2017-021-E Arts - One Song Productions - Fall 2016 Arts Grant Agreement

Browse Search

DocuSign Envelope ID:8E1086E6-8A0C-47D9-A564-05E6E9D32634 Organizational Profile One Song Productions is an Orange County-based,youth-run theatre organization founded in 2002 by Katie Yow and Daniel Elam,two Chapel Hill High School students. A supplement or alternative to school-sponsored drama programs, One Song engages youth in every step of the creative process and offers a range of opportunities for learning and growth in the performing arts. One Song is run by a board of six to eight directors, all of whom are students in the Durham-Chapel Hill area. The Board's aim is to provide students in the area with a fun, creative, and educational experience working on extracurricular productions. Additionally, all One Song events are produced, directed, and staged entirely by students from area high schools and colleges. One Song produces at least five different shows a season(which tracks the academic year), all of which are cast and directed by high school students from Orange County and beyond. Over its 14 year history, One Song has reached hundreds of students. Its success and continued growth depends on the community's constant support and generosity. Current Programs and Services Each year, One Song produces at least three full-length productions directed by high school students, along with a full-length summer show directed by a high school or college student, and a 48-hour theatre event, The February 48. All of One Song's productions push the envelope, allowing students to take on more challenging characters and content that they might not be exposed to in school, as well as the opportunity to explore complex moral and ethical angles to modern issues. One Song further provides technical students with opportunities to be creative and branch out without the confines of a school tech department. All design and construction is headed by students, giving them the chance to apply technical knowledge they may have learned elsewhere and take on full leadership positions usually regulated by school staff members,thereby offering a glimpse at what it may be like to work professionally in the field of technical theatre. One Song's annual summer show is distinct in that it gives local high school and college students outside of the Board of Directors the opportunity to choose and direct a show. Additionally it provides a way for students to remain involved in theatre over the summer. The February 48 is also designed to push boundaries, especially the boundary of time. The February 48 is a series of one-act plays, all of which are written,rehearsed, and performed by students over the course of a single weekend. Students are assigned to groups on a Friday night. Student writers are then given the beginning and ending lines of their plays and are asked to write a script over the course of that night. After review by the Board of Directors, scripts are passed out to groups on Saturday morning, and each is sent off to rehearse for the day, during which all technical aspects for the shows are also coordinated. Groups load into the performance space on Sunday afternoon, and rehearse in the space until their performance Sunday night. The goal of The February 48 is to provide unique opportunities to both experienced and prospective actors and technicians, as well as to provide a creative, adrenaline-filled weekend for local students. It is a vibrant, busy weekend, involving as many as 80 students. Those with experience are challenged to take all of the work and quality of a full-length production and condense it into a single weekend,while students who are new to theatre can explore it through an exciting and short production process.