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 April 2007 - Chestertown – On April 25 and 26, the
historic Prince Theatre became a class room for some 200+
students from Kent and Queen Anne’s Counties. A “Challenge
America” grant from the National Endowment for the Arts made
it possible for the Prince Theatre Foundation to present
Marlon Saunders’ historical jazz piece WORKIN’ ON A BUILDING
to students from across the two counties. The Prince
Theatre was one of only two organizations in the state of
Maryland to win a “Challenge America” grant this year.
WORKIN’ was commissioned by the Prince Theatre Foundation
and the Kent County Arts Council and premiered at the Prince
in February 2006. Since its premiere, it has been presented
at the Reginald Lewis Museum in Baltimore and is scheduled
to debut in New York City this July. Mr. Saunders, a
graduate of Kent County High School, and a teacher in his
own right, captured the hearts and minds of our youth in
what the Prince’s Executive Director, John Schratwieser
called “a fantastic opportunity to use the arts to educate
our children.”
The one hour performance included a photo exhibit in the
theatre’s lobby, a 20 minute documentary entitled “Papa’s
Branch,” and a 30 minute jazz concert in three movements all
capturing the story and the plight of not just the Walker
Family in Kent County, but of African American’s across the
country. Funded originally by the Maryland State Arts
Council and Stories of the Chesapeake Inc., WORKIN’ ON A
BUILDING is gaining momentum and is being used as an
educational tool for children and adults.
Lucia Foster, the Prince Theater’s Assistant Director, is
currently working with students in several Kent County
Public Schools bringing theatre arts to after-school
programs. She is fulfilling an important part of the
Prince’s mission, to provide cultural and educational
opportunities to adults and children in our community.
“This special NEA funded performance, makes it possible for
us to reach so many youth in such a short period of time.
These youth recognize this story because it happened in
their own back yards. There’s no better way to make history
come alive than through the arts,” said Ms. Foster.
These two performances mark the first time the Prince
Theatre Foundation has been able to offer free performances
for youth (including study guides and transportation) in the
historic Theatre building. It is a practice that both Mr.
Schratwieser and Ms. Foster promise will continue in a
larger scale. According to Mr. Schratwieser, “we’d do it
every week if the funds were available to make it happen.
Watching the faces of these children as they reacted to
Marlon and his band was a priceless experience. It
reinforces why Lucia and I do what we do, and why our board,
donors and volunteers support our efforts.”
The Prince Theatre Foundation is a
non-profit organization which seeks to provide cultural and
educational opportunities for adults and youth in our
diverse community while preserving the integrity of the
historic Prince Theatre. For more information, visit the
theatre’s website at
www.princetheatre.org, call the
theatre at 410-810-2060 or just stop by. The Prince Theatre
is located at 210 High Street in Chestertown and the offices
are open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and
on weekends for performances. |
July
2007 - As we write this letter, we are reminded that in
just a few weeks our PLAYMAKERS Summer Camp begins! A
a fundamental underlying theme, the Prince Theatre
Foundation is committed to creating an educational
experience for our youth and for providing artistic
opportunities that might now otherwise be available. 
