People Productions

Celebrating 12 years of African-American Theater in Utah

People Productions has been a Non-Profit 501(c)-(3) Organization since 2006 and is also a member of the Utah Non-Profits Association

People Productions Summer Arts Training Program

About the Program

The People Productions Summer Arts Training Program was created to provide professional instruction to a limited number of children who demonstrate exceptional talent and drive.   Students are selected from various participating Elementary and Middle schools in the Salt Lake City school district.  With the assistance of funding from the city, sponsors and various private donors, the program provides a foundation to the various aspects of theater that include: Acting, Dance, Play writing, Voice & Diction, Musical Theater, Character Development, Theater Etiquette and more.  All students who receive admittance, must first audition in order to be considered for the program.  Only 10 students are admitted PER session, as the program is considered highly competitive.  Students who are selected will not be required to audition for re-admittance into the program. 

Session Dates and Hours:

All sessions will be held between 8:30am-5pm M-F at the Utah Arts Alliance, located at 663 W. 100 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84104

Session I-(Ages 9-11) July 30-August 3, 2012 (Showcase on Saturday, August 4, 2012 at the Salt Lake City Main Library)

Session II-(Ages 12-14) August 6-10, 2012 (Showcase on Saturday, August 18, 2012 at the Salt Lake City Main Library)

Listing of the Classes:

-Voice, Diction and Movement

-African-American Entertainers (History and Contributions)

-Audition Technique

-Acting

-Dance (African, Hip-Hop and Jazz) 

-Musical Theater 

-Theater Etiquette

-Industry Knowledge

-Set Design (2013)

-Play writing

Program Philosophy

Our Mission Statement, as posted in our Articles of Incorporation and our website, states that People Productions is committed to the development and enhancement of African-American culture, history and community through the Performing Arts in Utah.  It is our goal to provide students with artistic and cultural training that will cultivate both technique and discipline.  Students are encouraged to develop and explore their own abilities.  Eventually, if they choose to pursue a career in the performing arts, they will have the tools necessary to do so.  Should they choose not to, they will still come away with having a valuable experience that will positively enable them to grow and appreciate what it means to work hard and strive for excellence.    

To do this, we will strive to:

• Provide a professional atmosphere.
• Always maintain our facility to ensure that children are safe and comfortable.
• Provide background checks on ALL of our teachers before hiring to provide a safe and pleasant environment.
• Provide excellent communication between parents and teachers/artists.
• Nurture all students.
• Select all students through a fair and balanced audition process.
• Select 10 students per-session to ensure our quality vs. quantity ratio motto.

Showcase:

Our training program is not designed to meet the needs of a traditional recital.  Our standard goal is to showcase what students have learned and apply those skills to a main-stage setting.  Students will have an opportunity to present what they have learned courtesy of our new partner (Salt Lake City Main Library) in the Nancy Tessman Auditorium.  This showcase will be held at the library on the Saturday following each session.  This event is FREE and also open to the public.

About the Teachers/Staff:

Michelle Patrick (Acting/Dance/Choreographer)

Michelle Patrick began her career as a dancer with the Feld Ballet in New York City and later received her B.A. in Performing Arts from Bradford College.  From there, she pursued a career in acting, which motivated her to write, produce and direct an Off-Broadway one-woman production at the Producer’s Club in NYC.  She has appeared in various productions that include The Crucible-Arizona Repertory Theater, The Overwhelming-Salt Lake Acting Company, and recently directed and choreographed, For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf for People Productions.  In the Next Room was Michelle’s debut performance for Pygmalion Productions.  Michelle’s independent film and television credits include; “The Drifter”, “95fers”, “One Life to Live” and “Everwood”.  She has worked and taught at the Children’s Ballet Theater and still teaches Hip-Hop at Kaye Richard’s Performing Arts Camp.  Her current involvement with the Sundance Institute has provided opportunities at both the Institute’s Summer Labs and the Sundance Film Festival.  She is an alumna of the High School of Performing Arts in New York City, a recipient of the National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts, an American College Dance and Theater Festival recipient and nominee, the recipient of the NAACP ACT-SO Theater Award and the Elizabeth Dangerfield Award in Choreography. She is currently serving as a Change Leader through the Utah Division of Arts and Museums and as the new Artistic Director of People Productions.  Michelle is currently represented by Talent Management Group and is a member of SAG (Screen Actors Guild) .

William Ferrer (Acting-Theater)

William has lived in the Salt Lake City area for 12 years, spending much of that time teaching in the city's public schools. Ferrer has also performed as a storyteller in the region. After years away from acting, he returned to theater in 2002 and has performed with Salt Lake Acting Company and Pygmalion Productions, while doing the bulk of his work with People Productions. Ferrer has also appeared in a number of feature and independent films shot in the area. He plans to continue acting and directing in both the theater and film mediums while helping to facilitate the growth and rising profile of People Productions in Utah. 

Anthony Buck (Chorus/Music)

Anthony has over 80 stage productions to his credit as actor, singer, director or composer.  Equally comfortable in musical theater, operetta, oratorio and opera, he has been seen on stages in Utah, Ohio, New York, and Italy.  As an educator, he has taught at the University of Utah, Salt Lake School for the Performing Arts, Draper Youth Theater, and the Madeline Choir School.  He holds a Master of Music degree from the University of Utah.

Joe Crnich (Acting-Shakespeare)

Joe Crnich has been living and breathing live theater for over 25 years. He has performed from Florida to Chicago to Salt lake City. His favorite being able to play Macbeth at The Kennedy Center in Washington DC. He loves teaching Shakespeare to anyone who will listen. He has been taking students to The Utah Shakespeare Festival High School Shakespeare Competition for over 15 years. His students have taken the Ensemble award on numerous occasions, as well as, multiple acting awards and scholarships. He is very thankful to Michelle Patrick and Peoples Productions for giving him this opportunity.

Yolanda Wood (Acting-Film)

Yolanda is no stranger to the stage.  Ms. Wood has performed with several theater companies across the Wasatch valley that have included, Utah Contemporary Theater, Salt Lake Acting Company, Plan B, Hale Theater and People Productions.  She is a member of Equity and SAG.  Yolanda’s film and television work include, “High School Musical”, “Darling Companion”, “Everwood” and a most recent re-occurring role on the “Young and the Restless”.  Yolanda has also directed with Wasatch Theater Company and is excited to be directing People’s Production’s premier adaptation of “An Urban Carol” this winter.  Yolanda is currently represented by Talent Management Group.