Hampton Roads’ well-known acting troupe for kids, The Hurrah Players, has a new home in Norfolk’s NEON District, with a brand new academy to support talent behind the curtain.
The renovated Performing Arts Academy Building on Olney Street houses the Nusbaum Family TV & Film Academy, a first-of-its-kind studio space in Hampton Roads that opens in January.
While The Hurrah Players caters to budding performers, the TV & Film Academy will specialize in classes blending creative development with technical expertise to teach the behind-the-scenes craft.
“I want students to know that this is a safe place to come and learn,” said Academy Director Michael Bibbo. “It’s all about telling the story in whatever capacity that is, whether it’s graphic arts, photography, video or film. This is going to be an amazing space right in our backyard.”
Registration is underway for aspiring film and TV professionals ages 12 to 19.
The diverse curriculum is broken into 10-week classes that meet on weekdays from 5 to 8 p.m. A sampling of what students will learn includes introductory animation, the fundamentals of DSLR photography and capturing professional videos using an iPhone. A Broadcast Bootcamp will teach the foundations of the full production process, from scriptwriting to collaborative producing to filming interviews and footage.
Students enrolled in “Spots” will produce two professional 30-second commercials or social media posts in collaboration with actual clients.
Bibbo, the recipient of two regional Emmy Awards and a Telly Award for content produced under his company, Waverleigh Creative, brings a wealth of experience and unabashed enthusiasm to his new role.
“I want this to be a community school,” Bibbo said. “We want the community and parents and friends to come in and watch a film once a month and talk about it. We’ll have visiting professionals come in and give talks.”
The TV & Film Academy occupies the third floor of the Academy building, which has been transformed into welcoming spaces brightened by natural light that reflects off the exposed brick. State-of-the-art equipment includes professional cameras for filming, six more for photography, 12 Mac computers and a sound booth in addition to an outfitted production room.
The Hurrah Players, in their 40th season, use the first two floors for classrooms.
Trish Wilbourne, chairperson of The Hurrah Players Board of Directors, said broadening the base of children served has been a longstanding part of the organization’s strategic plan. As many as 160 children participate year-round in The Hurrah Players and hundreds more are part of summer camps.
“We see the film academy as a natural extension of the performing arts academy that will open up an avenue for children who do not want to sing and dance,” Wilbourne said.
When philanthropist Doug Perry offered to donate what used to be the Glass Wheel Studio at 128 W. Olney Road, the idea of a Hurrah Players campus was born. The three-story studio was initially part of Tidewater Community College’s plans to expand its visual arts program to the NEON District, which never came to fruition.
Perry supported renovating the former Glass Wheel into the 15,318 square-foot Academy Building. The Hurrah Players vacated their former home on St. Paul’s Boulevard two months ago for the Academy Building, an ideal logistical choice, as it's across the street from the Hugh R. Copeland Center, one of multiple venues where the Players perform.
"Our kids can take a class in the Performing Arts Academy and scoot out the door and across the street to go to rehearsal in our theater space,” Wilbourne said.
The expansive project carries a $4.4 million price tag with $3.8 million of that already raised.
While TV & Film Academy classes are $500 apiece, Bibbo is actively recruiting potential scholarship opportunities. He is also planning a spring break camp, summer camps and hasn’t ruled out eventually adding classes for adults.
Local businesses needing a place for a shoot have already booked the space, which is available during school hours.
