Karitos 2011 Theatre Arts Program and Faculty Bios

This year’s Karitos Theatre Department is all about hands-on theatre! You won’t be sitting in a chair getting lectured, or even working on classroom exercises. Instead, you’ll craft a short play from start to finish, then perform it for other conferees! Choose one of our three Intensive Tracks where you’d like to invest your time. Then with the help of our professional faculty mentors, you’ll spend every breakout session “learning by doing”—putting together a powerful drama with a team of other students. You’ll leave with new insights and fresh scripts for your drama ministry. . .  along with the satisfaction of a job well-done!

Please pre-register for the track you plan to attend! Read about the options below, then fill out this brief form or printable PDF to register. Thanks for helping your faculty prepare to serve you at Karitos!

 Video: Deb Kowalski talks about the Karitos Theater Department

ACTING TRACK (Faculty: Laura Holland, George Halitzka)
With the mentoring of professional directors from the Karitos faculty, you’ll collaborate with another student actor and a student director to get a five-minute drama sketch ready for its performance at Karitos. This is the perfect place for people who love serving God with their performing gifts!
Before the conference, we’ll send the script that your team will be rehearsing via email.

DIRECTING TRACK (Faculty: Laura Holland, George Halitzka)
With the mentoring of professional directors from the Karitos faculty, you’ll collaborate with two student actors to get a five-minute drama sketch ready for its performance at Karitos. If your favorite role in theatre is equipping actors do their work well, then sign up for the Directing Track!
Before the conference, we’ll send the script that your team will be rehearsing via email.

PLAYWRITING TRACK (Faculty: Nancy Hanna, Alan Atwood)
With the mentoring of professional playwrights from the Karitos faculty, you’ll compose a drama sketch you might use in your church—then hear some of our student actors give it a staged reading at the end of the conference. When you register for the Playwriting Track, you’ll also receive a one-on-one critique session (of a script you’ve already written) from one of our faculty members! The Playwriting Track is for theatre folks whose favorite place to serve is with a pen (or maybe a mouse) in their hands!
More information on critique sessions will be sent by email.

If you have any questions, please contact Department Chair George Halitzka at george@dramabygeorge.com.

PLAYWRITING FACULTY

Nancy Hanna was a Eugene O’Neill Playwrights’ Conference finalist with her play Tinker and Sherrit, and has also won awards for Away the Bear and The Psalm of Edie Katz. Her short plays have been published by Dramatic Publishing. Hanna currently helms a video production company, forword.tv.

 

Alan Atwood is the Drama Pastor at Eastbrook Church in Milwaukee, where he produces three major plays and numerous worship dramas each year. He also tours his one-man plays to churches around the country (www.alanatwood.org). He has been married for thirty years and has four children.

 

 

ACTING AND DIRECTING FACULTY

Laura Holland is the Chair of Communication, Arts, and Media at Oral Roberts University. During her 35 years as a professor of theatre, she has directed over 60 plays, designed the sets and/or costumes for over 90, and is a produced playwright.

 

 

 

George Halitzka is a freelance theatre artist in Louisville. Favorite directing projects include Christmas Presence (Drama By George, Louisville), The Father’s Gift (Parkview Church, Iowa), and The Ranger Ned Story (Pacific Theatre, Vancouver, BC). George is also a produced and published playwright. Visit him online at www.dramabygeorge.com.