REPERTORY REACHES OUT TO CHILDREN

South Coast Repertory Theatre has started a community outreach program that takes the theater’s Acting Conservatory for Children into two Orange County community centers.

The Corbin Community Center at 2215 W. McFadden Ave. in Santa Ana, and the George Washington Community Center at 250 E. Cypress St. in Anaheim are offering two-week programs of free introductory classes and workshops in all aspects of the theater for children ages 8 to 14. The teachers are from SCR’s staff.

The outreach program was made possible by a special grant from Target Stores.

“There have always been requests for us to go into the communities, but this is the first time we’ve had the opportunity--and the money--to do it,” said Corey Flocken of SCR.

The courses given at the community centers closely resemble SCR’s regular conservatory offerings and include segments on improvisation, stage movement, pantomime and vocal techniques. A field trip to the SCR theater in Costa Mesa is planned to show how a play is produced.

“For a lot of the kids we’re dealing with at the centers, this is their first chance at experiencing anything like this,” Flocken said.

A final children’s “recital” performance--one at each center--will conclude the program on Aug. 9.

A few openings remain at each location. For more information, call the Corbin center at (714) 547-3046 or the Anaheim center at (714) 956-5500.