People have questions about many of our programs, and here is the place to find out the information you always wanted to know!  Click on a category below to go directly to the information you need. 

• NPCE/T&K Camps (Sessions I and II)
• Show Camp
• Children's Theatre
• Theatre for Young Performers
• Saturday Morning Arts Academy
• Contacting Us
• General

 

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• NPCE/T&K Camps (Sessions I and II)
  1. Your information states you have "one of the most affordable programs in the area."  What are the prices for camp?  Camp has always been priced to be cost-effective for the families that attend.  For one session of camp (3 weeks), mornings only: $430.  For one session of camp, mornings and afternoons: $780.  For both sessions of camp (6 weeks), mornings only: $780.  For both sessions, mornings and afternoons: $1350. (Apprentices only pay $475 for 3 weeks and $750 for 6 weeks)
  2. How long is a day at camp? Campers may attend for mornings only (and have music, dance, and drama classes) or mornings and afternoons (and add lunch, recreation, and elective classes).  Morning-only campers attend from 9AM to 12:30PM and all-day campers attend from 9AM to 4PM. (Apprentices can only choose the all-day option)
  3. Do most of your campers attend all day, or do many attend mornings-only?  While most of our campers do attend all day, the afternoon program is very seperate from the morning, so those who attend mornings only can still benefit from the program without feeling left out. 
  4. Where is camp held?  The North Penn School disctrict decides where camp will be held every year.  In the past it has been held at Gwyn-Nor Elementary School, General Nash Elementary School, Walton Farm Elementary School, and Pennbrook Middle School.  For 2012, camp will again be held at Pennbrook Middle School. 
  5. Is there financial aid available?  While the low price of camp often renders fiancial aid unneccesary, we do offer a number of needs-based scholarships.  If you are interested in such assistance, please email us at onstageandoff@live.com.  There is no financial aide available for the apprentice program.
  6. How can parents get involved?  Every session of camp there is a special "Parents' Day" where parents of current campers sign up to come in for the morning and take music, dance, and drama classes of their own.  It gives them a little taste of what their children partake in every day.  Parents and other fmaily and friends are also invited to our "demo" performances at the end of each camp session. 
  7. My child keeps talking about the "demo".  What is it?  Our "Demo", short for "Demonstration Performance" is a chance for the campers to show their parents what they have learned in class for the past three weeks.  Afternoon classes give 10-12 minute in-class demonstrations, as do drama classes.  Then everyone comes together in the auditorium for a large group demonstration of music and dance. It's always exciting and a great way to show everyone off without creating "stars" or the stress of putting on a show. 
  8. My child has special needs.  Can he/she still participate in camp?  In the past, we have worked with children with a great variety of special needs.  From behavioral, to mental, to emotional, to physical, each child has found a warm and caring environment in which to grow and learn. Theatre camp is not necessarily the right place for every child, but if you feel that you would like to have you child try it, we would be more than happy to discuss it with you.  If you are interested in finding out more or discussing your child's specific case, please email us at onstageandoff@live.com or call us at 215-858-9528

 

• Show Camp
  1. Your information states you have "one of the most affordable programs in the area."  What are the prices for camp? Show camp is a completely seperate program, and since students must attend all day and for both weeks, there is only one price:  $575. 
  2. How long is a day at camp? Show camp is an all-day program, and campers attend from 9AM to 4PM.
  3. Where is camp held?  For the first week, we rehearse at Lansdale Presbyterian Church.  The second week takes place at Christopher Dock High School's Longacre Center.  This is also where the show is performed.
  4. Is there financial aid available?  While the low price of camp often renders fiancial aid unneccesary, we do offer a few needs-based scholarships.  If you are interested in such assistance, please email us at onstageandoff@live.com
  5. If my child is given a small role, will they have a lot of "down time" or spend a lot of time sitting around waiting?  While we are aware that not every child can be the lead and some may not be onstage quite as much as others, it is always our plan to use every child throughout the show as much as possible.  We often add them into small scenes in the background and even have given them extra lines at times.  Also, while we rehearse, those not onstage often are in dance rehearsal or music rehearsal, or are working on show-related art projects.  Everyone is kept busy and made to feel important and useful. 
  6. Do we have to pay for tickets to see the show? Every child in the show is given two complimentary tickets that can be used at any performance.  If you would like to bring other family or friends, they must pay for their tickets at the going rate, usually between $5-10 each. 

 

• Children's Theatre
  1. What kind of shows do you do?  Our children’s theatre program has long been a way to connect kids to the joy of live performance.  We do well-known fairy tales and works from literature, always with a bit of a twist.  Music also plays a big role in our shows.  Usually the shows are full musicals, with five or more songs sung by the cast.
  2. What age is appropriate for the shows?  Usually we find that our shows can best be enjoyed by those 3-4 years old and above.  We always choose our shows with adults in mind, and sometimes we have specific references and jokes just for the parents.  All ages enjoy our shows.
  3. How long are the performances?  Our children’s theatre shows are usually about one hour in length with no intermissions.  This seems to fit children’s attention spans well and allows for them to get the most enjoyment from them.
  4. Are the villains or themes ever scary?  While occasionally there are witches and mean people in our stories, we often rewrite them with a child’s mind in view or make the evil into comedy so that children can enjoy the show without fear.  
  5. Who are the performers in these shows?  Our children’s theatre is always a small cast (3-6 actors) who are usually young adults with theatre degrees and experience.  Occasionally we also mix in a few college or even high school actors, but they are always professional and polished. 
  6. Can I perform with your children’s theatre?  If you are interested in becoming a part of our children’s theatre pool of actors, please email us your resume at onstageandoff@live.com and we will set up an audition.  No professional experience is necessary, just talent and a heart for kids!

