Come one, Come all to the Greatest Show on Earth! We will kick off our summer program with a rousing week-long exploration of the theatrical world of the circus. Professional Boston area circus artists will lead classes each day in circus skills, such as clowning, juggling, tumbling, spinning plates, hula hoops, acrobatics, Chinese yo-yo, and more! In partnership with Cirque Us, students will learn the skill and storytelling involved in contemporary circus performance all together, making for a three-ring circus of an experience!

Creating the Triple Threat! In this program students will develop musical theatre technique through an exploration of scenes, songs, and dance numbers from musicals, exposing students to the many different genres and styles of musicals. Utilizing the musical theatre skills of acting, singing, and dancing, this two-week exploration of Musical Theatre is perfect for beginner and advanced musical theatre students alike

Creating the Triple Threat! In this program students will develop musical theatre technique through an exploration of scenes, songs, and dance numbers from musicals, exposing students to the many different genres and styles of musicals. Utilizing the musical theatre skills of acting, singing, and dancing, this two-week exploration of Musical Theatre is perfect for beginner and advanced musical theatre students alike

Auditions now open! More information and link to audition can be found here. Accepting rolling audition submission until March 1, 2025

“We are such stuff as dreams are made on… “ This program invites serious acting students to sink their teeth into one of Shakespeare’s most well-known comedies as they bring an abridged one-act version of The Tempest to life. Students will decode the sometimes perplexing language of Shakespeare to find meaning, humor, and more behind the words. Students will delve into some of the Bard’s most famous scenes and characters, making connections with their own experiences as The Tempest takes WFT by storm!

About the show:
The Tempest, a story about family, treachery, and love, revolves around a father's magical manipulations that control his daughter's romantic fate and exact revenge upon his enemies. The lead figure, Prospero, uses magic to shipwreck his brother, Alonso, and Alonso's companions after they steal his position as Duke and leave him and his daughter, Miranda, to die. Much like its title, the play explores not only the stormy seas called forth by magic, but the whirlwind of emotions that rule Prospero's actions and those of his foes. In the end, calmer seas prevail.

*Audition Required* Note: This program will take place on Boston University's Charles River Campus, with a location to be announced.

Rehearse and Perform a one-act play in just 2 weeks! In this program, students will develop and expand the tools in their actors’ toolbox as they dive into the given circumstances of a piece, develop believable characters, make strong choices, and collaborate with an ensemble of fellow actors to get to the heart of a piece.

About the Play

The Narrator is ready to start the show, but how is that supposed to happen when nobody else in the cast has read the script and the costumes haven’t even arrived yet? That’s the dilemma faced by eight hapless actors as they prepare to perform “The Greatest Fairy Tale Ever.” The greatest it isn’t. Not when the actor playing the knight struggles to read the script taped to the back of his shield, and the dragon gets a debilitating case of stage fright. To make matters (far!) worse, the Shakespearean actress is in the wrong play yet insists on staying and drawing out her death scene to absurd lengths, which leads the frustrated narrator to storm out before the play is finished. Can the cast come up with an ending that’s not only satisfying but also quick? Audiences will laugh heartily at how the cast comes up with an ending that’s absolutely ducky!

Rehearse and Perform a one-act play in just 2 weeks! In this program, students will develop and expand the tools in their actors’ toolbox as they dive into the given circumstances of a piece, develop believable characters, make strong choices, and collaborate with an ensemble of fellow actors to get to the heart of a piece.
About the Play

It's the end of the world, and hordes of rampaging zombies are about to kill you. What do you do? Try your hand at kung fu against the undead? Attempt to reason with creatures that would rather eat brains than use them? Turn to this handy and hilarious guide to survive the apocalypse!

This class is currently full. Please email: Wfted@bu.edu to be added to the waitlist. A member of our staff will be in touch if/when a space on the waitlist becomes available!

Let’s take this show on the road! This program gives experienced teen performers the opportunity to rehearse, tour, and perform a show for the most discerning of audiences, children! For the first two weeks, actors rehearse the musical Winnie the Pooh, and then take the show on tour, performing for children and their families at The Boston Children’s Museum. This program will challenge experienced actors to create performances that not only entertain but educate the next generation of theatergoers. Students will learn firsthand what it takes to create a traveling theatre piece.

About the Show
Disney's Winnie the Pooh KIDS is a delightful show based on the beloved characters of A.A. Milne and the 2011 Disney animated feature film. Featuring favorite songs from the film, as well as new hits by the Academy Award-winning Robert and Kristen Lopez (Frozen), this honey-filled delight is as sweet as it is fun.

