SEATTLE — On various Fridays throughout their season, The 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle hosts a musical theatre workshop for teens; and often it's professional theatre artists doing the teaching.
Because of COVID-19, the theatre started making it a free virtual experience; and to their surprise, it drew a much bigger crowd than usual. March 20th was the first session and more than 100 teenagers logged on to participate.
Orlando Morales is the Director of Education for the 5th Avenue Theatre and he says the teens who participated came from 37 different schools.
"I did not realize how Seattle area centric this program had been.," he says, "Seeing on that first day when we did Fridays at the 5th long distance, kids logging in from Gig Harbor, San Juan Islands and from the Tri-Cities area, that opened my mind that this has become accessible in a way. We're not all going to watch a show together, but we are finding another way of communing in this virtual space."
The 5th Avenue Theatre plans to keep the program running as long as the stay-at-home order is in effect. It even has a temporary name change: F@T5: Long Distance. Morales admits it's a tough time for everyone right now, but this program is a bright spot.
"The added hope for me is that people understand they aren't alone and to fight that feeling of isolation that we are all in. Switch it from social distancing to distant socializing and providing a space around theatre for them to do that."
For more information on F@T5: Long Distance visit 5th Avenue's website.
KING 5's Evening celebrates the Northwest. Contact us: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Email.