Skip to main content
Image
Market House Theatre's Story Theatre program

Market House Theatre's Story Theatre program tours local counties near Paducah, Kentucky

 

Education Programs

There is no one recipe for a successful community theatre education program. Success depends entirely on meeting the needs and interests of your community, as well ensuring the financial and human resources needed. 

Community theatre education programs offer many benefits:

  • Provide valuable learning experiences not offered in many schools
  • Strengthen the connection between the community and the theatre
  • Elevate a theatre's reputation in the community and region
  • Generate additional revenue—often as much as (or more than) ticket sales.

According to the Arts Education Partnership, theatre education benefits are numerous and effective across all student populations, age levels and learning environments. 

Such a programs, it points out:

  • Helps students develop self-concept and identity. From elementary and secondary school classrooms to out-of-school programs, research demonstrates that the core elements of theatre education build resilience and positive self-concept—vital personal development characteristics that can positively impact a child throughout their life. When students find their personal identity in conflict with others, inclusive theatre education programs can provide safe spaces for young people to explore who they are.     
  • Expands peer relations and empathy for others. Theatre’s inherent processes of artistic expression can promote a deeper understanding of others’ points of view by creating opportunities for students to collaborate in play building and to “walk in someone else’s shoes” in play performance.
  • Transforms learning across subject areas  Participants are empowered to transform their understanding of their place in the world. 
  • Improves learning outcomes through creative thinking. Theatre education’s focus on creative thinking fosters awareness of the world beyond the self.

>> Download the Arts Education Partnerships report, Theatre Counts: How Theatre Education Transforms Students’ Lives (PDF)

 

6 Programs from Around the Country

Community theatre education programs often focus on youth, but many also offer classes and workshops for adults.  Most have a staff person in charge of these programs.  See our Theatre People pages for the Education Director job description.

Below are just a few examples of programs offered by AACT-member companies.  
 


The Woodland Opera House, Woodland, Ca

The Opera House offers acting workshops tailored for kids, teens, and adults, ranging from beginning acting classes and scene study, to improv and on-camera workshops. Topics include audition techniques, tap and ballet, Broadway Masterclasses (dance and vocal workshops). Tailored audition technique workshops are offered before upcoming auditions, whether for adults or youth. ShowBiz Kidz summer camps are offered, as well.

Homeschool Theatre Workshops are designed specifically for homeschooled students, and offer an opportunity to explore the world of theatre through engaging and interactive sessions. Students develop their acting skills, build confidence, and collaborate with peers in a creative and supportive environment. 

The Broadway Bound training & performance group is an audition-only training and performance group that meets weekly each academic year, from September to May.  The group performs regionally, including national anthem performances. 

The Rising Stars Youth Productions are open to youth performers between the ages of 7 and 18 years old (the latter must be a high school senior):  

  • There are three annual productions: Rising Stars All Ages (ages 7 through high school senior), Rising Stars for ages 7 through 12 years old, and Rising Stars/JTF Troupe, which is open to ages 12 through high school senior. 
  • Rising Stars audition workshops are held before each Rising Stars audition, providing valuable tips and practice to boost performer confidence.  Each production is fully produced by the Woodland Opera House and helmed by a professional creative team. Young performers can learn about the mechanics of theatre production, vocal technique, acting, and dance within an encouraging and positive environment where performers are free to learn and be their unique selves.
  • While musical theatre workshops and ShowBiz Kidz summer camps are open to all without audition, Rising Stars Productions are by audition only, usually held a month before rehearsals begin. Since these are educationally based, every rehearsal is also a mini-lesson in everything theatre related.

www.woodlandoperahouse.org/classes
 


The Market House Theatre, Paducah, Ky

MHT offers six key programs:

  • Footlights for preschool to high school youth provides a fun and engaging learning experience in theatre fundamentals, while building crucial life skills.
  • DanceMHT, serving all ages and levels, offering beginner to advance classes in ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop, contemporary, and pointe, meeting on weekday evenings for approximately 16 weeks per session.
  • Summer Camps offer participants an opportunity to perform on stage in a two-week performance camp or dance with their favorite characters for a day.
  • PlayTime offers creative participatory theatre performances for young children and their families. Kids participate in telling the story by singing, interacting and role-playing along with the actors
  • Story Theatre tours regional preschools & elementary schools yearly, with a 30-minute musical based on a beloved children’s classic story. (Photo at top of page)
  • Theatre in Schools brings arts education and core content together, as the theatre's education staff spends each day traveling throughout local counties to provide student art opportunities in classrooms, libraries, and gyms. The focus is on language arts, math, science, and social studies curricula.

MHT offers financial aid, including partial scholarships for qualifying families.

markethousetheatre.org/education
 


Gettysburg Community Theatre, Gettysburg, Pa

GCT offers a variety of educational programs for all ages and abilities year-around. These include classes and camps in acting, voice, dance, creative dramatics, improv, musical theater, Shakespeare, and technical theater arts.

  • The Summer Children's Theatre offers summer theater camps for K-9th grade youth.
  • Shakespeare's Got Talent: A play that introduces students to Shakespeare's characters and plays in a comedic way.
  • In addition, each year, GCT produces a show with a cast of performers age 55 and above, and scripts can be used on stage if they wish.
Image
Photo of a production by the Gettysburg Community Theatre's Penguin Project.

