by James O’Barr
Founded in 1981 by educators Tracey Foster and Lois Wofford, Olympia’s Creative Theatre Experience offers summer workshops in theatre, dance, art, and music for South Sound kids, first grade through high school. After 45 years, many former students continue participating as staff, interns, mentors, and, enrolling their children and grandchildren, CTE remains dedicated to the founders’ vision: an educational experience that uses drama, music, dance, and other performing arts as a mechanism for exploring important life skills such as communication, conflict resolution, respect, empathy, teamwork, and leadership, all in a safe and loving community. Now based at the Kenneth J. Minnaert Center on the South Puget Sound Community College campus, and in preparation for next year’s 45th anniversary season, the CTE Board of Directors has announced the selection of Kristina Cummins as their new program director, and Kyle Murphy as executive director.
Cummins brings to her role at CTE 25 years as a theatre educator. For the past 16 years, she’s been at Olympia’s Capital High School, teaching and producing theatre. There, she’s used an apprenticeship model, and her dedication to mentorship and student leadership align perfectly with CTE’s values and practice. She’s also long been active with Washington State Thespians, a chapter of the Educational Theatre Association. WA Thespians hosts multiple events to honor student achievement in acting, musical theatre, and technical theatre, and to support theatre educators in our state.
Production Team (PT) (grades 8-12) and Tech Team (grades 5-7)
Murphy comes to CTE with a broad range of business management and theatre experience. An Olympia native and UW grad, Murphy forged a career in tech, finance, and advertising with such organizations as Seattle Times, Comcast, HBSB banking, and MedBridge health education software. In 2018 he co-founded Broadway Olympia and produced a series of shows staged at the Capitol Theater. He then took Broadway Olympia to the Capital Mall, where they opened the mall’s first black box theatre.
In addition to these staff leadership changes, the CTE Board of Directors has elected new officers to its executive team, with Nora Gant as president, Jerod Nace as vice president, and Louise Doran as treasurer/Secretary. Together with Murphy’s new-fashioned thinking and old-fashioned commitment to community theatre arts, along with Cummins’ long experience teaching and directing theatre with young people and actualizing in them her love for the craft, Creative Theatre Experience looks ready to go boldly into the future.
WHAT:
Creative Theatre Experience
WHERE:
Based at Kenneth J. Minnaert Center, SPSCC, Olympia, WA
LEARN MORE:
https://www.ctekids.org