Get ready to take an imaginative trip! Inspired by a backpack full of mystery objects, students will head off on a new adventure each class using movement, creative problem-solving, and imaginative play! Students will receive a packing list each week, inviting them to use everyday objects in new and creative ways as they embark on their imaginary adventures. Each 4-week session’s adventures will revolve around a fun and developmentally appropriate theme.

Inspired by the classic stories of best friends Frog and Toad, students will learn to “sing a story” by exploring the various voices that can be produced by using appropriate vocal techniques. Students will connect voice to posture, gesture, and full-body movement through improvisation to create vivid characters. They will “dance a story” by learning to use creative movement to bring a story to life. Not all actors need to dance, but learning how to use a creative and flexible range of movement will help young actors feel more confident on stage, develop physically interesting characters, and add another skill to their actor toolbox. A final demonstration for family and friends will take place on the last day of class

The Actor’s Toolbox engages students in the creative process and supports their growth as actors, individually and in an ensemble. Over the course of 8 classes, participants will assemble and polish the fundamentals of performance (body, voice, mind, and imagination) by exploring technique, ensemble building, movement, voice, and working with basic text. In the final class, students will share what they’ve learned on the WFT stage. We recommend students take this class more than once, to continue stocking their toolbox and keeping their tools sharp!

Explores the fundamentals of musical theatre. Participants will develop characters within the context of a musical scene, explore various musical styles, and develop songs, scenes, and numbers from various musicals. 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. A final presentation for family and friends will take place on the last day of class.

Ignites students’ ability to make bold choices in the moment. Through short- and long-form improv activities, participants build skills to create and sustain improvised situations. The emphasis is on developing a facility for improvisation as both performance art and rehearsal technique. At the final class, family and friends are invited to join the fun and to be prepared for anything—if you’re in the room, you’re in the scene!

The Actor’s Toolbox engages students in the creative process and supports their growth as actors, individually and in an ensemble. Over the course of 8 classes, participants will assemble and polish the fundamentals of performance (body, voice, mind, and imagination) by exploring technique, ensemble building, movement, voice, and working with basic text. In the final class, students will share what they’ve learned on the WFT stage. We recommend students take this class more than once, to continue stocking their toolbox and keeping their tools sharp!

Explores the fundamentals of musical theatre. Participants will develop characters within the context of a musical scene, explore various musical styles, and develop songs, scenes, and numbers from various musicals. 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. A final presentation for family and friends will take place on the last day of class.

Ignites students’ ability to make bold choices in the moment. Through short- and long-form improv activities, participants build skills to create and sustain improvised situations. The emphasis is on developing a facility for improvisation as both performance art and rehearsal technique. At the final class, family and friends are invited to join the fun and to be prepared for anything—if you’re in the room, you’re in the scene!

In The Actor’s Studio, serious acting students will move deeper into their craft with a more sophisticated exploration of text through scene study, and individual and ensemble work. Actors will learn how to unpack the “given circumstances” of a scene and work collaboratively with a scene partner to convey the heart of a piece. The class is designed to expand the acting students’ repertoire of acting approaches and techniques, challenging actors ready for the next level. Students will share their work in an Actor’s Showcase during the final class.