Our History
There is an old saying, 'Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic' is what we do; 'The Arts' is what we do it for.”
New Artists Productions seeks to encourage young talent in their pursuit of performance arts while developing self-awareness, self-esteem, and self-confidence.
In 1995, Dan and Anita Almich formed New Artists Productions with the intent of providing opportunities for youth through the Performance Arts. They funded the activities personally at no expense to the participants. It began as an audio recording organization helping young people and youth organizations make videotapes, audition tapes, and CDs - mostly needed and required by youth auditioning for competitions and/or college.
Because of their involvement with the youth in the community, Dan and Anita were enlisted to help the Bandon Playhouse produce a play entitled: "No Wrinkles, New Wrinkles". The play needed young actors/vocalists for the first act and adults in the second. This play was brought to the Sprague Community Theater stage in 2002.
After that, when the drama program at Bandon High School was eliminated from the curriculum due to budget constraints, the Almichs were encouraged by some of the youth performers in "No Wrinkles, New Wrinkles" to take on the drama program. So the Almichs decided to expand their organization's offerings by absorbing the drama program and continuing the offering to the youth of the community.
New Artists Productions Performance History from 2000 - 2024! is an impressive one; we have produced over 80 stage productions and musical events, held 8 summer camps, and attended 10 different professional Broadway productions as a group (some more than once).
We are a busy group, and what we offer attracts kids from all over Coos and Curry Counties, Oregon. Participants in our program attend public schools private schools or are home-schooled. What we offer either provides further education or fills a void for educational opportunities.
To this day, New Artists Productions continues to produce shows, plays, and workshops – again, all at no expense to the student participants.
In small-town America, young people are struggling to find their identity and find meaningful things to do with time and creativity. Many school districts, particularly in rural communities, are cutting courses from their curricula to meet tighter budgets. These cuts tend to occur in areas where kids most often find their identity – drama, art, music, choir, speech, dance, etc. These areas are oftentimes the reason kids stay in school.
OUR GOALS in TEACHING THEATER to YOUTH
The adventure of youth theater provides the student with the opportunity to become aware of their own personality characteristics. This self-awareness is the discovery of their strengths and weaknesses. As they conquer the challenges of performance, each student gains a new level of self-esteem. Recognizing their newfound personal value is the catalyst that builds self-confidence. It is the individual assurance of self-confidence that provides the power from which many future successes will stem.
As a year-round program, New Artists Productions brings theater to the youth of the community and focuses on developing theatrical skills and stagecraft keyed to future productions. Our program is supported through private donations, business sponsorship, ticket sales, and limited grant funding.
WORKSHOP EDUCATION
