By Emily VanLaeys

Contributing writer

Opportunities abound for children and teens to be involved in summer arts and theater programs in this area. Summer is the time to stretch those creative wings and try things there isn’t time for during the school year.

Here is a rundown on some of the programs that are available. With so much to choose from, there’s no reason for anyone to be a couch potato this summer.

Orpheus Summer

Theatre Workshop

"Orpheus Summer Musical Theatre Workshop has been a training ground for aspiring young actors and actresses for 12 years," said director Diana Friedell. This summer’s workshop started June 25, with performances July 7 and 8 in the Oneonta Theatre 1&2. The younger group produced "101 Dalmatians," directed and choreographed by Rockette Jacey Lambros, a 1998 Oneonta High School graduate and 2002 Hartwick College graduate.

The 13-to-16-year-old group, directed by Friedell, put on "Guys and Dolls." Musical director was Tim Horne, Erin O’Brien was choreographer and Janet Lampo was the producer.

I visited the theater on Chestnut Street in Oneonta on July 1 to talk to Orpheus participants waiting their turn to practice on stage.

All of the actors and actresses I spoke to were returning workshop members, attesting to their enthusiasm for this summer arts opportunity.

Megan Benjamin, 13, played the part of a jester in "Once Upon a Mattress" last year. This summer she plays the part of Miss Adelaide, a singer at the Hot Box Nightclub in "Guys and Dolls."

When asked what she enjoys most about the workshop, she said: "It’s fun to hang out with friends, and you make so many new friends doing it."

It’s a lot different from a summer camp where kids participate in outdoor sports, but as Megan noted, "We get a lot of exercise dancing!"

Quinn Resney, 14, is participating in Orpheus for his fourth year. He’s playing the part of Big Julie, a member of the mission band.

"It’s the biggest part I’ve had so far," he said. "I have lots of lines, and I sing and dance. Yesterday I learned how to fall when I get punched on stage. I practiced falling 20 times."

Quinn demonstrated how he fell onto his knees first, and then went down on his side, so he didn’t get hurt.

Jessica Maskin, 13, is also spending her fourth year as an Orpheus Workshop member. She said: "So far, last year was the most fun, when I played the Wizard in �Once Upon a Mattress.’ I can’t tell yet if this year will be more fun."

Jessica has two parts this year: Harry the Horse and one of the Hot Box girls.

Henry Bauer, 15, played the part of Sky Masterson, one of the male leads. He said: "Orpheus helps me keep busy in the summer, and it’s sort of fun. In school the teachers are more in charge and here we get to take part in all of the different aspects of the production."

All of the workshop members help with the sets and other behind-the-scenes jobs, as well as acting.

Friedell explained, "We have them design a program cover, and then they vote on all the program covers to choose the winner. The winner has his program cover as the official one. Usually we have them help design what will go on the set and there is a set designer to advise them and teach them as they create set pieces that will go on the stage ... . They usually make some aspect of their costume _ maybe a headpiece."

John Gilbert, 14, plays the other male lead, Nathan Detroit, a tough gambler who sets up and runs illegal gambling games. John explained: "He falls in love with Adelaide, and that gets in the way of his gambling career."

Why does John enjoy the Orpheus Workshop? "I go nuts when I’m on stage. I’m just an actor."

Clearly, these budding actors and actresses are very fortunate to have this opportunity to participate in a theatrical production every summer.

Upper Catskill Community Council of the Arts

The Upper Catskill Community Council of the Arts at the Wilber Mansion on Ford Avenue in Oneonta is offering a wide range of classes and art programs this summer. The first session of the Creative Kids Summer Art Camp was held this week. Session Two will be from Aug. 13 to 17. The camp is for children ages 5 through 12. The cost of $110 per child includes materials and snack. Campers will spend each day making art, creating sculpture, felting wool, learning to dance, listening to live music and more.

Activities will be presented as part of the theme "Cultures from Around the World" by professional artists from around the community.

