The Washington Street Theatre

Mission Statement 

          a. To perform and present a variety of theatrical productions focused on children and family theater.

          b. To offer seminars, workshops and classes which maintain programs that further the educational goals of the organization.

          c. To work closely with schools and youth organizations in making  a positive, sustained, and creative impact in the area of arts and music education.

d. To bring  “Shakespeare in the Park” to our rural community by presenting Shakespeare in Historic Oak Hill Park.

  History

          In 1983 the Olean High School auditorium was being renovated.  No funds were available to replace the stage curtains.  Those who now constitute the Theatre Workshop’s executive, artistic, musical directors and orchestra conductor staged a community production of “Annie” to raise funds for the curtains.  The production was so successful that the following year “Peter Pan” was staged to refurbish the school’s grand piano.  Parents of children involved in the productions requested that a permanent program, to continue working with the children, be established. With overwhelming support The Olean Theatre Workshop came into existence. Over the past seventeen (17) years The Workshop has grown into a full-time, non-profit organization.  Our Board of Directors, Board of Sponsors and paid staff oversee a four-fold program:

1)     A Children’s Workshop

2)     A full season of Community Theatre Shows

3)     String Festival for Middle and High school Students

4)     Shakespeare in the Park

Current Programs

Kids Program

          Our Children’s Workshop has over 100 children from Olean and the surrounding communities taking part in workshop classes once a week from September through June.  Students enrolled range from 2 year old pre-school through high school seniors.  Each class level accomplished at least three different productions.  Classes are available to perform at area festivals, fund raisers, other community service events. Classes perform publicly at least 20 times during the year.  Children attending these workshops are also encouraged to attend community and touring company productions sponsored by the Workshop, free of charge, conducted at Olean High School.  Community shows are often chosen so they include large numbers of children in the cast, or because they are based on the school curriculum.  The “Workshop Kids” are encouraged to audition for the community series of shows staged each year.  As they progress in the program, the older students are taught technical skills such as lighting sound and stage design.  These students then work tech for the touring company productions as well as for community produced shows.  They also assist in workshops offered to the younger children and provide tech support for various local and community events such as festivals, dance recitals, and other venues.  This year, “Inherit the Wind” was a totally student produced performance where high school students conducted auditions, directed, performed, provided the tech support, along with all other services necessary for the production. 

Community Series

          This year the Workshop’s community show slate included:

 “Belonging”; “Yes, Virginia There Is A Santa Claus”; “Smell of The Kill”; and “Rounding Third”. Each season The Workshop chooses at least one presentation that is part of each school’s English curriculum. This year “Yes, Virginia There Is A Santa Claus” was chosen where The Workshop coordinated with the English department at Olean High School and other area schools to coordinate curriculum offerings with the production. This included scheduling show dates to coincide with classroom instruction, providing school discount rates, and accommodating each teacher’s request wherever possible. The Olean Times Herald, our local paper, also took part in the project.  The paper promoted the project then published a series of letters written by their readership and various high school students, answering Virginia’s question… Yes, Virginia there is a Santa Clause, in several interesting ways, over the holiday season.

String Festival of Middle and High School Students

The String Festival is in its nineteenth year of operation.  The Festival provides an opportunity for over 200 string students in the western southern tier to gather and enjoy a weekend of friendship and music.  Since its founding in 1987, the festival has grown significantly and now draws students from all of Western New York including the Greater Buffalo area to our north and Coudersport, Pennsylvania to our south.

Shakespeare in the Park

The Workshop’s first attempt at presenting Shakespeare in the Park was a rousing success.  A permanent 30’ by 50’ stage was constructed in Oak Hill Park and “Romeo and Juliet” was presented on August 12th, 13th and 14th. Admission was free and attendees brought picnics, blankets, and lawn chairs and made themselves comfortable for the performance.  A traditional interpretation, directed by Professor Stephen Gray-Lewis, featured a cast of more than 25 actors from the Olean area.  Over 1,000 people attended the play on the only rain soaked weekend of the summer.