the
space include, but are not limited to: Out of Hand Theater, Synchronicity Performance Group, Not Merely
Players, Theatre du Reve, Full Radius Dance, and The Essential Theatre

It is a core belief at 7 Stages that exposure to arts
and culture in a child’s life is a vital part of their development; thus began
the educational component of the 7 Stages’ programming. As funding for school art programs steadily
decreases, 7 Stages is attempting to fill that gap in order to help enrich the
lives of Georgia
youth. Additionally, to enhance the arts
education in the community matinees which include talkbacks with the cast and
workshops are offered.   Although
currently the majority of the educational programming is geared toward the
metro-Atlanta area, one of the goals of the 2009-2010 season is to make these
programs more accessible to schools and groups outside the city limits. 

 

Youth Creates

Youth
Creates is 7 Stages' five-week theatre training program providing both hands-on
learning and performance opportunities for teenagers. Participants experience
the process of creating theatre through playwriting, design and performance.
Ultimately the students create a performance from scratch and perform the piece
for their friends, family and the Atlanta-community at the end of the
program.    

 

To
date, the Youth Creates program has never been fully funded, however, 7 Stages
will never turn away any willing student due to inability to pay. As the majority of the applicants are
underprivileged, full and partial scholarships are offered to students who
require financial assistance to reduce financial stress on parents who cannot
afford a traditional camp experience and further increase the diversity of the
participants. Youth Creates provides
opportunities to teach leadership, teamwork and working with a diverse group of
students from different ethnic, religious and socio-economic backgrounds.   However, due to lack of funding for this
program, this often results in a financial loss for the theatre.

 

Matinees and Workshops

The
matinee performances are offered at 10am on selected dates at discounted rates
for student and senior groups. All matinees are followed by talkbacks with the
cast, allowing students and community audience members to explore theatrical
production and character development. Study guides are provided to the student groups for each performance to
help prepare the group for the production and strengthen their experience. 

 

Similarly,
workshops are opportunities for the community to experience our season’s
productions with group activities and master classes. Participants experience performance
techniques working with the text and movement style of the piece as well as
learn details about the scenic, lighting, and sound design of the
production. 

 

Residencies

Residencies,
which are often in-school, are co-teaching experiences in which professional
artists and teachers work together to bring artistic value into education. By
working alongside the existing curriculum, this collaboration method provides a
unique, in-depth way into the subject matter. Last year, 7 Stages participated
with an elementary school group to create a presentation that coincided with
their studies on Westward Expansion. 

 

Internships

Internships
present a hands-on experience in both production and administration and are
available for emerging professionals from high school through college
graduates. These opportunities allow Youth Creates students to expand their
grasp of theatre and develop work skills for personal development. Administrative opportunities range from
marketing, community relations, event planning, development, literary research
and dramaturgy. Production opportunities allow emerging artists to work with
the production team of designers, tech crew, and actors during the run of a
production.