One of the kids is already signed up to participate in a children’s community theater in Cedar. She will be performing in Beauty and the Beast Jr. at the beginning of August.

But here are some more fun ideas for summer theater workshops for those budding thespians.

Willow Glen Theatre in Cedar City is holding two youth acting programs this summer in Iron County.

photo courtesy of Willow Glen Theatre company.

This five-week intensive theater workshop and performances will feature dance, singing, and acting workshops taught by professionals and students from Southern Utah University.

Auditions for the musicals  Oklahoma! and Into the Woods will be held on May 9 from 4-8 p.m. They will be held at Willow Glen Inn (3308 N. Bulldog Rd, Enoch).

Dates: The first workshop for youth 13-18 years of age runs Monday-Thursday from May 20-30 and then Monday-Saturday June 3-15 (from 5:00-9:00pm) with performances of Oklahoma! on June 18, 19, 21, 25 and 26.

Dates: The second workshop for youth 8-12 years of age runs Monday-Wednesday from June 18-27 and then Monday-Saturday July 1-16 (from 5:00-9:00pm) with performances of Into the Woods on July 17, 18, 19, 22, and 23.

Program Fee: $100 per student (for the workshops, costumes, and rehearsals)

For more information visit http://willowglentheatre.com/youth-intensive/

The Utah Shakespeare Festival also holds several different theater workshops throughout the summer.

Shakespeare for Junior Actors is for youth 11-15 years of age.

Here is the lowdown straight from bard.org

Tuition includes tickets to the Festival plays, chaperoned dormitory accommodations, and all meals.

Session 1: July 14–20; Session 2: July 21–27;

Session 3: July 28–August 3

Early Bird: $795 — register before April 1

Regular: $895 — after April 1

Utah Shakespeare Festival Playmakers will also hold summer acting workshops for $90 a session. Summer sessions focus on Shakespearean scene work. For more information visit bard.org.

Tuacahn that amazing theater in the desert of Ivins, Utah also has a musical theatre camp for kids age 11-14

Desert Stars Musical Theatre
A Musical Theatre camp for young people ages 11-14.
Dates – July 9 – 13, 2012
Time – 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm Monday – Thursday & 10:00 am to 1:00 pm on Friday
Class Location – Tuacahn High School Black Box Theatre

TUITION
Early Registration (Before June 1, 2012)
$100 ($95 per Camper plus a $5 Registration Fee)

Late Registration (After June 1, 2012)
$130 ($125 per Camper plus a $5 Registration Fee)

Save 33% by registering early!
All Tuition is non-refundable after June 1. Tuition includes: registration fees, all master classes, class rehearsal materials, camp t-shirt, backstage tour, daily treat break and final combined performance.

Contact:
Jan Shelton Hunsaker, 435-652-3324
Tuacahn High School, 435-652-3201

Book, music and lyrics by Joan Cushing. Exclusive adaptation of the three books by Doreen Cronin and illustrated by Harry Bliss.

$10 adults, $5 children 18 and under

Little ballerinas practicing for Sleeping Beauty. Photo by Parker Grimes

The Cedar City Junior Ballet Company is producing their annual ballet March 22-23 in the Randall L. Jones Theatre (home to the Utah Shakespeare Festival)

I have to admit up front that my daughter is part of this amazing ballet production. Her dancing parts are small (but so is she at only 7 years old) but I love having her participate in this 2 hour production that includes dancers of all ages (and skill levels) from my community.  Every year the Cedar City Junior Ballet puts on a beautiful ballet production that includes both beginner dancers all the way up to senior dance majors, professional actors and dancers and dance instructors.

The dancers prepare for 6 months to present their ballet best to the community of Southern Utah. The costumes are gorgeous and the setting is perfect. Sometimes I have to pinch myself that I live in such a cultural community. Cedar City may be small town but we have some artistic chops. However, this is the only full length ballet production we get to see in Cedar City each year. Fortunately, it is so well done that even my husband (who does not love ballet but loves his little ballerina) told the artistic director last year that it was surprisingly well done and that he thought it was very professional.

