Check out S'Morey Time!

S'MOREY TIME!

Come eat s'mores, listen to stories, mix and mingle, and get to know the Purple Crayon Players tonight at 7:00PM on the Lakefill Bonfire Pit!  See you there!

Didn't Get a Chance to Sign-Up at the Activities Fair?

NO PROBLEM!

Send a message with your NAME and EMAIL to purplecrayonplayers@gmail.com to get signed up for our Class of 2014 (or 13, 12, 11...) listserv!  If you are interested in Acting, Directing, Teaching, Production, etc., feel free to specify in your email to get additional information about that area.

It was so good to see you all at the Activities Fair and StuCo Info Night today!  We, the Purple Crayon Players, hope you get a good night's sleep and have a wonderful first day of classes (accompanied by a killer cup of coffee from Norbucks, of course!).

WELCOME CLASS OF 2014!!

WHO ARE WE? Part IV - Education Team

It was so good to see you all at the Student Activities Fair today! You probably met a lot of the board, but now get some more details on our Education Team!

Also, we look forward to seeing at Student Theatre Info Night tonight at 8:30PM in Fisk 217!

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Name:  Robyn Char

Position on PCP:  Education Director

Year in School / Major:  2012 / Theatre

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor:  Blackberry

Favorite TYA Play or Musical:  Tale of a West Texas Marsupial Girl by Lisa D'Amor

Why You Joined PCP:  I believe that in college, your world should never stop growing.  With Purple Crayon Players, I interact not only with some pretty cool theatre students, but also other campus groups, the Evanston comunity, schools throughout Chicago, passionate artists across the country, and beyond!  The work (and play!) that PCP does is a celebration of imagination, exploration, and collaboration.  By creating and facilitating Theatre for Young Audiences, we invite the youngest generation to engage in their world imaginatively, passionately, and thoughtfully.  The only thing as beautiful as a child at play is an adult rediscovering how to play, and as a member of Purple Crayon Players, I get to see them both!

Name:  Allison Finn

Position on PCP:  Education Director

Year in School / Major:  2012 / Theatre and International Studies, Creative Writing for the Media

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor:  Mango with hot fudge from Toscanini's in Boston (Go there.  It's worth a pilgrimage!)

Favorite TYA Play or Musical:  The Yellow Boat by David Saar

Why You Joined PCP:  I, like seemingly every other theatre freshman, had worked at arts summer camps and taught youth theatre in high school.  I knew that theatre education was something I wanted to explore in college, but wasn't sure how, especially since I had so many other diverse interests.  I decided that I would devote freshman year to branching out and trying new things, so I jumped at the chance to produce Purple Crayon Players' first annual PLAYground festival in the spring, even though I never dreamed of producing before and was probably woefully under-qualified.  PCP somehow decided that they could entrust Alyssa Ramos and I with the festival of new Theatre for Young Audiences plays and the professional playwrights that went with them.  It ended up being the most rewarding experience I'd ever had in the theatre - and I realized that I'd found both my group of people and a way to combine my passions for theatre education and community outreach with my interest in learning how theatre companies run.  The last two years have challenged me in the best possible way, given me a community, and proved that I made the right choice.

One Piece of Advice for Freshmen at NU:  Create your own definition of success.  This is an incredible place with a wealth of opportunities, but it can get competitive and it sometimes seems that you have to follow a certain path to be successful.  Ignore that.  Explore diverse interests and don't play it safe.  Success isn't necessarily getting a lead role or landing a spot in this or that group.  It's your experience and that's all that matters.

Name:  Dana O'Brien

Position on PCP:  Education Director

Year in School / Major:  2012 / Theatre

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor:  Chocolate with Toffee Pieces in it

Favorite TYA Play or Musical:  I'm going to cheat at this one a little by saying Remember Me Like This by the Albany Park Theater Project, which blew my mind and restored any faith I might ever potentially lose in the power of young people to create incredible, world-changing art.

Why You Joined PCP:  I love teaching, and I've always been really interested in pedagogy and education policy.  Purple Crayon is a group of some of the most intelligent, thoughtful, kind, committed, fun and innovative people I have ever met, and I was extremely intrigued and excited by PCP's work with theatre for young audiences.  Needless to say, I wanted to be a part of all that, and working with the education team has been one of the most fulfilling and productive things I've done at Northwestern, and has taught me more than I ever thought it would about life and kids and theatre and myself.

WHO ARE WE? Part III - Literary Manager

Hello again!  Read on to learn all about our Literary Manager, Abby Schwarz, who is currently studying abroad in Vina del mer, Chile!

Also, be sure to catch all of the Players at one of these two exciting activities at Northwerstern!

