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SpotLight on Kids

Southwestern Wisconsin's Premiere Youth Theatre Training and Production Company

We are a not-for-profit Performing Arts Company. We are actors, singers, dancers, and storytellers. We paint scenery, build sets, and make costumes. We learn that a lot of people working together can create a theatrical production (it's almost like magic) and sometimes we get an extra bonus - new friends!

SOK's office and teaching studio are located at the address above (in the Olde Towne Mall). SpotLight on Kids' programs are open to all people regardless of race, ethnicity, disabilities, and financial status. Scholarships and work-study programs are open to all workshop and class participants.

We offer several group acting/theater classes throughout the year.

footlights productions

The adult off-shoot of SpotLight On Kids, footlights productions, was created to provide a theatrical outlet for adults in the greater Rock County community. Although both SOK and footlights pride themselves on producing high-quality and thought-provoking work, footlights' shows are meant for the mature audience, while SOK focuses on material suitable for the whole family.

This Season

S. Peter Roang Scholarship Fund established for SpotLight on Kids

With the generous support of Basics Natural Foods in Janesville, SpotLight on Kids has established an ongoing scholarship fund in memory of Peter Roang. An Edgerton native and life-long resident of Rock County, Peter was a tremendous supporter of and frequent participant in the performing arts.

This very special scholarship fund will be used to help children of all ages get involved and stay involved in the arts. We welcome contributions to the fund, which may be made as follows:

S. Peter Roang Scholarship Fund
C/o SpotLight on Kids
20 S. Main St., #22
Janesville, WI 53545

For more information about this fund, or SpotLight on Kids class and production offerings, call (608) 758-1451.

Current Class Listings

Spotlight on Kids Summer Theatre Camp - starts 7/8/13

My Grown Up and Me: Parent and Child Creative Drama
Dates: July 8, 10, 15, 17, 22, and 24; Time: 9-10am; Instructor: Mindy Curtis; Location: Spotlight on Kids Studio; Ages: 4-6; Cost: $40 per child
Come enjoy creative play with your young child! Play theatre games, sing, dress-up, and act out stories from around the world. Every child will be encouraged to explore imagination and invention through creative use of voice, body, and mind in a non-competitive, inspiring environment that develops self-expression, body awareness, social skills and joy!

Weekly Morning Classes
Location: Janesville Performing Arts Center; Ages: 7 and up; Cost: $65/course
Students sign up for and attend classes on a weekly basis with lunchtime presentations/performances at the end of each week

Playwriting: Dates: July 8-12; Time: 8:30am-10:15pm; Instructor: Zac Curtis
Pull out your pens and paper! This class is designed for students who love words, stories, and writing. We will learn and implement the basic principles of playwriting as we create and write individual, new, short plays. We will rehearse and present scenes in a staged reading to a friendly invited audience of friends and family.

Theatre Design: Dates: July 8-12; Time: 10:45am-12:30pm; Instructor: Mindy Curtis
Let's design! This class is perfect for students with artistic talent who are interested in designing and creating the visual aspects of a play. We will learn the basic principles of scenic, costume, and mask design for the theatre. We will design and create sketches, for the costumes, masks and set of a popular play and present them in a professional design presentation to a friendly invited audience of friends and family.

Movement & Stage Combat: Dates: July 15-19; Time: 8:30-10:15am; Instructor: Zac Curtis
Let's get moving! This class is the place for students with lots of energy who love to move and want to learn to do it well. We will discover the essentials of physical control by creating physical characters and story telling though pantomime. We will learn and use the basics rules and guidelines of safe and effective stage combat and perform our work to an audience of friends and family.

Musical Theatre: Dates: July 15-19; Time: 10:45am-12:30pm; Instructor: Mindy Curtis
Get ready to become a triple threat! This class is designed for both students who are new to musical theatre as well as students with prior singing, dancing and acting experience. We will strengthen our musical theatre skills by preparing musical theatre solos, duets, and ensemble numbers according to our comfort level. We will perform our songs for an audience of friends and family.

Shakespeare: Dates: July 22-26; Time: 8:30am-10:15am; Instructor: Zac Curtis
All the world's a play! This is the class for those classic taste and style. We will learn how to read, understand, and rehearse Shakespearean scenes, monologues, and sonnets. We will become familiar with the Bard and perform our work for an audience of friends and family.

