Summer Camp!

Summer Camp is tailored to varied ages
Professional headshots included in camp price!
Free and reduced tickets to live events!
Teens qualify to audition for the META Improv Troupe!
Backstage tours of McIntyre Hall for intermediate group!
Guest performers during some lunch hours!

~ CAMP CALENDAR ~

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INSTRUCTORS!

We have assembled an incredible cast of instructors bringing together a vast array of talent and experience.

Lynette McCormack, Vocal/Dance Instructor and Director

Lynette has her Bachelor’s Degree in Music and Dance from the University Nevada of Las Vegas where she was principle singer at the Tropicana’s Follies Bergere. She has done a lot of industrial work on the road touring around the country. She has lived in La Conner for over 5 years and loves the warm friendly people and gorgeous countryside.

She has taught tap and jazz classes for AYA (Anacortes Youth Arts Dance Studio) and is currently teaching tap and country line dancing in Shelter Bay. She is vocal director for Meta Performing Arts based out of La Conner and has just finished directing and choreographing “The Little Mermaid.” She teachings a choral program at AHEP (Anacortes Home Educational Partnership). She loves to see the children grow in self esteem and confidence from their participation in musical theater. Music and dance brings out the best in us all….it soothes the soul and warms the heart.

Conrad Askland is a music producer and keyboardist. His educational and live performance experience covers an extremely wide range of styles and formats.

His formal music studies include Pacific Lutheran University (Composition and Voice), the University of Miami (Music Law), the Cornish Institute, the Seattle Early Music Guild and UCLA School of Film Scoring.

Conrad has extensive experience in live performance as a pianist for Knott’s Berry Farm, 4 years as touring keyboardist with Grammy Winner Freddy Fender of the Texas Tornados, vocalist with the Seattle Opera, touring keyboardist for Roy Rogers Jr., performances at the House of Blues and Prince Hotels (Tokyo), the Grand ‘Ol Opry and as a keyboardist with various Southern California and Las Vegas show groups. He has also toured extensively throughout Europe, Asia and Japan and the United States. Conrad has also performed in England, France, Denmark, Wales, Holland, South Korea, Tokyo, Okinawa and Hiroshima.

As a musical director and/or conductor he has worked full time with such diverse groups as San Bernardino Summer Theater Festival, National Educator’s Conference and Hollywood Superstars. He has over 2,000 performances to his credit and also works as a freelance musical director.

In addition to scoring and composing for the albums he produces at Road Records he has composed and arranged for corporate entities including GTE and Contel, World Library Publications and United Airlines. He currently composes ongoing for nearly two dozen corporate clients at Road Records as well as producing commercial artist albums.

Kate most recently directed and produced META’s 2007 production of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” at the Lincoln Theatre. She produced last years’ productions of “The Little Mermaid”, and “Seussical, the Musical” at McIntyre Hall. She has been teaching and directing in the area for nine years. She created and leads the (new) META Improv Troupe.

She is a certified facilitator for “Developing Capable Young People”, a program for parents and educators, that builds self-esteem, confidence and other skills necessary for success in the world.

Kate’s most recent acting credits include (numerous) roles as a grandmother, a blind woman, a shameless hussy, and the owner of an abolition era speak-easy, Her favorite thing to do is to participate in improvisation. Her second favorite thing is storytelling.

Brian has been creating and performing a bold and unique style of physical theater for over twenty years. He began his career in King's Elephant Theatre, America's premiere experimental improvisation ensemble, where he performed and directed mainly character driven shows -- including improvised two-act plays based on one audience suggestion, and scenario forms where the characters remain the same from performance to performance but the scenes are always different.

For nine years, Brian was a performer and Artistic Foreman of the internationally renowned Seattle MimeTheatre, a definition-busting touring group being neither white-faced, nor silent. He helped create shows such as Cinema Del Morté, based on famous death scenes from movies, and toured all over the U.S. as well as in Hong Kong. He has created and toured across the U.S., Canada, and Australia six original solo shows including The 42nd Floor, a science fiction trilogy about paradoxes, Double Climax, a film noir thriller, and Vaud Rats, a ukulele operetta.