*Audition Required* Note: This program will take place on Boston University's Charles River Campus, with a location to be announced during weeks one and two, and Performs daily at the Boston Children’s Museum during the Final Week of the Program.

This class is currently full. CLICK HERE to be added to the program's waitlist. Please note, a member of our staff will be in touch if/when a space on the waitlist becomes available
Take to the stage! This program focuses on coordinating the instruments of voice and body to create dynamic musical characters. In this 3-week program, students will advance their acting, singing, and dancing skills while also learning the importance of community and the role of the ensemble in a production. Students will apply these skills to the rehearsal of the musical Matilda, Jr. This program is open to anyone interested in deepening their musical theatre experience. Auditions for roles within the production will take place during the first week of the program.

About the show:
Rebellion is nigh in Matilda JR., a gleefully witty ode to the anarchy of childhood and the power of imagination! This story of a girl who dreams of a better life and the children she inspires will have audiences rooting for the "revolting children" who are out to teach the grown-ups a lesson. Packed with high-energy dance numbers and catchy songs, Matilda JR. is a joyous girl power romp. Children and adults alike will be thrilled and delighted by the story of the special little girl with an extraordinary imagination.

This class is currently full. CLICK HERE to be added to the program's waitlist. Please note, a member of our staff will be in touch if/when a space on the waitlist becomes available
Bring a show to life from concept to execution. This program is a dynamic immersion in the theatre crafts that are vital to professional stage productions. This course balances theory with practical experience through the study of scenic, prop, costume, lighting, and sound design. Students will work with WFT’s professional technical staff during this three-week intensive, designing and building technical elements for the Musical Theatre Production of Roald Dahl’s Matilda, the Musical, JR Work will be shared at the final performances of each production.

This class is currently full. CLICK HERE to be added to the program's waitlist. Please note, a member of our staff will be in touch if/when a space on the waitlist becomes available
Let’s make a play! In this program, students will act as playwrights, actors, and designers as they work in an ensemble to adapt a piece of literature into a play in just one week. Using their actor’s tools (body, voice, mind, & imagination) students will work collaboratively to lift the storytelling off the page and bring it to life! With limited time & resources, but unlimited imagination, students will put their creativity to the max as they develop and rehearse their play, culminating in a performance for families and friends on the final day!

Grades K-3 will use creative drama, movement, and visual arts to bring a favorite story to life.
Grades 4-6 and Grades 6-8 will learn playwriting techniques, engage in playwriting exercises, and explore stories through improvisation as they put their creative skills to the task of adapting a piece of literature for the stage.

This class is currently full. Please email: Wfted@bu.edu to be added to the waitlist. A member of our staff will be in touch if/when a space on the waitlist becomes available!

Our newest advanced theatre experience bridges the worlds of acting, singing, & dance. This program is designed for teens in high school with prior musical theatre training and performance experience who are committed to deepening their skills as actors, singers, and dancers. Through voice, dance, and character work, students will bring the musical production to life while also deepening their knowledge and understanding of their craft.
*Audition required. Note: This program will take place on Boston University's Charles River Campus, with a location to be announced.

About the Show:
A hilarious, coming-of-age musical about discovering that "cool" is sometimes where we least expect it.
Geek. Poser. Jock. Beauty Queen. Wannabe. These are the labels that can last a lifetime. With an unforgettable rock score from Tony Award-winning composer, Jason Robert Brown, (Parade, The Last Five Years, Bridges of Madison County) 13 is a musical about fitting in – and standing out!

Bring a show to life from concept to execution. This program is a dynamic immersion in the theatre crafts that are vital to professional stage productions. This course balances theory with practical experience through the study of scenic, prop, costume, lighting, and sound design. Students will work with WFT’s professional technical staff during this three-week intensive, designing and building technical elements for the Musical Theatre Production of Disney’s Newsies, JR. Work will be shared at the final performances of each production.

This class is currently full. CLICK HERE to be added to the program's waitlist. Please note, a member of our staff will be in touch if/when a space on the waitlist becomes available
Take to the stage! This program focuses on coordinating the instruments of voice and body to create dynamic musical characters. In this 3-week program, students will advance their acting, singing, and dancing skills while also learning the importance of community and the role of the ensemble in a production. Students will apply these skills to the rehearsal of the musical Newsies, JR. This program is open to anyone interested in deepening their musical theatre experience. Auditions for roles within the production will take place during the first week of the program.

