Action, Lights, Camera

Want to get in on the excitement of theatre but not sure standing on stage is your thing. There are lots of fun things to do behind the scenes - today we will be working on set design for The Secret Garden. This will be a challenge because there is a Student Showcase happening the night before. The sets will need to be all black for the Showcase and a garden and library for Secret Garden.

We are always looking for people to run lights, work on sets, costumes, the program - lots to do in a theatre. If you are in high school these hours count as community service but mostly they count as a great way to kill time and have fun. Interested? Call us- there is always room for one more at the Crow's Nest!

Ongoing Classes

Along with our production of The Secret Garden and class offerings from All That! Dance, Upstart Crow Studios hosts several classes open to the community.

Iwalani Chafran teaches the expressive art of hula to students of all ages through Island Arts Productions. Hula classes currently meet in Studio 1 on Tuesdays 6pm-7pm. Call or email Iwalani for more details. 541-688-6585 iwalani1@msn.com

On the other side of the expressive dance spectrum, Tobey Johnston offers a breakdance class open to ages 10 and up. Classes meet in the Crow's Nest Theater on Tuesdays from 6:30pm-7:30pm. Call Tobey Johnston at 541-953-5102 to sign up.

These two amazing instructors have taken full advantage of our beautiful studio spaces. Imagine what you might teach. Send your class proposals to info@upstartcrowstudios.com

Great Rehearsal

What a fantastic group of cast members we have for this musical production of The Secret Garden. We did character studies last night and it was obvious that everyone had some wonderful insights into their character. It was fun to write up on the board all the ideas the group had to share. Becca Morris came in for the choreography and worked with a few cast members on the ballroom scene. There are ghostly figures in the background that we still need to add to the scene but the dancers worked through the awkward moments and were becoming quite graceful by the end of rehearsal. Kudos! Better get tickets now for this one!

The Secret Garden

This is a wonderful Tony award winning Broadway play with an all youth cast. With haunting music and story, it is a delightful family show. Based on the book by Frances Hodgson Burnett, the story is about an orphaned girl who comes to live with her uncle in Yorkshire, England. Poor thing has a broken heart and finds her young cousin suffering from an illness he has had since birth. Both find happiness in the garden that heals both their spirits and bodies. Tickets are on sale now for performances May 31th and June 1st.

What's going on this Summer

You ready for Summer? We are. Check out what we have going on.

Upstart Crow blogs!

Hello and thanks for visiting our blog. We're exciting to be here and look forward to using this venue to share information about our programs, the community, the industry and whole lot more.

Wondering who we are?

Upstart Crow Studios was founded in February 2000 in Eugene, Oregon, working in humble, nomadic ways — school gyms, church basements, private studios, and retirement community centers. In February 2002, and after many months of working with a student volunteer program to refurbish the stage at Willard Elementary School, the curtain opened on our first stage production, Beauty and the Beast.

From that first production, and only a handful of students, we have literally grown by leaps and bounds each year. Realizing the need to find a permanent home for our expanding program, we opened the doors of Upstart Crow Studios School of the Arts in September 2006. Our dedicated staff, enthusiastic parent volunteers, local community leaders and hardworking Board of Directors have generated the energy and support to make this dream possible.

The vision of Upstart Crow Studios has always been to seek out the everyday child. The child that doesn't know they have talents and gifts and to demonstrate the power of creative expression.

From our early days, to the opening of our new facility, our vision remains constant.