Sign up for fall Northshore School of the Arts courses
Contact: Christina Chapple
5/14/09
HAMMOND – High school juniors and seniors can take drawing, theater, music theory and private music lessons for university credit this fall through the Northshore School of the Arts (NSA), Southeastern Louisiana University’s innovative professional high school arts program.
NSA is open to students in Livingston, Tangipahoa and St. Tammany public schools, who can earn college credit at Southeastern by successfully completing NSA classes.
NSA Director Charlotte Collins said the fall schedule builds on the success of the theater, music theory and applied music classes offered this spring and adds a new course – Drawing I at the St. Tammany Center.
Collins will teach the basic drawing course and will welcome back as NSA faculty Southeastern theater instructor James Winter, a professional actor, director, playwright and producer who has directed award-winning productions for Southeastern Theatre, and Lucian Zidaru, an adjunct member of Southeastern’s Department of Music and Dramatic Arts faculty and an international pianist and music editor, who will teach music theory.
The three will be joined by a variety of Southeastern music faculty, who are matched one-on-one with students for individual instruction in piano, voice, strings, woodwinds, brass, or percussion.
Winter said his first NSA theater course, which just concluded at the St. Tammany Center, was “a huge success” for the five students who participated – Amber Izdepski, Sutton York and Sophie Martin of Fontainebleau High School; Jamie Lombardino of Slidell High School; and Sara Chauppette, who is home-schooled.
Winter said seniors Chauppette and Lombardino plan to enroll as Southeastern freshmen this fall. And, having successfully completed the NSA theater course, they will subsequently receive credit for Southeastern’s Theatre 101 course.
“Not only has my students’ class work been outstanding, but they have already become very involved with Southeastern's theater program,” Winter said. “It is great seeing them bridge the gap between high school and college so smoothly, which is a key element of the NSA.”
Chauppette and Lombardino, along with junior Amber Izdepski, will also have another theater experience this summer when they participate in a workshop for a new play that Southeastern Theatre will produce as part of its 2009-2010 season and enter in the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. The play is an original work by Southeastern student Zach Boudreaux, and the workshop participants will help Boudreaux tweak and tune up the script for production.
Lombardino also successfully auditioned for Southeastern Theatre’s production, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” which will be produced next October during the university’s annual Fanfare arts festival.
Izdepski assisted with a Southeastern student-directed production of the original play "Captive," staged and directed earlier this month by university senior Alicia Hanley as the culmination of her independent study project.
On the university’s Vonnie Borden Theatre stage last week (May 11), the NSA theater students presented a showcase of their work for an audience of family, friends and Southeastern theater students and faculty. “They performed scenes and monologues from contemporary and classical theatre works including an original scene written by Amber and Sara,” said Winter. “It was their opportunity to show what they’ve learned. They were a really bright group – and a lot of fun.”
Winter will offer the NSA theater course again in the fall on Monday, 6-8 p.m., at the St. Tammany Center.
Through NSA next fall students can also take evening music theory and art classes, as well as individual private music lessons with Southeastern faculty.
The classes and applied music lessons will again be offered at three locations – Southeastern’s main campus in Hammond, the Southeastern St. Tammany Center in Mandeville, and the Livingston Parish Literacy and Technology Center in Walker.
The fall schedule includes:
▪ St. Tammany Center, Mandeville: Applied Music (arranged with individual faculty);
Music Theory, Wednesday, 4-6 p.m.; Theatre, Monday, 6-8 p.m.; Drawing I, Monday and Wednesday, 3-5 p.m.
▪ Livingston Parish Literacy and Technology Center, Walker: Applied Music (arranged with individual faculty; Music Theory, Thursday, 4-6 p.m.
▪ Southeastern Campus, Hammond: Applied Music (arranged with individual faculty.
Additional information and NSA application forms are available at www.selu.edu/nsa, where parents and students can also subscribe to email updates.
The application process, Collins said, includes portfolio reviews for those applying for the drawing class, auditions for applied music lessons, and an interview for the theater class. She is encouraging prospective students to apply early so these processes can be quickly completed.
“We’re very proud of the growth of the Northshore School of Arts since its inception in 2006,” said Collins. “Since all NSA courses are taught after school hours, they work well with the busy schedule of today’s students and supplement the instruction already in the schools. Serious young artists are always looking for new ways to refine their talent, and the NSA’s combination of outstanding faculty and state-of-the-art facilities provides an amazing opportunity.”
For additional information, contact Collins at 985-549-2568 or Charlotte.Collins@selu.edu.
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