A new forum to exchange ideas between the community of Blairstown and Blair Academy has been established.
Members of the Blair Academy and Blairstown communities will have a new forum in which to exchange ideas and explore shared interests: the Town/Gown Academy.
Sessions devoted to a wide variety of thought-provoking topics will be held on Wednesday evenings at 7 p.m., at the Outreach Center of the First Presbyterian Church of Blairstown, located at 35 Main Street. Adults and teens from Blair Academy and the surrounding area are welcome to attend and participate in conversation and community.
Longtime Blair theatre director and English teacher Craig Evans is the creator and facilitator of the Town/Gown Academy, which he described as "presentation with participation." "Each session will provide the opportunity to learn about something you're interested in and talk about it or try it out with others who share your interest," he said. "It's going to be a great way for folks from the School and the surrounding community to really get to know one another and create terrific connections."
On Sept. 23, Sept. 30 and Oct. 7, a three-session acting workshop will launch Town/Gown programming for the year. Evans, a community theatre veteran and producer of more than 60 plays during his Blair career, will facilitate the workshop, which will give both rookie and polished actors the opportunity to explore the craft of acting.
Town/Gown's second program, scheduled for Oct. 14, Oct. 21 and Oct. 28, will focus on public speaking. Former Blair faculty member Steven Kampmann, who has earned extensive theatre, movie and television credits during his career as an actor, writer and director, promises an enjoyable experience designed to "help you become the public speaker you were always meant to be."
Town/Gown Academy is jointly sponsored by Blair Academy and the Outreach Center of the First Presbyterian Church of Blairstown. Future sessions may include explorations of subjects such as art and religion, but Mr. Evans noted that participants, both teens and adults, are welcome to contribute their ideas and expertise. "We extend an open invitation to everyone in the community to join us," he said.
To register for Town/Gown Academy programs email Evans.