Improvisation: Dates: July 22-26; Time: 10:45am-12:30pm; Instructor: Mindy Curtis
Who's line is it anyway? This is the class for those who like to go off script and make scenes up on the spot. We will learn the rules and ropes of theatrical improvisation through learning and playing short-form improvisational theatre activities and games. We will select our favorite games to perform for an audience of friends and family.

Three-Week Devising Workshop

Dates: Mondays-Fridays July 8-26; Time: 1:30-4:30pm; Location: Janesville Performing Arts Center;
Ages: 7 and up; Cost: $180; Instructor: Mindy Curtis

Let's work together to make a play! Come explore being a playwright, director, designer and actor all in three weeks as we experience the theatrical process from beginning to end. Students sign up for and attend the entire three week workshop and performances at 7:30pm on July 26 and 27. During this process we will:

-analyze, explore, and improvise short stories
-write a story with appropriate plot elements as a group
-write our story into a play by writing it into dialogue and stage direction
-work as directors to cast and stage our play
-design and create simple costume, set and prop elements
-learn and utilize the basics of theatrical staging and design
-rehearse the play using appropriate ensemble rehearsal techniques
-perform the play for a live audience with proper skill, technique, and etiquette

Half-Day Camp: Cost-Saving Option!
Includes: All six weekly morning classes Ages: 7 and up Cost: $360
For true theatre enthusiasts! You may sign up for each class individually (prices listed above) or enjoy the day-camp experience every morning from 8:30-12:30am and attend all morning classes and save on cost.

Full-Day Camp: Cost-Saving Option!
Includes: All six weekly morning classes and the three-week afternoon devising workshop Ages: 7 and up Cost: $520
For the ultra-theatre lover! You may sign up for each class individually (prices listed above) or enjoy the day-camp experience every day from 8:30pm-4:30pm and attend all morning classes as well as the afternoon devising workshop, and save on cost. This includes a supervised half-hour morning snack break and an hour-long lunch for kids to enjoy their snacks and lunches from home.

Sign up to participate in one or all of these exciting theatre experiences before classes are full!

Please register through the Janesville Performing Arts Center located at 408 S. Mains St. in Janesville in person, by calling 608-758-0297, or by visiting www.janesvillepac.org (online convenience fee applies).

For questions or more information about classes, instructors, or available scholarships options, contact Spotlight on Kids located at 20 S. Main St. Suite #22 by emailing spotlightonkids@gmail.com, visiting their new web site at http://spotlightonkids.wix.com/spotlightonkidshome, or by calling 608-758-1451.

About the Instructors

Mindy Curtis
Mindy's passion is helping students explore their creativity and find confidence through the magical art of theatre creation. Mindy has her BFA in Theatre Education from Utah State University, MA in Theatre Production from Central Washington University, and PhD in Education from the University of Idaho. Mindy has taught theatre and directed productions at Sky View High School in Smithfield Utah, Timeberline Middle School in Alpine, Utah, and Ellensburg High School in Ellensburg, WA. She has also taught and directed at various private theatres throughout the country including Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theatre, The Salt lake Children's Theatre, Idaho Repertory Theatre, Central Theatre After School in Ellensburg, WA, and Camp Waziyatah in Waterford, ME. She will be directing Peter Pan with the Children's Theatre of Madison this August. Mindy recently moved to Janesville with her husband, Zac, and beautiful daughter, Elena. She is excitedly expecting her second baby this September. Mindy is delighted to be working with Spotlight on Kids and the Janesville Performing Arts Center to continue doing what she loves.


Zac Curtis
Zac is an experienced and dedicated theatre director and educator. He is currently an assistant professor of communications and theatre arts at UW- Rock County. He has his BA in Theatre Education from Colorado State University, MA in Theatre Production from Central Washington University, and MFA in Theatre Directing from the University of Idaho. Zac has taught theatre and directed productions at Harrison High School in Colorado Springs, CO, Central Washington University in Ellensburg, WA, and The University of Idaho in Moscow, ID. He has directed and acted with various educational and professional theatres throughout the country including Lewis and Clark State College in Idaho, Yakima Valley College in Washington, Theater Works and Loveland Summer Studio in Colorado, Colorado State University, and Idaho Repertory Theatre. He is in love with his wife, Mindy, his daughter, Elena, and his little one on the way. He has greatly enjoyed being a part of the Rock County Arts Community and is excited for this opportunity to work with both Spotlight on Kids and the Janesville Performing Arts Center.


Past Productions