First Stage Children's Theater - Theater Academy

Academy Curriculum
Each student's day includes work in selected components of the First Stage Theater Academy curriculum. See program descriptions for a listing of subject areas covered in each session.

Beginnings
Each Academy program begins with an all-Academy gathering to prepare for the work and adventures of the day.

Creative Drama
Students in the Early Stages program imagine, enact, and reflect upon improvised situations. Through this process they come to understand theater, themselves, and the world around them.

Improvisation
Use of character, scene, and improvisational exercises develops expressiveness, spontaneity, effective partnering and honesty on stage.

Acting Theory
Students explore character, relationships, process, and text why developing overall acting skills and confidence.

Voice and Speech
Use of speaking techniques increases relaxation, resonance, articulation and power.

Stage Movement
Use of movement techniques enhances control, agility, stage presence, awareness and focus.

Musical Theater***
Use of singing and dance techniques increases actor versatility, enhances stage presence and broadens familiarity with styles.

Shakespeare***
Students explore text, character, performance and styles in scenes and monologues from the greatest playwright in history.

Guest Artists***
Main Stage students will receive additional training as professional actors and artists visit the Main Stage classrooms throughout the summer.

End of Day
Each Academy program concludes with an all-Academy gathering to reflect on the day and acknowledge the hard work of fellow students.

Early Stages - First Stage
Morning or afternoon programs for students entering grades K5-2. In addition, the Academy offers select full-day programs for students entering first and second grade!

First Stage Theater Academy's morning and afternoon programs introduce our youngest students to the process of theater through focused work in Creative Drama and exploration of Voice and Movement. The curriculum also focuses on self-confidence, personal expression, disciplined effort and group cooperation.
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Academy teachers lead third through fourth grade students through the building blocks of theater training--Creative Drama, Stage Movement, Voice and Speech and Scene Study. New and returning students are invited to register for either our one-week or two-week sessions.
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Within each Academy session, students are grouped into classes according to grade.

A fun yet disciplined overview of the program designed for students who are new to theater or new to the Academy's unique curriculum, and for returning students seeking to further develop their theater skills--including work in Stage Movement, Voice and Speeck, Improvisation, Shakespeare, Acting Theory, and Musical Theater.

Created for our younger returning Summer Academy students, this special three-week session offers a deeper exploration of each subject area--reviewing and building upon previous work in Stage Movement, Voice and Speech, Improvisation, Shakespeare, Acting Theory, and Musical Theater.

The four-week session is an intensive immersion in all aspects of the curriculum. Our staff challenges students to further their skills and to recognize and apply the connections between each subject area to their work.

Class Capacities: 20 students
Times: 8:45 a.m.-4:15 p.m.

Company Class
For returning students entering grades 8-12
Registration required prior to Audition/Interview

During the first week of this advanced-training production session, students participate in the full Academy curriculum with a focus on the rehearsal process ahead. The remaining three weeks are spent working with a Director to study and stage a production for public presentation, incorporation the skills they have developed through Academy training. The production will emphasize the important of the ensemble, with multiple casting of all major roles.

New this year!
Company Class - Design
After three years of offering design as part of our Main Stage core curriculum, Design now has its own Company Class! Students entering grades 8-12 will work with the director as well as professional designers and artisans to design and create the production values for the Company Class! Class size will be limited to 12 students, so register early! This company class does not require an audition or interview.

Broadway Theatre Center
June 16-July 12 (Musical; in collaboration with The Skylight)

Milwaukee Youth Arts Center
June 16-July 12 (Classical)
June 16-July 12 (Design) New Class!
July 14-August 9 (Contemporary)

University Lake School
June 16-July 12 (Contemporary)
June 16-July 12 (Design) New Class!
July 14-August 9 (Musical)

Please Note:
Registration is REQUIRED prior to scheduling an audition. Your registration must include parent/guardian signature, deposit and any wishes to have a second choice held in the event that you are not accepted into Company Class. Second choice sessions will be reserved in the order in which they are received. Deposits will not be processed until class placement is finalized. Upon receiving your registration we will contact you to confirm an audition appointment.

Auditions for the Company Class will be held February 26, 27 and 28, 2008 from 4-7 p.m. and March 1 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in 10-minute intervals at the Milwaukee Youth Arts Center. If students wish to be considered for more than one Company Class, please prepare the audition material suitable for each company for which you wish to be considered.

Appropriate audition material:
Contemporary: A memorized contemporary monologue no more than two minutes in length
Classical: A memorized classical monologue no more than two minutes in length
Musical: 16 bars of a musical theater song a capella
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Times: 8:45 a.m.-4:15 p.m