It has certainly been a happy season at Actors Playground School of Theatre. This has been a very exciting semester for us. Since we joined forces with Neal Bennett and his amazing Industry Film School an entirely new and extremely important facet has been added to the curriculum. I feel that Neal's contribution to our students and their work has enhanced the school tenfold.

Emily Ellison appeared on NBC's The Today Show on Christmas Eve morning. Double E, as we call her, is a longtime Playground student who is part of the Conservatory Kids program. Besides the Today Show, Emily has been modeling nonstop for Ralph Lauren. Good Job Double E!

Besides the four national commercials he appeared in this year, Lloyd Clay Brown has just finished filming a major role in a Miramax feature film called Doubt starring Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman. The movie is based on John Patrick Shanley's play of the same name. Way to go Lloyd!

The amazing Emily Woods wasw seen in the ensemble of the equity theater production of Charles Dicken's The Ghost's Bargain at Two River Theater. We're proud of you Woodsy!

Jake Tavill will also appeared as McDuff's son at Two River Theater in their upcoming equity production of William Shakespeare's Macbeth. The production was conceived and directed by Aaron Posner and Teller, with magic designed by Teller. It was quite a show. Bravo Jake!

Longtime Playground students Dan Cooley and Rich Palmros have created a radio show called Midnight with Dan and Rich which can be heard on Click Radio www.hearnewbrunswick.com every Wednesday night at midnight. The show supports local bands, artists, and actors and is funny, topical, and extremely cutting edge. Sorry kids, this is an 18 and up show. Great work Dan and Rich!

The New Mystics Theatre Company, which is run out of Actors Playground is in the middle of another successful season and has cast three new actors from the Playground into it's incredible company, they include Taylor Rogers, Brittany Hadley, and Megan Lee. Congratulations guys! You can learn all about this unique company at http://www.newmystics.com/NewMysticTheatreCompany.html

Industry Film School has begun it's first full season at the Playground this year and we are proud to have them. Their program has the most current and comprehensive curriculum of film studies that I have ever seen and is taught by the best film teacher I have ever known--Neal Bennett. You can learn all about industry Film School by visiting http://www.industryfilmschool.com/

One of America's finest playwrights, William Mastrosimone, has agreed to consult and oversee my production of the best play ever written regarding school violence--Bang Bang, You're Dead. The play has been the most powerful force ever conceived to fight school violence. In the hundreds upon hundreds of schools where it has been performed throughout the country, there has not been one incident of major violence. The playwright himself gets hundreds of letters every year from students everywhere admitting they had thoughts of committing violent acts in their schools but had a revelation when watching this powerful play. I will try to involve as many Playground students as I possibly can. The show will tour schools over the next year and a half so hopefully this will give everyone a chance to be involved.

CONGRADS TO THE GRADS!

Over the past year we have had many students who were accepted into some of the finest universities for theatre. Almost all schools named below have been rated in the top five for acting schools in the country. All of us at Actors Playground are very proud of all our graduates. Here are some of them.

Ines Garcia was accepted into Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University and The Tisch School at New York University.
Arielle Hader was accepted into The Tisch School at New York University.
Michele Cronin was accepted into Harvard University.
Phil DeGuzman was accepted into Northwestern University.
Rebecca Nevins was accepted into Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University.
Laura Siskin was accepted into Emerson College.
J.C. Morfogen was accepted into Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University and Parsons for theatre design.
Ryan Smith was accepted at New York University.
Krystle Haliotis was accepted into Westminster Choir College.
Alex Kantor was accepted into Syracuse University.
More to come . . . . . . . .

PLAYGROUND KIDS ON THE TUBE
Many current students at the school have been spotted on the small screen recently. Justine Aguiar made an appearance on Nickelodeon's Naked Brother's Band in February. Steven Vago was featured on NBC's Law & Order SVU in a scene with Ice-T and Christopher Meloni. Actors Playground and RU Mason Gross School of the Arts alumni Alicia Avery was featured in a McDonald's national commercial in October. Both Shane Nepveu and Ryan Denver were featured in two separate Chuck E. Cheese national commercials. Throughout 2006 Anna Klintworth could be seen as the host of Oxygen's syndicated comedy Gagsters.

DAYTIME STAR COMES OVER TO PLAY
In August 07 Emmy nominated, television veteran Terri Colombino will make her first visit to Actors Playground to do an Acting for the Camera workshop. Best known for her role as Katie on As the World Turns, Terri will be sharing her unique knowledge and insight into her craft. For more info, check out the Special Events link. DATES ARE TBA

THE PLAYGROUND GOES TO NYC
In March 2007 Actors Playground brought students to the beautiful Theatre Three on west 43rd street in New York City to perform a showcase for the some of the acting industry's best casting agents and personal managers. This was the first time the school had done a showcase of this kind. We were all very proud of the high level of work that was done that night.
More to come . . . . . .