Brian has also performed with South Dakota Children's Theater, and in Edinburgh, Scotland with Left Coast Theater. He has performed at most every theater in Seattle including On The Boards, ACT, Empty Space Theatre and the Tony Award winning INTIMAN Theater. He is also an award winning director and teaches his trademark Extreme Theater workshops everywhere he goes. For more skinny, visit www.kbrianneel.com

Brian is teaching sessions with the teen/advanced group afternoons weeks one and two and with the intermediate group afternoons weeks one and two. See below for a brief description. (Note: classes do differ depending on which week is attended)

Teen/Advanced: EXTREME THEATER! improvisation, movement, stage combat, mime, viewpoints, developing original work, and more if we can fit it in.

Intermediate: Make up stories off the top of your head and act them out with voice, movement, and mime. Fantastical and Funny.

DK is the Education Director for the Upfront Theatre, in Bellingham. Established by Ryan Stiles, The Upfront Theatre opened its doors August 13, 2004. The 85 seat cabaret style venue offers live improv comedy every Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening. Performers from all over the northwest as well as local talent present many styles of improv comedy ranging from short form games to one act improvised plays, musicals and competitive improv. Since opening over three years ago the Upfront has hosted events with world class improviser Keith Johnstone author of Theatresports, received the Mayors Arts Award, won Best Theatre in 2006, and continues to bring the excitement and fun of live improv to the area.

DK Reinemer has been performing with The Upfront since it started in August of 2004. DK led the charge that opened the doors of the Upfront School of Improv in September 2005. You may have seen him with Ryan Stiles performing at the Lincoln Theatre to a sold-out house last November, 2006. He loves to teach improv and thinks everyone in the world should take at least one improv class in their life.

Michael E. Berg is an actor, screenwriter, director, producer, physical and comedy movement specialist, creative improvisation- innovation expert, international speaker, and university professor. His 30 year professional history includes 22 years as artistic director and performer with Berg & Prince US Touring Comedy Theatre Company and 18 years as actor, writer, producer on TV at KWGN (WB2) out of Denver.

Michael, having studied the art and science of effective communication, has extensively taught acting, presentation skills, improvisation and Commedia dell’ arte Masks at The Denver Center for the Performing Arts and, this past year, in The University of Utah’s Actor Training Program among many other venues.

Laura has been teaching literature and drama for over 13 years in California, Oregon, Washington and Japan. Her favorite memory is of directing “Macbeth” with an incredible group of 6th graders in Seattle. An outdoor production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at Matthews Beach is also a favorite. Under her tutelage a group of 5th graders wrote an original Civil War musical. Laura’s specialty is play writing. She will be teaming up with Nathan Hamer to create the “Filming Your Own Stories” week with the 5 to 7 year old group in week 3 of camp. She is looking forward to working with the exuberant youth of META.

Mike received his B.A. in Theatre from Humboldt State University in northern California. He further studied in London, San Diego and Seattle. He has taught music in Los Angeles and Portland Oregon. He has acted professionally in Seattle and is a member of SAG/AFTRA. He has worked backstage for ABC and NBC studios in Hollywood and in Burbank. He will be teaching workshops on dialects at META’s 2007 summer camp.

Sharyn is a northwest native who solos regularly with local symphonies. In 1999 she founded the Starry Night Chamber Series, now under the non-profit umbrella of the Skagit Opera. In 2005 and 2006, she will solo with four different orchestras in the Sibelius Violin Concerto and the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto.

Ms. Peterson has performed in small chamber ensembles with the principal bassoonist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Assistant Concertmaster of the Seattle Symphony, faculty members of New England Conservatory, Western Washington University, North Texas University, and numerous other fine musicians such as Paul Rosenthal-violin, Barton Frank-cello, Lisa Bergman-piano, and George Shangrow-harpsichord.

She has soloed with famed vocalist Erich Parce, soprano Terry Richter, soprano Julie Boyd-Penner, pianist Cullan Bryant, and many others. Ms. Peterson currently conducts the Mt. Baker Youth Symphony in Bellingham and the Fidalgo Youth Symphony in the Skagit Valley, as well as maintaining Peterson International Music School in Mt. Vernon, teaching violin, viola and voice. Ms. Peterson’s students are frequent winners in various Northwest Competitions, and she is also an arranger and recording artist. She has twice been a guest soloist on violin and voice in the Monteverde Music Festival, Costa Rica. Each summer she directs the Summer Sounds Music Camp ( under the
auspices of the Mt. Baker Youth Symphony); an intensive week of symphonic, vocal, jazz, and art.

