Community members that are currently attending middle school and high school are encouraged to participated in the Wallace Theater’s Green Room program that focuses on the arts once a month.
The Green Room Campaign is a theater youth program that is free for middle school and high school students that focuses on the nurturing of young talent and offers a creative space for students to develop their skills while exploring a passion for the performing arts. Participants in the Green Room Program gain self-esteem, self-discipline, empathy, teamwork and cooperation, leadership and public speaking skills.
Joining the Wallace team in August, Jen Cagle-Gillmore is the acting education coordinator and explained that the program is not only for Levelland students or even students within Hockley County. The program is for any student that is in Middle School or High School.
The group meets once a month and are taught different aspects of theatre by theatre students at Texas Tech University that are currently in their masters program.
“This is something that we are trying to layer on top of what students receive in school through their arts classes,” said Cagle-Gillmore. “We are trying to put our finger on the pulse of what is needed in Hockley County in regard to arts education. Our mission behind the program is to further these students in learning the arts.”
Every meeting will be held the second Saturday of each month and they will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The next meeting will be held Saturday, December 9 beginning at 10:30 a.m. and ending at 1 p.m. at The Brasch Mitchell Building. The upcoming meeting will be a festive and fun gathering where students will be playing D&D.
As the education coordinator, Cagle-Gillmore took on the responsibility in August and is hoping to continue the Wallace’s mission of spreading love for the arts to the surrounding community.
With an education in the arts, she was eager to assist the Wallace in their recent production “The Book of Will” and found the coordinator position to a great way to get back into the arts community.
“When I was in high school I was introduced to Theater and decided continue pursuing the arts in college,” she explained. “I attended Louisiana Tech University in Theater and its been a full-circle experience finding myself back in Texas and getting to continue my career in the arts.”
With previous experience teaching the arts in the public school system, she felt this opportunity would be something new and allow herself to help lay the foundation for the theater arts within the community.
“I am really excited for the opportunities and possibilities in helping support the public schools in the arts,” explained Cagle-Gillmore.