 

• Theatre for Young Performers

1. What exactly is the Theatre For Young Performers Program?  TFYP is a way to allow students to get onstage and experience what it is like to perform for others.  We are not out to make “stars”, we really would rather help the shy kids develop confidence and all involved to sharpen their skills.
2. What age kids can participate in these shows?  Our TFYP shows either feature actors grades 3-9 or 7-12.  These brackets allow the older students to shine and the younger to grow and learn. 
3. How many TFYP shows occur per year?   Theatre & Kids produces two shows per year with the North Penn School District, one in each age bracket (see above).  The Fall brings a play for grades 7-12 and the Spring brings a musical for grades 3-9.  We occasionally also produce another play in the Spring for the 7-12 grade crowd, usually with an educational bent.  That show performs for school groups as well as the general public.
4. What kind of shows do you do?  We always attempt to choose shows that have large casts so that many children can be involved.  We also try to pick shows that have lots of characters, not just a few leads and an ensemble.  Children learn best by doing, and by putting them onstage for the most time possible, we allow them to grow as artists and as kids!  We always pick shows with uplifting subject matter as well.  Even those that have serious or dramatic subject matter are appropriate for children and families and have a positive message embedded in them.
5. How is my tuition money used, and why do I have to pay for tickets as well?  Tuition money paid for T&K/NPCE shows is used not only for the directors’ salaries, but also for the rental of the school facilities used for the show.  Ticket money helps pay for costumes, sets, props, programs, and all the little incidentals necessary to make the show work.  Consider also that in order to produce a play, one must pay for the rights to do so.  Your money is used in all these ways.  Any extra money left over at the end of the production is put back into the T&K coffers and used to pay for programs that have not been so lucky as to have surplus! 

 

• Saturday Morning Arts Academy

1. When do these classes occur?  Saturday morning classes are held in two sessions throughout the year.  The first session is in the Fall, and the second is in the Spring.  The exact timing varies from year to year. 
2. How long do they run?  Each class is seven or eight 90 minute sessions.  Usually they run in succession, but occasionally holidays and other North Penn events cause us to skip weeks, but we always run for eight weeks unless otherwise stated. 
3. What kind of classes do you run?  We always run a Theatre For the Very Young class, at least one Basic Acting Class, and a Mini Musical class.  For more information on these and other current classes, please visit the “Classes” page. 
4. What age students can be involved?  Our Saturday morning program serves students age 4-grade 9.  More information is available on our “Classes” page. 

 

• Contacting Us
  1. I have called and left a voicemail – why has no one called me back yet?         Unfortunately, we are a small staff, and often return phone calls get forgotten.  If it is urgent, please call again.  If not, please wait until the end of the week.  If no one has gotten back to you, please call again.  We strive to make all calls within the week and apologize if you have been forgotten.  Email is often the best way to get in contact with us, so please drop us a line:  onstageandoff@live.com
  2. I would like to see someone in person.  When are you in the office?  Since our staff is small and work with us mostly as a second job, there are no set office hours.  If you would like to meet with someone, however, we are more than happy to set something up.  Please give us a call and we can arrange a meeting at our facility or another location.   
  3. My child has been involved in the past but does not seem to be getting the mailings and newsletters.  How do I fix this?  Please either register for our emailing list or email/call and let us know.  All of our mailing lists are done by hand, so it is very easy for a name to get accidentally forgotten.  Just let us know and we’ll put you back on! 
  4. How do I stop receiving your letters or emails?  If you are on our mailing list and no longer wish to be, please email or call and let us know.  We handle all mailing lists by hand, so it may take some time to remove you, but we will gladly do it if it is your wish.

 

• General
  1. Can I donate costume, props, or set pieces?  While we are happy to accept donations of interesting and unique pieces we do not have much storage space, and so cannot accept everything that is offered to us.  If you would like us to consider something that you are getting rid of, please email us at onstageandoff@live.com or call us at 215-858-9528. (Note:  we are not as of yet a non-profit organization and so donations are NOT tax deductable)
  2. Can I volunteer my time or services?  We are always happy to accept offers of volunteer assistance and services which we are not equipped to do ourselves!  We do not always have jobs and such available, but you are always welcome to inquire.  If you are interested in volunteering in any way, please email us at onstageandoff@live.com. Please specify what you are interested in doing and when and we will get back to you as soon as we can. 
  3. How can I get a job with your organization?  Unfortunately, we do not usually have jobs open.  We are a small organization and mostly subsist with a very small staff.  The only time of year our staff is large is during our summer camp season.  If you are interested in working with our summer camps, please send a cover letter and resume to onstageandoff@live.com and we will be happy to consider your offer and send you an offical application. 

 

Still have questions?  Please feel free to email us at

onstageandoff@live.com

or call us at

215-858-9528.