Sylvia Langworthy - 2003 Fliehr Award Recipient

Sylvia Langworthy

A graduate of the University of Minnesota in speech and theatre, Sylvia Langworthy worked with the Punchinello Players, a St. Paul community and student theatre group. She founded two puppet troupes, the PoPo Puppeteers in Iowa City and the Puppet People in Wanamingo. In 1977 she went to work for Rochester Civic Theatre as director of its Young People’s Theatre, where she created most costumes, masks and puppets; formed performance troupes in mime, puppetry and storytelling; established a summer workshop program; developed an outreach program to create school plays and provide community education classes; and sponsored a Playwrights in Residence program. In 1987 Langworthy founded the Masque Youth Theatre and School. Her philosophy has been to use strong involvement of students, generally age 5 to 18, in every aspect of the theatre: performing, teaching, serving on play selection committee and Masque board, helping with set and costume construction, and even writing and directing shows. Of the five shows she produces each year, many have been her own play adaptations and story theatre scripts. Her Shakespeare productions continue to be a highlight of the year for Masque actors. Two Gentlemen of Verona won an award for Outstanding Achievement in Youth Theatre at the 1999 MACT/Fest in Hibbing. In 2000 the Minnesota Renaissance Festival recognized the Masque for 20 years of service. The Masque Mentorship Program was featured at the 1995 national conference of the American Alliance of Theatre in Education (AATE) and in a 1998 issue of Stage Directions. She is working with 10 students on a script for Oliver Twist. Classes, field trips, master classes, and many other activities offer further evidence of how she has stimulated young people through theatre.