About the show:
Disney's Newsies JR. is a 60-minute version of the 2012 Broadway musical, based on the 1992 film. Inspired by the rousing true story of newsboys in turn-of-the-century New York City, Newsies JR. features a Tony Award-winning score by Alan Menken and Jack Feldman and a book by Tony Award winner Harvey Fierstein. When powerful newspaper publishers raise prices at the newsboys' expense, the charismatic Jack Kelly rallies newsies from across the city to strike against the unfair conditions. Together, the newsies learn that they are stronger united and create a movement to fight for what's right.

Rehearse and Perform a one-act play in just 2 weeks! In this program, students will develop and expand the tools in their actors’ toolbox as they dive into the given circumstances of a piece, develop believable characters, make strong choices, and collaborate with an ensemble of fellow actors to get to the heart of a piece.

About the Play
An over-the-top, deliciously self-aware comedy paying homage to the old, sci-fi B movies. You’ll laugh until you cry when you realize that the fate of the earth is no laughing until you’re crying matter. It’s Attack! of the Killer Man from the Sun!
When potentially deadly solar flares threaten to potentially end all life on earth as we know it, it is up to Lou, his wife, her often-times forgetful sister Susan, a bunch of scientists, a park ranger, two aliens, a few members of The Military Government Industry Organization, two teenagers, Lou's long-lost twin brother, and The Creature to potentially save the day. Or is it? (It is.) As the conflict grows and the comedy becomes ever more ridiculous, even the narrator is swept up in the action as our heroes try to quite possibly save the day...and themselves???

Rehearse and Perform a one-act play in just 2 weeks! In this program, students will develop and expand the tools in their actors’ toolbox as they dive into the given circumstances of a piece, develop believable characters, make strong choices, and collaborate with an ensemble of fellow actors to get to the heart of a piece.

About the Play
A simple one-act production of The Wizard of Oz gets derailed by missed cues, forgotten lines, and a renegade sound board op who refuses to play anything but dinosaur noises. A comedy that proves, when it comes to live theatre, everything that can go wrong, will go wrong, and it will be hilarious.

Creating the Triple Threat! In this program students will develop musical theatre technique through an exploration of scenes, songs, and dance numbers from musicals, exposing students to the many different genres and styles of musicals. Utilizing the musical theatre skills of acting, singing, and dancing, this two-week exploration of Musical Theatre is perfect for beginner and advanced musical theatre students alike

This class is currently full. CLICK HERE to be added to the program's waitlist. Please note, a member of our staff will be in touch if/when a space on the waitlist becomes available
Creating the Triple Threat! In this program students will develop musical theatre technique through an exploration of scenes, songs, and dance numbers from musicals, exposing students to the many different genres and styles of musicals. Utilizing the musical theatre skills of acting, singing, and dancing, this two-week exploration of Musical Theatre is perfect for beginner and advanced musical theatre students alike

Inspired by our mainstage production of Flora and Ulysses, where Ulysses the squirrel is (you guessed it!) a puppet! Throughout the week, students will create and explore different types of puppets as they learn different building and performance techniques. Students will attend a matinee performance of Flora & Ulysses, (ticket included with registration) and see puppetry arts in action.

Our Actor’s Toolbox series engages students in the creative process and supports their growth as actors, individually and in an ensemble. In Actor’s Toolbox: Scenes!, students will learn how to unpack a scene's “given circumstances” and work collaboratively with a scene partner to convey the heart of a piece. In the final class, students will share what they’ve learned with friends and family.

This class builds on the foundational skills of musical theatre as students apply those skills to developing a musical revue of scenes and songs. Participants will create characters and expand theatrical storytelling techniques as they sing, dance, and act. Through solo, small-group, and ensemble work, students will learn how to transition from scene to song, creating a believable shift that allows the audience to follow a character’s journey. We recommend this class for students who have taken Fundamentals of Musical Theatre or with previous musical theatre experience. A final demonstration for family and friends will take place on the last day of class.

In our Actors' Studio series, serious acting students will move deeper into developing their craft. The Art of the Audition guides students through the audition process from monologue selection and development to cold readings and understanding what happens in a “working audition”. Understanding the monologue is one of the essential skills of the actor. Building on foundational acting techniques, students will explore the nuances of both comedic and dramatic monologues. Students will also explore the practical side of the theatre industry by learning the ins and outs of audition self-taping, a ‘must-have’ skill for today’s actors.

This class is currently full. Please email: Wfted@bu.edu to be added to the waitlist. A member of our staff will be in touch if/when a space on the waitlist becomes available!

5 days + lots of work + lots of play= A musical!
During this week-long musical theatre experience, students will work with a team of directors, choreographers, and music directors to put on a one-act Musical in just 5 days!
In age groups, students will work on assigned scenes, songs, and dance numbers, and by Friday we will put it all together. No matter what happens, the show will go on– and there is guaranteed learning and laughs in store!