Keweenaw CAPE organization forms drama club for young actors

HANCOCK, Mich. (WLUC) - The Keweenaw Community Alliance for Progressive Education (CAPE) has started a drama club for elementary school students.

Children ages five to 11 can participate in creative and engaging exercises meant to increase their confidence in speaking and expression. Working together with their fellow club members, they can start building skills early to get ready for the stage.

The club meets at the auditorium at Finlandia University’s Hirvonen Hall in Hancock.

This is a pilot program, with four sessions spread out across two weeks. But from this, the organization hopes to create a longer program that would continue through the coming school year.

“The hope is to transition into the school year with an established program,” said Acting Instructor Deborah Goldman. “And the details of that are still being worked out, whether there will be a day for younger students, one day for older students, and whether there will be some bigger pieces that we put together.”

This program runs alongside other activities the children are participating in with the organization, and staff said they hope this serves as a well-blended combination of experiences for the students.

“It’s mindset, it’s confidence, it’s articulation,” said CAPE Board President Karen Colbert. “And so we’re hoping to incorporate all of those parts into the learning atmosphere.”

The organization held its second session today, with two more sessions scheduled for next Tuesday and Thursday. The sessions last from 2 to 3:30 pm, each costing $15.

For more information, check out their Facebook page.