Play by Play

WONDERWORKS and the DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH, RICE UNIVERSITY present
the 4TH ANNUAL SUMMER THEATER WORKSHOP,
an exploration of theater and dramatic literature through an acting workshop,
showcase production, plays on film, readings, lectures, and discussions

8 June – 10 July 2020 | 9 am – 4 pm, Monday – Friday | Rice University

The theater is…the meeting place of all the arts.

Oscar Wilde “The Truth of Masks,” Nineteenth Century, May 1885

Summer is the time when the muse of theater lets her hair down and tries out something different – old or new, reimagined or restored. Play by Play can help you channel your inner Meryl Streep or Lin-Manuel Miranda as part of a not-quite-ready-for-prime-time ensemble where stagecraft and occasional magic are par for the course. In the mornings for the first three weeks you’ll take part in acting classes and preliminary read-throughs, blocking, and rehearsals, led by an UIL competition winning director and his assistants. In the afternoons, you’ll watch some of the best plays ever captured on film, many of which are off the beaten path but totally captivating, introduced, screened, and discussed from an acting as well as literary point of view, as they would be in college. You’ll also scroll through short readings- interviews, reviews, profiles, and excerpts from plays themselves. For the final two weeks, you’ll shift into an intensive full production/rehearsal mode, leading line by line, act by act, to a concluding evening performance for friends and family. No prior theatrical experience is presumed or required. You provide the passion and learn your lines – we’ll do the rest.

Play by Play is open to high school students of special promise and ability who will be entering grades 10, 11, or 12 next fall or who will have just graduated from high school this spring. Admission is competitive – Wonderworks requires at least a 3.0 cumulative grade-point average plus a high level of achievement in relevant core subjects and comparable scores on relevant sections of the PSAT/SAT or ACT.

Tuition and fees (not including parking) are $1,000. Scholarships are available in the form of full-tuition waivers, but only for students demonstrating true financial need. Admissions are determined on a need-blind basis. No student will be prevented from participating in the program because of inability to pay tuition.

Classes are held at the Rice University campus, Monday – Friday, except 3 July. This program is meant to be enjoyable, but it is also challenging and requires focused effort and commitment.

You may apply online or by mail or email. To ensure full consideration, applications must be received by 1 May; early applications are encouraged and will receive early decisions in the cases of well-qualified applicants. Late applications will be considered only if space remains available.

If you have questions or need additional information, please e-mail info@wonderworkshouston.org or call 832.450.9505.