And so for any of you mamas in Southern Utah (or passing through) don’t miss this perfect fairytale event. I promise it is going to be stunning. I have had a behind the scenes view for the past 6 months. I know.

The prince and Aurora practicing for Sleeping Beauty. Photo by Parker Grimes

If you want to go the tickets are an affordable $10.

Friday and Saturday — March 22-23 at the Randall L. Jones Theatre in Cedar City

Time: 7:30

You can purchase tickets at the door or by calling 1-800PLAYTIX

Click here for a list of museums participating in this event.

Melinda Pfundstein (left) as Fantine, J. Michael Baily as Jean Valjean, and Brian Vaughn as Inspector Javert in the Utah Shakespeare Festival’s 2012 production of Les Misérables. (Photo by Karl Hugh. Copyright Utah Shakespeare Festival 2012.)

I am a live theater addict in the summer. I admit it. In the past week I have seen 4 plays. As an editor for an online magazine I get to review Southern Utah’s summer theater which includes Tuacahn, Utah Shakespeare Festival and the Neil Simon Festival (coming soon).

It just so happens that my children also love live theater. They always want to see what I am seeing. They may have a little bit of an entitlement issue in this facet of our lives. And yet, it is easy to forget that just because a play or musical knocks your socks off, that does not mean the content is appropriate for all ages. For instance the Utah Shakespeare Festival (whom I love with all my theater loving heart) is touting the Merry Wives of Windsor as their family friendly matinee. Now I saw this play and it was hysterical. But the nature of the plot line lends itself to many innuendos. Falstaff comes to town with the intention to seduce two married women in an effort to get access to their husband’s money. Really, that is not exactly family friendly. I am not taking my kids to this play. Just because it is in the guise of Shakespeare does not necessarily mean it is kid appropriate or that my children won’t understand it’s thinly veiled implications.

On the other hand I am having a more difficult time saying no to my 10-year-old going to Les Miserables. This is classic stuff — amazing music, one of the best story lines of all time. And yet, Les Mis really does have some PG13 elements –strong language, strong sexual innuendoes, violence. Plus, live theater can be much more emotionally moving. I have had to tell my 10- year-old daughter I don’t think this is the year she will be seeing Les Miserables. It was a gut wrenching decision. I want to expose my children to good theater.  I am taking my 14-year-old son. He is highly involved in drama and music and I feel like he can handle the content of this play better.  But really, where do you as a parent draw the line? How do you make a personal judgement on live theater?

We have seen one play as a family that is age appropriate for everyone. Tuacahn Ampitheatre’s Aladdin may not be deep and moving theater but it is pure entertainment, complete with catchy music, pyrotechnics, a genie, a flying carpet and 3-D special effects done the way you wish every 3D movie would do 3D. I love having at least one play/musical that I is entertaining for everyone from my 7-year-old to my Mother-in-law.

Photo courtesy of Tuacahn Ampitheatre

So, our summer bucket list for the family includes lots of theater. Since my 14-year-old is a theater junkie and budding actor we have to promise to take him to theater productions this summer and my girls are in love with the Disney productions put on by Tuacahn each summer.

The best part is that this year, Utah Shakespeare Festival is offering a student pass to students of any age for $35 through August 15 through October. That means my son can go see as many Utah Shakespeare plays as he wants during that time. Hello cheap!  Click here to find out more.

Our family summer theater bucket list this summer.

Les Miserables at Utah Shakespeare Festival in Cedar City

Alladdin at Tuacahn Ampitheatre in Santa Clara

Joseph and The Technicolor Dreamcoat at the Cedar  Valley Community Theater

And just for Mom and Dad?  A trip to Salt Lake to see Wicked in the Capitol Theater

I will be attending most of Utah Shakespeare Festival’s plays and writing reviews for Aliveutah.com but the above shows we plan to see as a family. Do you have theater plans this summer? What will you be seeing with your kids?

Writing is one of the most important academic skills you can teach your children. Writing is a skill level above reading, as it requires you to process a thought and put it on paper.

“If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead, either write something worth reading or do things worth writing.” – Benjamin Franklin

Seeing the world through a child’s eyes is a whole different experience than the world we see. I just launched a new site Enjoy Utah Jr, where children are encouraged to write about the world around them, and share it for other children to read. For more information, and details on how to submit your child’s writing, visit the Enjoy Utah Jr page.