Bruce is a well known local actor, director, and producer. He is the CEO of Talisman Productions LLC. The Creative Director of NW Actors Repertory Theater, and Technical Director for Skagit Opera. He is a professional actor with credits in over 150 stage productions, and numerous commercials. He is a Nationally Certified Stage Combat instructor. He is the Producer for "Oklahoma " this summer and has several projects scheduled for next season. Bruce is teaching a stage combat workshop to teens in week three.3

Maura has a Master of Arts in Theatre, Costume Design; and a Bachelor of Arts & Education, Child Development, from Western Washington University. Maura grew-up in New York and was fortunate enough to tour the costume wing of the Metropolitan Opera House when she was eight years old. She attended a ‘magnet’ fine arts high school, and sang on choir tours in the caves of the Smokey Mountains, at Disneyworld, and at the 1984 World’s Fair in New Orleans. She joined The Kaleidoscope Clowns in NY and toured hospitals performing on roller skates. Maura moved to Martha’s Vineyard Island and studied clowning with Kaf Warman, esteemed third year student of the “Ecole Jacque Leqoq School of Movement, Mime, and Theatre,” in Paris. Maura was accepted into Kaf Warman’s Clown Cabaret of Martha’s Vineyard Island, and performed as “Judy Lu” for two years.

Maura moved to Seattle in 1989 to pursue a college degree, and that is where she met Michael Marlin, a clown after her own heart. The Marlins clowned together at such events as the KOMO Kids Fair, Imagination Celebration, and the Special Olympics. The Marlins married and moved to the Skagit Valley in 1997. They have been collaborating with META Performing Arts, wearing various hats, since 2000.

Will be teaching Fractured Fairy Tales: Primary acting students (ages 5-7) will explore the process of script adaptation by choosing tales such as Goldilocks and the Three Bears, and simply playing them as improvisational games with props and costumes. This process will lead the children to creating their own adaptations of each tale, as a script. These adaptations will be rehearsed throughout the week one afternoons and presented to the parents on Friday. The class will spontaneously include basic acting methods, but always funneled appropriately through child’s play.

Michael has a Master of Arts in Theatre, Playwriting, from Western Washington University; and a Bachelor of Fine Arts, Acting, from Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle. The Acting Conservatory at Cornish had a strong emphasis in movement techniques for actors, specifically that of Jacque Lecoq. Michael’s path led him to original works, which enveloped music, and abstract expression. During the 1990’s ‘grunge’ era, he performed as the lead singer/ guitarist for the band “Chump,” in Seattle. For years Michael worked as a professional clown in Seattle driving countless miles in his green “slug bug.” Such a profession requires a great deal of craft skills such as sculpture, puppetry, carpentry, sewing, welding, design, and auto mechanics… to name a few.

Michael is certified in Stage Combat, and has performed many roles from Shakespeare to Dr. Seuss’, ‘Cat-in-the-Hat.’ He loves to perform on stage with children, which is why he performs in many acting roles with META Performing Arts.

John is choreographer for META’s upcoming production of Bye Bye Birdie, coming this November to McIntyre Hall. John recently received a Student Achievement Award from the 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle for his choreography in Godspell, which ran last fall at Stanwood High School. With Village Theatre’s KIDSTAGE, his choreography was seen in Cinderella KIDS!, and Honk! Jr.

This past year, John spent several months performing in Village Theatre's Mainstage production of Bye Bye Birdie. At Stanwood High School, he appeared in Grease (Dance Captain), Footloose (Ren), and Godspell (Judas). With the KIDSTAGE program, John performed in Oliver! (Mr. Bumble), Peter Pan (Smee), The Wizard of Oz (Wizard), and Beauty and the Beast (Wolf/Bookseller).

John also works as an instructor for KIDSTAGE classes. He currently studies jazz and ballet with the 5th Avenue Theatre. John is greatly excited to be a part of the META family.