GCT also participates in the nationally recognized Penguin Project. In this program, a group of young people take to the stage to perform a modified version of a well-known Broadway musical.  Al the main roles are filled by young artists with special needs, including Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, autism, intellectual disabilities, learning disabilities visual impairment, hearing impairment, and other neurological disorders. 

They are joined on stage by peer mentors–young people ages 10+ without special needs–who work side-by-side with the artists in rehearsals and performances (photo at right).  

The Penguin Project demonstrates that the challenges to those with special needs should not handicap a person’s ability to participate in life’s experiences. More on the national Penguin Project here.

gettysburgcommunitytheatre.org

 


The Midland Community Theatre, Midland, TX

Students in K-6th grade can choose either Theatre School or Academy classes, or expand involvement to classes twice weekly, focusing one day on acting and one day on other arts endeavors.  K-6 Grade students in Theatre School and/or Academy can audition for the spring production that comprises Session IV.

  • Midland's Theatre School/Academy classes embrace storytelling as a foundation for lessons in theatre skills, acting and fine arts.  Theatre School classes consist of four sessions throughout the school year. The final session celebrates the year with a production on the theatre's  main stage.  
  • Fine Arts Academy classes provide alternative class days for each grade level and offering opportunities to develop additional fine arts skills more keenly. 

Other Midland programs:

  • The Centerstage Class for 7th-12th grade is designed to serve those students who want to more practice before expanding their theatre experience, as well as those who have limited time to commit to theatre pursuits. The class also provides a training ground for those students who may be interested in the annual Pickwick auditions in the spring (see below). 
  • Pre-K Creative Play classes offer an opportunity for three to five-year olds to experience t theatre and fine arts in a classroom setting.  This program is offered three times throughout the school year, with literature-based curriculum. Students learn pantomime, story structure, characterization, and other theatre skills, while also developing fine and gross motor skills through craft activities and movement exercises.
  • Applause! Players is a theatre and creative arts class for students with autism. Its uses theatre skills to develop social interaction and communication for students 5-16 years old.
  • The Pickwick Players play a central role in all aspects of education at MCT. This is an audition-only theatre education, performance, leadership and service group for 7-12th grade students. Pickwick Players participate in 90-minute classes twice a week, learning different aspects of theatre, dance, and music. Once accepted into the Pickwick Players, students have the opportunity to audition for the three Pickwick productions during the year. Pickwick Players participate in many community events, as well.
  • Spring Break Fine Arts Camp. Here, K-6 grade students enjoy a week-long camp, learning drama, art, puppetry, music, and dance, with the assistance of the Pickwick Players. On the last day of camp, parents are invited to see students n a showcase on the main stage.
  • Summer Theatre School Sessions. There are two sessions, centered on a theme to foster skills in fine arts. Students participate in theatre, dance, music, and art classes from 9 AM to Noon, Monday through Thursday during the month of June.

mctmidland.org/education/programs

 


Theatre Lawrence, Lawrence, Ks

The theatre offers a wide variety of programming:

  • Youth Troupe classes, camps, and shows are designed to ignite each child’s passion for the performing arts, foster creativity and self-expression, and build confidence and communication skills. Of course, students also make  new friends in a supportive, fun environment.  Through the school year, it offers after-school opportunities for elementary and middle school age students.  In the summer programming is expanded to include high school students.
  • The School’s Out program provides theatre opportunities for students when they have a day off or holiday from school.  The theatre usually offer between 8-10 SOTI each year.  During these one- and two-day workshops, it provides fun and dramatic activities centered around a theme.  Past SOTI’s have included Wintering with Wizards, Robin Who? Lives in Sherwood Forest, and Fabulous Fairy Tale Friday.   Students bring a sack lunch and participate in crafts and games, while working on their performances skills.
  • Adult Classes vary from playwriting, to dance, to acting.
  • Theatre Lawrence is yet another company participating in the Penguin Project, giving students with intellectual and developmental disabilities, as well as those with autism and other neurodiversities, the opportunity to fill all the roles in a musical production. As in other Penguin programs across the country, ach student artist is paired with a mentor to become his or her special assistant and friend. Mentor opportunities are open to any neurotypical students (ages 10- 21) interested in working alongside and assisting an artistduring our musical theatre production.

www.theatrelawrence.com/education

 


Venice Theatre, Venice, FL

Image
Photo of middle-school students on stage at Venice Theatre

Venice Theatre offers a wide variety of classes for children, including Broadway Bound (Musical Theatre for grades 3-6), Beginning Acting for grades 3-5; Dance and Sing! for grades K-2; Intermediate acting for grades 6-8; Musical Theatre for grades 7-12; Theatre Magic for grades K-2; Acting for Teens Only! for grades 9-12 (photo at right); Advanced Acting for grades 5-8,

Also offered are Theatre Fun for Homeschool Students Ages 5-7; Passport to Theatre for Homeschool Students Ages 8-14; Beginning Acting for Homeschool Students Ages 8-14.

"Get that part!" is a two-day monologue audition workshop for grade 9 to adults.

Classes for adults include beginning, intermediate, and advanced acting, as well as drop-in improv, movement for seniors, and dancing. 

Venice Theatre also offers private lessons for most of the theatre’s disciplines, including help with prepping an audition monologue or brushing up on some dance steps. 

venicetheatre.org/vt-education