Page to Stage brings writing to life
Rotary teams with EPL for three theater camps
About 90 kids in Elkhart will be taking a book from paper to performance in a unique partnership between Elkhart Rotary Club and Elkhart Public Library.
Page to Stage continues in November with students in K to Grade 2.
Julie Cotton, president of Elkhart Rotary, said her two lifelong passions – reading and acting – made this combination a natural fit. With guidance from EPL Director Lisa Guedea Carreño, the local Rotary Club applied for and obtained district grants to help fund the effort.
“I’m a theater girl, I thought it would be fun,” Julie says. “It hit on couple of the (grant) criteria: helping kids and childhood literacy.”
Page to Stage will take place in three separate groups. After Grades 3-5 took the stage in September, the next group will be kindergarteners through second graders in November. Next spring, students in Grades 6-8 will be welcomed to perform.
All programs are free and open to the public, including the performances.
Julie will help the kids take a book and turn it from beginning to end into a play performed by the kids.
Rehearsals will take place from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Nov. 27-30. The performance will happen during the downtown Winterfest at 4 p.m. in the downtown library atrium.
“The goal is to bring many of the aspects of theater to kids and get them excited about it and (build) the love of reading,” Julie says. “Who doesn’t love their favorite Disney character or TV show? All of that started with words on a page.”