Student Activities Fair - Louis Room, Norris University Center; Monday, September 20th, 2:00-5:00PM

Student Theatre Info Night - Fisk 217; Monday, September 20th, 8:30-10:00PM

We hope to see you there!

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Name:  Abby Schwarz

Position on PCP:  Literary Manager

Year in School / Major:  2012 / Performance Studies and Anthropology

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor:  Soy Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Favorite TYA Play or Musical:  Anon(ymous) by Naomi Iizuka

Why You Joined PCP:  I joined PCP as an FBR (Freshman Board Representative) at the beginning of my freshman year for a million reasons, three of them being:  I love TYA, I love the people on Purple Crayon (then and now!), and I look good in purple.

One Piece of Advice for Freshmen at NU:  Try new things!  You may never have planned on stage managing, acting, taking a philosophy class, or working on a film set, but if you try, you may end up with a new passion. At the same time, be careful of the classic NU overload.  It's okay not to do EVERYthing!  Don't forget to take care of yourself and leave some time for spontaneous fun and relaxation.

WHO ARE WE? Part II - Tour Managers

Welcome to Part II of WHO ARE WE?, your chance to get to meet all of the players on Purple Crayon Executive Board.  Today, take a look into the brains and lives of our Tour Managers, sophomores Amelia Hefferon and Jordan Johnson!

Also, check back soon for more information on how you can get involved with Purple Crayon Players early on this year, starting with the Student Activities Fair this Monday, September 20th from 2:00-5:00PM in the Louis Room of Norris University Center!  And don't miss Student Theatre Info Night the same night, Monday, September 20th, at 8:30PM, location TBA!

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Name:  Amelia Hefferon

Position on PCP:  Co-Tour Manager

Year in School / Major:  2013 / Theatre

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: Cookie Monster (Blue Moon ice cream plus Oreos)!

Favorite TYA Play or Musical:  The Phantom Tollbooth adapted by Susan Nanus

Why You Joined PCP:  I think collaboration between students of all ages is one of the most effective and beautiful forms of education.  I want to work with and from young audiences for the rest of my life.

One Piece of Advice for Freshmen at NU:  Be brave!  Do what scares you.  Show us how wonderful you are!

Name:  Jordan Johnson

Position on PCP:  Co-Tour Manager

Year in School / Major:  2013 / Theatre

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor:  Cookies 'N' Cream

Favorite TYA Play or Musical:  Honk! by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe

Why You Joined PCP:  I love theatre.  I love kids.  I think I saw that Purple Crayon fills a void in the NU arts community, specifically reaching out to young audiences.  I was drawn in by how passionately my fellow PCPeers work toward not only producing awesome theatre, but also being leaders in the arts education community.

One Piece of Advice for Freshmen at NU:  Focus on the BIG PICTURE!  You'll get so caught up in the fourteen shows you're working on this quarter, all your a cappella rehearsals, the all-nighter research paper writing, all while trying to balance a social life...just remember that you have a lifetime to be stressed, but only a few short years of the college experience.  Focus all your energies only on what you REALLY love!

WHO ARE WE? Part I - Technical Director

Hello and welcome to WHO ARE WE?, a series of posts where you can meet each one of the Purple Crayon Players!  Throughout New Student Week, check back regularly to find out who we are, what we do, and what our favorite ice cream flavor is.  And don't be shy - comment on the posts and tell us all about yourself.  We would love to meet you!

So read along, meet the players, and let's welcome to campus Northwestern University's Class of 2014!

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Name:  Melanie Gertzman 

Position on PCP:  Technical Director

Year in School/Major:  Sophomore / Theatre and Psychology

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor:  Chocolate Brownie / Mint Chip / Strawberry / Cookie Dough (basically, I love all ice cream!)

Favorite TYA Play or Musical:  I LOVED PCP's adaptation of The Phantom Tollbooth by Susan Nanus, and that show is one of the reasons I really wanted to be a part of the Purple Crayon family!

Why You Joined PCP:  BECAUSE IT'S THE BEST GROUP ON CAMPUS!  Seriously, I joined because  PCP shares the same love I have for children and theatre, and we all think it is really important for children of all ages to be exposed to theatre.  TYA is theatre for all audiences, and PCP strives to fulfill this.  I love everything that PCP stands for, and it is truly a family.  Joining PCP is the best thing I ever did, and it is some of the most important work I will ever do.

One Piece of Advice for NU Freshmen:  Don't hesitate to get involved!  Jump right into a project.  It's the best way to find your niche.  Also, come in with an open mind.  Life at NU is different from any other experience, so please don't come in with any pre-conceived notions of what college life is like or should be like.  Try to have a lot of fun and enjoy everything you do.  Take one thing at a time and live moment to moment.  AND JOIN PCP!!!  We're a family and we want you to be a part of it!