One of the artists who will work with campers is Doug Jamieson. Jamieson has taught at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. His artwork is exhibited nationally. He is the author of the book "Draw From Your Head: A Step By Step System of Drawing the Human Figure."

Jamieson is a veteran drawing, painting and print-making teacher at UCCCA’s School for the Arts.

Another participant will be Karin Bremer, who has taught a wide variety of art classes from bookmaking to sculpture for children. She has gathered inspiration from her frequent travels overseas and often integrates these influences in her art classes. She is working in jewelry design and is creating a complete metal smithing studio in the area.

Jo Mish is the camp musician and international folk dance instructor. Mish is a poet, singer, songwriter and printer. He owns and operates Serpent & Eagle Press, specializing in finely printed books. He has published four books of poetry and is an artist in residence at Hartwick College, teaching letterpress printing and international folk dance. He has performed his music and poetry at colleges and cafes and has worked in many schools over the past 25 years.

Lisa Merian will teach wool arts at the camp. Merian owns Spinners’ Hill Shop, located on her Chenango County farm. Her full-time career has branched out from the raising and caring of her 150-sheep flock to teaching several workshops that focus on the gathering and processing of wool into many creative and beautiful finished products. She has taught in public schools as well as colleges and in adult education. Merian’s work has received many awards at fairs and craft shows.

Solveig Comer will share her pottery skills with campers. Comer has participated in and taught various workshops and conferences, worked for other potters, and developed her own pottery business.

John Ryan will teach mask-making, puppetry and how to make your own nursery rhymes.

Shannah Kane will teach hip-hop dance at the Stanley and Wade-Sullivan School of Dance, Fitness and Yoga studio on Main Street.

Anaar Desai-Stephens is a violinist from CircleSquareTriangle, a music group based in Brooklyn. She and her partners are classically trained musicians who teach children about sound manipulation and how to capture sound.

The camps are divided into two age groups. Each camp week concludes with a performance and art exhibition by the children at 5:30 p.m. Friday at the Unitarian Universalist Society across the street from the Wilber Mansion.

Another summer art program happening at the Wilber Mansion is "Art for Little Ones" with Kirbey Zorda, a local mural painter. This class will take place Wednesday mornings in July and August from 10 to 11. It’s not too late to sign up 3- to 6-year-olds for Session 2, which will start Aug. 8. Zorda will teach a variety of age-appropriate projects, such as how to make soda-can maracas, family books, leaf rubbings, color wheels and more. The cost is $30 per child, including materials.

"Imagination Improvisation" is the name of the summer theater program offered by Charlie Kevin, a professional actor, and Tom Butts, co-founder and technical director of Franklin Stage Company. Participants will learn basic acting techniques, voice, movement and scene-stealing strategies. Children and teens will be broken up into two groups. Group 1, for ages 13 to 17, will meet 9 a.m. to noon Mondays through Fridays, July 30 to Aug. 10. Group 2, for ages 8 to 12, will meet on the same days from 1 to 4 p.m. The program costs $125 per student and will conclude with a public performance at the Unitarian Universalist Society in Oneonta at 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 11.

Other classes offered for children at UCCCA this summer are "Water Soluble Oil Painting" and "Intro to Figure Drawing" with Jamieson. Classes for teens include: "Painting in Watercolor" with Barbara Ardan, "Etching" with Jamieson, "Wheel Work" and "Clay Days!" with Comer.

Call Erin Van Cott at 432-2070 at the Arts Council for information or to enroll.

The West Kortright Center

The West Kortright Center in East Meredith offers Young People’s Theater Arts Workshops this month. They are co-sponsored by Frank Lumia Real Estate Plus and Clark Companies. This summer’s programs are "Shakespeare" with Olivia Briggs, "Technical Theater" with Bob Briggs, "Costume Design" with Isabelle Delgrange, "Introduction to Acting" with Lanny Harrison and "Theater Games" with Lillian Meredith. While it’s too late to enroll in any of these programs this year, actors and actresses ages 5 to 19 should keep them in mind for next summer.