This is a great project for Spring break, Summer vacations, and Summer boredom busters. While you are out and about, encourage your child to take pictures, draw pictures, and write about the world around them.

Encouraging children to write can open up a whole new world for them. Writing daily in a journal about their life and experiences is a great way for them to look back on what they have done in their lives. I was encouraged by my parents beginning at eight years old to write daily in a journal, and following their advice has enriched my life in more ways than one. It’s fun to open up my childhood journals and read them to my children who are now the age that I was when I wrote those entries.

More fun educational activities to do with your kids:

• Ogden Nature Center’s 2012 Birdhouse Contest
• Waterfall Hikes In Utah
• Learn about native Utah animal tracks at the new City Creek Center
• Learn about the universe for FREE at Clark Planetarium
• Sandy Museum
• Tour the Utah State Capitol

1. It’s completely free. Art museums around the country also offer awesome family programs like this, but for a ticket price. This opportunity gives free art activities every third Saturday.

2. Parking is a breeze. We went on a U of U basketball game day, in the snow, and had no trouble parking in front of the museum. Love that.

3. It’s organized. When we walked in to the museum we were immediately directed to the Family Program director who gave us a treasure map. We had to seek out answers to 3 questions about Egyptian art before we could go to the art studio to create our own art. I love that this program gives an organized, purposeful way to explore the museum with your children. It is not “boring” or “over their heads,” it’s a fun game designed just for them.

4. The art comes to life. Instead of just walking past the Egyptian art, we studied it,  trying to figure out what the pictures meant, examining the way they made the mummies. Afterwards, we went to the art studio where they gave us our own papyrus to make our own ancient art. It’s an awesome way to connect and interact with museum exhibits.

5. Family backpacks are a blast. When the girls were done with their papyrus paintings, they wanted more. We checked out the European Art family backpack from the front desk and had at least an hour more of fun in the museum together searching for paintings, interacting with the art, and making more of our own. No one minds if you sit down on the floor, open up the back pack, and just go at it! It’s a playdate in an art museum.

6. On the way home, you feel like a really good mom. Believe me, we have plenty of Disney and Webkinz in our lives. This just feels like a really good way to spend a Saturday.

This Saturday, February 18th’s free art activities includes making our own art trading cards and runs from 1:00 to 4:00. Can’t wait.

More great learning activities to do with your kids:

Mother Daughter Book Club

Interactive Art Exhibit Downtown

Teach your child to read like a writer

Holladay City Building

4580 S. 2300 E.

Holladay, UT 84117

(The old Holladay Elementary School off of Holladay Blvd.)

I also noticed when I was looking for the show information that if you like her on Facebook you are entered to win one of her nativity sets.

Ghosts Made of Gourds

Crazy Gourd Witch

Fun Jack-o-Lanterns

There are usually lots of other vendors there as well with all kinds of cool and spooky stuff!  See you there!

One of the most famous landscape painters in the western United States is LeConte Stewart.   You do not want to miss the joint exhibit going on right now at the Church History Museum & as well at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts located at the University of Utah.  The collection of paintings is incredible as well as his atmospheric painting style.  Nationally known & extremebly influential this exhibit is a once in a life time not to be missed show.  The exhbit runs until January 15 2012.

The next? Another joint exhibit on quite possibly my favorite Utah painter. Douglas Snow, who recently passed away.  Another nationally respected artist whose body of work is inspiring & progressive. Don’t miss this either, luckily you can hit both LeConte & Doug at one of the same exhibiting locations, the Utah Museum of Fine Art at  the University of Utah.

Final Light: V. Douglas Snow in Retrospect August 31, 2011 – January 8, 2012 The Utah Museum of Fine Arts and Salt Lake Art Center are pleased to present Final Light: V. Douglas Snow in Retrospect, a collaborative exhibition celebrating the work of eminent Utah landscape artist, V. Douglas Snow (1927-2009). Museum visitors and long-time admirers will have the opportunity to encounter Snow’s large body of work at two local art venues.