Middle schoolers give their regards to Broadway

MILFORD — The American Readers Theatre, locally known as the ART Writer's Project, recently honored the life of the great composer, writer, actor, and producer George M. Cohan.
Under the artistic direction of Jeffrey Stocker, after-school workshops were offered in dance, dramatic reading, music, costume design, stage lighting, and film at Delaware Valley Middle School and led by award-winning professional artists. The workshops explored careers in the arts and the life of the man who created the first Broadway musical in 1904.
ART celebrated Cohan’s Broadway hit “Little Johnny Jones” with musical numbers like "Yankee Doodle Dandy" and "Give My Regards to Broadway." Stocker, who guest lectured on Cohan’s life and works in English Language Arts classes, organized this year’s Writer’s Project — his eighth — to include after-school workshops with professional artists. Over the course of five weeks, students met and worked with accomplished fine arts professionals, including:
Dance with Broadway choreographer Larry Fuller
Theater lighting with five-time Emmy Award-winning lighting designer Candice Dunn
Costume design with Marlou Costumes
Music with the cast of the Presby Players' upcoming original musical revue "Yankee Doodle Dandy"
Film workshop with film historian John Deleo
The ART Writer's Project is funded by the Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program and supported by a grant from the Wayne and Dime Banks. This year was the 7th Writer's Project in collaboration with Delaware Valley.