It’s not too late for teens to sign up for "Felted Art: It’s in the Bag" with fiber artist Merian. This workshop is offered for teens and adults who want to create felted handbags. It will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Variations of surface designs, colors, textures and fibers will be felted from wool. Saturday will be spent on the design and Sunday the designs will be felted together with soap and water. The cost for this workshop is $84 plus $25 for materials per bag.

On Saturday, Aug. 26, from 1 to 4 p.m., storyteller Laurie McIntosh will teach families, ages 6 and up, to tell "Your Family Folk Tales."

"It’s a great way to keep memories alive and keep the tall tale tradition going strong," McIntosh said. The cost for this class is $24 per person or $72 for a family of four.

For more information on these classes, or to enroll, call The West Kortright Center at 278-5454.

Oneonta Teen Center

The Oneonta Teen Center, located at 4 Academy St. in the former Armory building in Oneonta, is offering free summer classes this year. "Marionette Making" was taught by Ian Austin and Diana Cozzins in June and early July. "Slam Poetry" is being presented by Sienna DeMulder on Thursday evenings through Aug. 4. Participants are learning how to write, construct and perform slam poetry, which they will perform Aug. 4.

"Alternative Fiction," taught by Author Libby Cudmore, is on Thursdays through July 26. "T-Shirt Design" was taught by Orion Palmer on Fridays in late June and early July.

"Fashion" started Friday and continues each Friday through Aug. 17. Austin and Cozzins are teaching teens how to create their own "one-of-a-kind" clothing.

"Mini Podcasting" will be taught by Dave Kenny on Thursdays, Aug. 2 and 23. Participants will learn the basics involved in podcasting, using webcams to express ideas and put them on the Internet.

OTV Video Camp will take place Aug. 6 to 10. Participants will take part in two workshops each day. "Intro to Film Making," taught by Jeff Copelan, will be offered from 9 to 11 a.m., and "Acting for the Small Screen" will be offered by Friedell from noon to 2:30 p.m.

Teens interested in registering for any of these classes should call the Oneonta Teen Center at 433-2009 or send an e-mail to oneontateencenter@yahoo.com. While classes are offered free, donations to the center are welcome.

Word Thursdays/

Bright Hill Press

Word Thursdays in Treadwell is offering its 13th year of workshops this summer. A special program, "The Word Thursdays Museum Research, Writing, and Visual Arts Program" began in March and is continuing through the summer. Participating students visit area museums, then research, write about and reproduce objects that interested them. The June program featured a visit to the Roberson Museum and Science Center in Binghamton. Twenty-nine children, ages 5 to 11, from Bovina Center, Delhi, East Meredith, Franklin, Laurens, Masonville, Sidney Center, Treadwell, Walton, Brooklyn, New Jersey and Florida attended.

The first August session of the program will run from Aug. 6 to 11 and will begin with a visit to the Thaw Collection of American Indian Art at the Fenimore Art Museum in Cooperstown. Children ages 5 to 14 may attend.

The second August session of the program will run from Aug. 20 to 24 for students ages 13 to 18 only. During that session, students will travel to the Munson-Williams-Proctor Art Institute Museum of Art in Utica.

The culmination of the year’s programs will be an exhibit in December at Bright Hill Center’s Word & Image Gallery at 94 Church St. in Treadwell and an anthology of works created by the students.

There is no charge for the workshops, but there is a $30 fee per child per session for the bus trip.

For more information, call 829-5055 or e-mail wordthur@stny.rr.com. And don’t forget to visit http://www.nyslittree.org.

Wow! What a line-up of summer arts and theater opportunities for children and teens in Otsego and Delaware counties. This is definitely the place to be for budding artists and performers who want to make creative use of their summer vacation _ and for those who encourage their efforts and benefit from them by enjoying their final productions.