The Actor’s Imagination, By FAYE WHITBECK, Staff Writer

Accomplished playwright and former resident to hold children’s workshop

A drama workshop for Borderland kids entitled “The Actor’s Imagination” is scheduled at the Backus Community Center Aug. 18-22.
Jeannine Coulombe, playwright, theater artist and teacher, and former International Falls resident, will be teaching the workshop.
Intended to “explode the imagination,” Coulombe believes that drama has the potential to help children with a number of skills and abilities that they can use throughout their lives. Goals for the workshop are to encourage self-expression, develop presentation skills and build self-confidence in local children — and have a lot of fun.
The workshop will explore everything about stage acting — improvisation exercises, voice and movement techniques, character creation and imagination.
The purpose of the workshop to is expose children to the basics of stage acting and provide a fun outlet for their creativity, according to Coulombe. While using their imagination, they will also exercise cooperation and communication within a group.
The programming will run Monday through Friday with a morning workshop for children ages 7 to 9; and an afternoon workshop for those ages 10 to 12. A performance for the students’ families and friends is planned for Aug. 22 at 4 p.m.
Supplies, snacks and the performance are all included in a $30 per student fee.
Registration forms are available at Backus Community Center, Falls Public Library, and the Community Education Offices in the Falls and Littlefork. Forms should be returned, accompanied by the fee, to the Backus Community Center or mailed to the center at: P.O. Box 1067, International Falls, MN 56649. More information is available by calling 285-7225.
The workshop is sponsored by the Backus Community Center, Minnesota 4-H, United Way of Northeastern Minnesota and Bremer Bank.

Space for the workshop is limited and early registration is recommended.

JEANNINE COULOMBE BIO
Jeannine Coulombe is a Twin Cities based playwright, theater artist and teacher. Her plays have been seen at New Georges, Clubbed Thumb, Producer’s Theater, Manhattan Repertory, Stage Left, History Theater, Theater Unbound, Thirst Theater, Ebullient Theater, Playwrights Center, University of Iowa, University of Minnesota-Duluth and A Theater Group.
Her work has been published by Dramatic Publishing, Smith & Kraus, and Heinemann.
Coulombe received her master if fine arts from the University of Iowa’s Playwrights Workshop and her bachelor of fine arts in theater and bachelor of arts in history from the University of Minnesota-Duluth. She has been teaching youth for almost a decade in play writing, acting, puppetry and dramatic story making. She teaches for Stages Theater Company, Stagecoach Theater Arts, SteppingStone Theater for Youth and the Loft Literary Center.
Coulombe is a member of the Workhaus Playwrights’ Collective and works in the professional theater as playwright, producer, director, dramaturg and costume designer.
She is the daughter of Kay Arnold of International Falls and Tom Coulombe of Littlefork.

CHILDREN’S THEATER WORKSHOP
WHAT: Drama Workshop for Kids with Jeannine Coulombe FEE: $30 per student
WHEN: Aug. 18-22 • Ages 7-9 meet 9 to 11:30 a.m. • Ages 10-12 meet 12:30 to 3 p.m.
WHERE: Backus Community Center
WHY: The workshop is designed to explore imagination, learn skills of the theater craft and have fun with other local kids.
An invited-family and friends performance is planned for Aug. 22 at 4 p.m.