Palm Beach Dramaworks is delighted to announce its newest education initiative, The Academy@pbd, a summer program for teenagers that provides them with the opportunity to appear in a musical or play and also offers rigorous training in stage management and acting in a safe, positive environment.

The shows to be performed are the musical Edges by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, and Henrik Ibsen’s classic play, An Enemy of the People . Casting for both productions will be determined through auditions, which take place on March 9 and 11. Interviews will also be held on those dates for stage management positions. Performers and potential stage managers must be rising ninth graders through graduating seniors. No auditions are required for the Acting Intensive, which is open to rising sixth graders through graduating eighth graders.

“I am so thrilled that we’re embarking on this exciting venture,” said PBD Producing Artistic Director William Hayes. “We’ve learned through our Young Playwrights Ten-Minute Play Contest and other education programs that there are students throughout Palm Beach County who are hungry to participate in live theatre. As arts education is often not part of the school curriculum, we’re filling an important void. Plus, the Academy@pbd enables students to work with professionals, which is invaluable. Whether or not the kids who participate in this program go on to careers in theatre, they will learn skills that will serve them well in whatever they ultimately do, things like discipline, responsibility, and teamwork. And most likely, they’ll develop a lifetime theatre-going habit. What more could you ask for!”
The two-week rehearsal period for Edges runs from June 10 – 27, with performances on June 28 and 29 at 7pm, and June 30 at 2pm. Pasek and Paul, who won a Tony Award for Dear Evan Hansen and an Academy Award for La La Land , crafted this beautiful musical about self-discovery and coming of age when they were undergraduates studying musical theatre at the University of Michigan in 2005. The show has been performed over 100 times throughout North America and all over the world.

Rehearsals for An Enemy of the People take place from July 8 – 25, with performances on July 26 and 27 at 7pm, and July 28 at 2pm. This dynamic, modern adaptation of Ibsen’s timeless work tells the story of one person’s fight to bring awareness to corruption and greed in his community, and his community leaders’ manipulation of the majority.
A limited number of stage management training opportunities are available for both shows. Trainees will work alongside a professional PBD stage manager and will be required to assist and run all rehearsals and performances. They will also learn important skills for organizing and administrating a production.  
The Acting Intensive runs from July 8 – 19, culminating in a performance on the final day of the two-week class. This course is designed for the serious-minded student interested in developing strong technique while being challenged by professional instructors. Participants receive training in classical and contemporary text analysis, voice and diction, and movement. Class size is limited.
For more information, including pricing, scholarship opportunities, the complete schedule of rehearsals and classes, casting breakdown, audition requirements and how to schedule an audition, visit palmbeachdramaworks.org/academy.