Summer Song Theatre Program Returns For Second Year

The Westwood Summer Song Institute theatre program is back for its second year after a successful debut extending theatre opportunities for area students through the summer.

On July 23 and Aug. 20, their charges – about 20 aspiring thespians per each of the program's two sessions – will perform songs and scenes from productions like Wicked, Gypsy, and Fiddler on the Roof at the Westwood High School's little theatre, 5 p.m. The public's invited to the performances, free of charge.

"Last year was a really successful year," said Kristen Watson, a vocal instructor at Beaver Country Day School in Chestnut Hill who co-founded Summer Song with Nicolas Nackley, a vocal instructor at Westwood High School and Norwood High School.

Watson performs opera and musical theater. She's played at Symphony Hall and the Disney Hall in Los Angeles. Nackley has been featured by the Handel and Haydn Society and Opera Boston. He's also head of vocal faculty at the North Shore Conservatory. They're long-time friends, and colleagues. "We've sung together for many years," Nackley said.

When their students asked about theatre opportunities during the summer, and the teacher-performers realized there wasn't much to point them toward, the duo decided to fix that. The available programs weren't very local, or very affordable, Watson said.

At Westwood High School, there was already a theatre program in place called the Prodigy Program, an after school instrumental and vocal lesson program, founded in 1991. Prodigy instructs students in grades 5 through 12 with a staff of 28 musician teachers led by Jim Gurleo.

"I thought it would be a good idea to carry over what we have at the Prodigy Program over through the summer," where Nackley has been working for the past five years, he said. Gurleo was very helpful and supportive of the idea, Nackley said, helping to smooth out the process of setting up Summer Song and get it approved by the school department. "He was tremendously supportive from the get-go," Nackley said.

Nackley and Watson decided to form their program around teaching theatre and music to students while having fun. They set up a series of workshops in two five-day programs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., culminating in cabaret performances showing off their students' newly polished skills.

The workshops begin with theatre exercises, trust-building games intended to loosen up the students and get them working together as an imaginative  team. "We try to get them used to each other pretty quickly," Watson said. One of her favorite exercises, she said, is the human knot – everyone stands in a circle, reaches out one hand and grasps another person's hand. Then they do it again with their other
hand. Then, they have to untangle themselves without letting go.

Sometimes the group does it in 30 seconds. Sometimes it takes 15 minutes.

"Usually, they can pretty much figure their way out of it," she said.

Then, of course, there's rehearsing for the performances, and then pulling them off successfully. "The biggest thing is, it's a huge confidence booster for the kids," Nackley said.

About 20 students aged 13-18 participate in each session, though Nackley said they're prepared for more if the program's popularity grows. The cost to sign up is $400 per session, and $750 if you want to sign up for both.

To sign up, you can call 617-615-8097 or e-mail info@westwoodsummersong.com.