Locals combine efforts to bring drama club to area students

The drama club is the brainchild of Kimberly Perkins and Rachel Berry, both of Littlefork.

“Our time together will include a variety of fun activities structured to enhance the art of acting and give young adults the opportunity to explore mediums they may not otherwise experience,” Perkins said in statement.

According to a release, Perkins is a professional member of the Educational Theatre Association and an alumnus of the International Thespian Society. Berry is dramatic art enthusiast who recently moved to the Littlefork community.

“Our vision is to help young adults improve their performance skills and enhance their love of the theater and dramatic arts,” Berry said in a statement.

The UPNorth Jr. Thespian Society is an avenue to increase the marketability of young adults in the professional arena, said the news release.

The same release suggested that participation in theater can enhance life skills needed for professional and educational success. It also heightens creativity and can improve language and memory skills.

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, at the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities in 2011, asserted that the engagement of theater helps people “explore realities, relationships, and ideas that cannot be conveyed simply in words or numbers.”

The College Board of the Americans for the Arts states that students who actively participate in theater are more likely to succeed academically.

Participants of the UPNorth Jr. Thespian Society will share their talent with the larger Koochiching County community later this spring when performance dates are announced.

Classes and scholarships available for the club are sponsored by a grant from the Otto Bremer Foundation. Call the Backus office at 285-7225 for more information.