Established Actor Darryl Lewis to Teach New Youth Theatre Class

Darryl Lewis, actor, singer, musician and instructor at Shore Cultural Centre.

Maybe you have heard about the benefits for youth that participate in theater? Words such as teamwork, empathy, self-esteem, confidence, vocabulary, creativity, and social skills are common in discussions among instructors and those involved with Youth Theater.  Darryl Lewis, who holds a Master of Music in Performance and MFA in Acting from Kent Stage University, understands firsthand the benefits and looks forward to teaching a new youth theater class at Shore Cultural Centre.  He began doing theater in junior high and still carries lessons learned from that time with him today.

The new class will be a mini-musical for ages 9 to 13, from beginner to experienced, with a story line about bullying. It is light in nature and geared for elementary children, however the topic is nonetheless important. “There are four very basic elements in the creation of theatre. You must have performers, an audience, a space, and most important something to say – an idea. The play Bullies Anonymous has something to say that is important. It addresses different types of bullying; social, physical and mental. It gives young children the tools needed to deal with bullying should it ever happen to them,” states Mr. Lewis. He goes on to say while the play itself is an important lesson, so is the actual performing of the piece. “The ideas of working as a team, supporting each other, practice, memorizing lines, speaking in front of a large group of people; all these skills are valuable throughout a lifetime.”  

The students will be fortunate to work with Mr. Lewis who is an established NE Ohio actor. Mr. Lewis’s many credits include being the winner of the 2011 Broadwayworld.com Equity Actor of the Year award, 1st place winner of the National Association of Teachers of Singers at Cleveland State. He has been seen on stage as Donald in You Can’t Take it With You at the Curtis Wright Theater, Heracles in Sondheim’s The Frog at Cain Park, and Mr. Fezziwig in the 24th Annual Great Lakes Theater Festival production of A Christmas Carol at the Ohio Theater in Playhouse Square. His baritone voice has been heard at the Chautauqua Opera, Michigan Opera, Rome Opera Festival in Roma, Italy, just to name a few and singing the National Anthem for the Cleveland Browns and the Cleveland Indians. In addition, he was in an episode of the Drew Carey Show.

The Bullies Anonymous theater class is at a special fee of $90, ages 9 to 13, and begins April 10th. This program is supported in part by the residents of Cuyahoga County through a public grant from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture. To learn more about the new class, or to register visit www.shoreculturalcentre.com/theater.  Shore Cultural Centre is located at 291 E. 222nd Street, Euclid, Ohio, telephone 216-289-8578.