Self-confidence, discipline and focus are some of the most important characteristics for success, and coincidently, they’re all attributes many have gained through participating in the arts.
For the last five years, the Grace Theatre Workshop, Inc. in Union City has been building up the kids of Hudson County by introducing them to the performing arts.
Lessons
Grace Theatre Workshop has members of all ages, as well as a full staff with a director of education and an advisory board. Amazingly, it’s only five years old.
Founders Lucio Fernandez and Megan Smith began the workshop in 2000 out of the small auditorium of Grace Episcopal Church in Union City.
The programming has far exceeded Fernandez and Smith’s expectations in a very short time. With a current enrollment of 88 kids and hundreds more on the waiting list, 50 performance art programs run from Monday through Friday during the school year and include lessons in acting, voice, and a variety of dance from ballet, tap and jazz to hip-hop, salsa, and folkloric dance.
The company also runs a reading program seven days a week at the two community libraries of Union City, and hosts various performances, contests and art festivals throughout the year.
Classes for this year ended June 29, but registration for next year will take place in September and January.
Started small
“The idea of the whole program, when we first started, was to provide a safe haven for the kids of the community where they could come and actually learn something,” said Fernandez.
Before starting the program, Fernandez and Smith had noticed a lack of places for much of Union City’s youth to go, as many of them were running around on the streets.
“Megan and I had made an observation that there was not enough programming for the kids in the community, but instead of just talking, we wanted to do something about it,” said Fernandez.
Concerned about these kids, Fernandez and Smith started to spend time with many of them, buying pizza for them as they would hang out on the front steps of their homes.
Soon after that, Fernandez and Smith befriended Rev. Richard Lambert, and the idea for the Grace Theatre was born. After their ideas about after school activities, Lambert invited Fernandez and Smith to offer some programming at the auditorium of the Grace Church.
“The reverend had a space at the church, and he offered it to us,” said Fernandez.
However, the timing was not quite right yet, considering that Fernandez and Smith, both professionally working artists, were still tied in with many performance engagements.
“At the time we were both still traveling in and out of the country doing professional shows,” said Fernandez. “When we got back, that’s when we started that program, which originally started off with one dance class and one acting class [taught by Megan and myself].”
In the beginning
The programming, which was completely free of charge, went under the name of the Grace Theatre Workshop, although it was an entity separated from the church.
It started off with one class per day, and a total of seven students who heard about the free programming through the church.
Word soon traveled fast. No sooner than two weeks later, their enrollment went from seven to 57. Many more were on a waiting list.
“Parents made no donations and the kids didn’t have to buy anything; equipment, costumes…we paid for it out of our own pockets,” said Fernandez. “Each class was one hour and we just volunteered our time. Then about a month later we had expanded to two classes each, which included singing.”
Two months into the Grace Theatre Workshop’s operation, Fernandez and Smith had a total of about 80 kids attending the programming, and at least another 300 on a waiting list.
“We couldn’t grow as fast as the demand,” said Fernandez. “In at least a year we went to about three classes a day, four days a week.”
Fundraising for some of the programs had also begun, as Fernandez and Smith wanted to keep it free for the community. Other classes soon followed including playwriting and ballet. Performances also began where parents could see what their kids had been learning. In the beginning, the shows had a small admissions fee of $2, but were still free for the kids of the community.
By this time, the workshop was starting to out grow the space at the Grace Church, and Fernandez and Smith realized they needed to look for a new location.
“We turned to the mayor and expressed our need for a larger space,” said Fernandez.
Mayor Brian Stack, in collaboration with the Union City Board of Education, was able to acquire a space at Roosevelt School for the Grace Theatre Workshop, where they have run their operation for the last three years. By 2002, the Grace Theatre Workshop was an official non-profit organization with a full Board of Directors, four to five regular teachers, and Fernandez and Smith serving as co-artistic directors.
Continuous growth
Eventually, additional teachers, all volunteers, with professional performance experience were also brought on board with the Grace Theatre family, which also began to build the professional theater company within the workshop.
In addition to providing classes, many of the teachers, who are also members of the Broadway Theatre Company, began to host performances for the kids and the community.
“The idea was to bring these shows to the kids [and community] so they could experience a professional production,” said Fernandez.
This soon expanded to include a professional dance company and host of actors within the company, which have since performed in various locations across New York and New Jersey.
Geared with instrumental equipment, and full lighting and sound systems, among other equipment, the Grace Theatre Workshop, Inc., is now a fully operational professional theater company for Hudson County, while still maintaining its base in Union City.
The workshop operates with a full nine-member board, teachers, and Smith still serving as artistic director. Fernandez has since stepped down and serves in various capacities of education and public affairs for the city of Union City. However, he still assists the Grace Theatre Workshop, if requested, in any way he can.
Through the program kids learn the importance of learning subject matter, discipline, and work on improving their self confidence.
“They are learning something that could improve their lives both socially and even academically through the discipline aspects,” said Fernandez.
The workshop has been the recipient of performing arts grants and continues its fundraising efforts to further expand its mission. The programming is still free of charge for any child interested in participating and will soon expand to include some adult programming.
“The reason we have been able to do this is through the support of the Board of Education, and the mayor who has also been very supportive,” said Fernandez.
The Grace Theatre also continues to bring professional quality and affordable programming to the Union City community, as well as the rest of the Hudson County area, and is currently looking to acquire its own facility by next year.
For more information, visit www.gracetheatre.com, or call (201) 864-7149.