Teresa Vaughn, a teacher at Lincoln Elementary, has been involved in local theater for 16 years. She has been honored by Skagit Parks and Recreation, Wal-Mart, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Multicultural Education and Theatre Association, Time Magazine, the Skagit Valley Herald, the Rick Epting Memorial Foundation and the QWEST Foundation. She is the co-founder of I Can Fly Productions, an award winning theater company based in Mount Vernon.

Teresa is teaching humorous monologues to the intermediate group afternoons during week three.

Pamela has been working with both children and adults for over twenty years in drama, music, creative movement, and integrated arts. She founded Kids Action Theater Play Productions for Children in 1988 where she wrote and directed numerous original plays and musicals, many of which are published. She has also written two volumes of drama curricula for children and "Movement Stories" with Helen Landalf, all published by Smith and Kraus, Inc. and available for purchase on Amazon.

She has taught in both public and private schools, and currently teaches music at The Valley School in Seattle and directs the education program at Evergreen Fellowship in Marysville. Pamela is also conductor and arranger for Sacred Fire Choir in Seattle and currently plays drums with “Real Folk”.

Pamela is teaching Creative Dramatics, Multicultural Tales - class for 5-7 year olds , mornings and afternoons during week two. Folktales from around the world are a treasure trove of terrific stories, fantastic action, magic, wisdom, and humor. Participants will explore different folktale play each day: acting out the parts, staging the action, and having a ball - all the while learning about the cultures, language, and peoples of several countries/cultures.

Nathan along with his brother Zach, is the founder of ZN Productions, which recently completed it’s fourth full-length feature film entitled, “American Odyssey”, which showed at the Historic Lincoln theater in March, 2006. Nathan is currently working on pre-production for his new film, A Sparrow’s Nine Lives.

Nathan began acting when he was eight, and has been in many META productions, including Aladdin, Fame, and, most recently Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. He is one of five current members of the newly formed META Improv Troupe, which has had several performances since it’s inception in December of last year.

Nathan will be teaching the 5-7 year old group afternoons, week 3, with Laura Checkman, in which participants will get to create their own films.

Nathan’s goal in life is to work on movie productions as an actor and director, and to pursue his love of writing.

Elfa Gisla: Writer, Actor, Director, Producer, Entrepreneur and Arts Activist

Elfa is an Iceland native who has lived in the Skagit Valley for 12 years. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Theater Arts from the Dramatic Academy of Iceland.

Elfa is the co-founder the Murder Mistresses Dinner Theater and of the Northwest Children’s Theater (now META Performing Arts) where she was the president of the board for many years. She is the founder, owner and managing director of Northwest Theatre Arts, Original Productions, and SME Corps. She was co-founder of the Icelandic Television Corporation (Channel 2) in Iceland where she served as Director of Children’s, Youth & Music Programming. She is a founder, owner and managing director of The Conway Muse, a theatre, music, food and drink venue that will be opening in the fall of 2007. Currently she is involved with mentoring the META Improv Troupe as well.

Elfa has written numerous original works including the children's book series Solla Bolla and Tamina (best selling Icelandic children's books), a variety of Murder Mystery Dinner Theater Scripts and numerous other plays and screenplays. She has extensive experience acting, writing directing and producing for, movies, television, and stage, in Iceland, Canada and the U.S.

She will be teaching auditioning skills during afternoons, week one, to the intermediate group. We hope to have her as a guest performer as well, during one or more of the lunch hours.

Jen fell in love with improv in 2004 when she took her first improv class and has been in love ever since. She began performing at the Upfront Theatre in 2005. In 2006 her two great passions in life were combined and a dream came true, she became a youth teacher at the Upfront Theatre. Jen believes full heartedly that improv is good for everyone especially teens and can be applicable not only on stage but in all aspects in life for many different reasons, but LOVES that it teaches people to play. Jen and DK Reinemer will each teach one of the two Upfront Theatre’s 3 hr workshops for teens, afternoons week one and three. See descriptions below.

Come learn about the world of improv comedy through games, exercises and scenes that focus around storytelling and narrative structure. This class will be a ton of fun and introduce participants to the many different ways improvising and acting out stories. This class will have lots of stage time. Don’t miss it.

Our Mission: To nurture the spirit of our youth by offering education and development of life skills through the creative process of the performing arts, to embrace the diversity of our community, and to reach out to those underserved and at-risk.