NONPROFIT
BY KAREN CHANEY
UPCOMING NTPA ! FRISCO PRODUCTIONS JUNE 10 ! 13 “Legally Blonde, The Musical” at Fairview Youth Theatre 17 ! 20 “Firebringer” at Willow Bend Center of the Arts AUGUST 6 ! 8 “Shakespeare’s Hamlet” at Willow Bend Center of the Arts Tickets available at http://northtexasperformingarts.org/frisco/
Christian Black is the NTPA ! Frisco program director and an NTPA senior resident director.
KAREN CHANEY ! COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
NTPA ! Frisco ProgramDirector Christian Black recently directed “The Adventure of GammaKid,” which was performed at NTPA’s headquarters, Willow Bend Center of the Arts. (Courtesy AKA Photography) North Texas PerformingArts Frisco Live theater community thrives through local nonpro ! t F risco native Christian Black said in 2008, when he was 13 years old, he performed in a celebrates its 30-year anniversary, it was announced that Black would be the NTPA " Frisco program director.
rehearsals and performances at Willow Bend Center of the Arts, Frisco Discovery Center, Medical City Lewisville Grand Theater and Fairview Youth Theatre. “We’d like to get a home in Frisco where it’s all-inclusive,” Black said. “You have your stage—or stages, hopefully—rehearsal spaces and scene shop all in one area so our families can feel it belongs to them.” Black said he is excited to have the opportunity to provide stu- dents experiences similar to what changed his life. “It goes beyond the stage,” he said. “They will have a sta # that is dedicated to them, have support from their friends and exercise the creative part of their brain. ... Kids come here and ! nd a place to belong.”
NTPA ! Frisco features three studios with specialized dance " oor surfaces.
KAREN CHANEY ! COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
production of “Once On This Island Jr.” He played Papa Ge, the demon of death. It was during his very ! rst performance that he discovered his passion for acting that ultimately directed his career path. “The whole experience got me hooked on North Texas Performing Arts,” Black said. “One could say I’ve been here ever since.” Black went on to earn his Bach- elor of Fine Arts in Drama: Acting Emphasis in 2016, then he took a year-long artistic fellowship at the Tony Award-winning Dallas Theater Center. And, by 2017, he was back at NTPA, where he held various positions. But he knew his goal was to work at NTPA " Frisco. This year, as the nonpro ! t organization
On any given night, up to 70 students will be rehearsing for upcoming shows at NTPA " Frisco. There are three rehearsal studios at the Frisco location, and typically six or seven rehearsals happen each week. Each year, they produce between 28 to 33 shows comprised of 75% musicals and 25% plays. Black said his current goals are twofold. One is to get more involved in the community “by going to big Frisco-centric events and letting them know we have an arts presence here where their kids can come and create,” he said. The other goal is to ! nd a per- manent performance and rehearsal venue in Frisco. Because of their limited space, they hold their dress
North Texas Performing Arts-Frisco 6500 Preston Road, Ste. 101, Frisco 972-422-2575 http://northtexasperformingarts.org/ frisco/ Summer camps Camps will be held June 7-Aug. 6 Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Camps start at $225 per week.
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FRISCO EDITION • JUNE 2021
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