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Phantom Sheep Players to ‘wing it’ at Agawam library

Date: 6/29/2011

AGAWAM — The Phantom Sheep Players, a comedy troupe based in Western Massachusetts will be returning to the Agawam Public Library this summer to give local teens a truly unique experience with not only an event full of laughs, but also how to create comedy themselves. After a successful experience working with students at the libraries in previous summers, they will proudly present their “LaughCrafters: Comedy Improv” workshop on July 7 at 6:30 p.m. at the Agawam Library for teens in grades 7 to 12.

The Phantom Sheep Players is a professional comedy troupe with more than 12 years of experience teaching workshops in improvisation, clowning, and even puppetry along with creating over 30 original shows for theme parks and their own LaughCrafters improv and sketch production and video series.

The LaughCrafters workshop edition has been a successful event at many high schools, libraries, summer camps, and colleges. Tommy Lynch is one of the repertoire troupe members who actually started as a workshop student over a decade ago is scheduled to appear.

“Stereotypically a library is a place to be quiet so people can think,” Lynch noted. “Here, we’re encouraging that thinking, but teaching you how to shout it out and be brilliant in front of others!”

During this comedy crash course, participants will have a demonstration and introduction to improvisation and how it is used today to create theater and also how it’s a great skill to use in building teamwork, self-confidence, and quick thinking.

The troupe will perform a few scenes for everyone to enjoy, but then quickly the whole room will be bought into the action.

There will be a few warm-up exercises for the brain and body followed by games that are as much fun to play as they are to watch all in a very encouraging environment. Teens will get a chance to shine as they work alongside and “on stage” with the troupe member themselves.

The troupe is very proud to be part of the local community and has enjoyed working with the Agawam library several times over the past couple years including premiering their sketch comedy at screening events and working with students like this event.

The improv workshop is part of the libraries’ teen summer reading program and is open to students who will be entering grades 7 to 12 this fall.

Interested participants can register at the library’s Web site, http://agawamlibrary.org/teens/teens.htm.

For more information about the troupe, you can check out their Web site located at www.phantomsheep.com along with their page on Facebook.

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