Audition for one of our School Year Intensive programs! Extended contact hours and progressive curriculum in these multi-session classes empower each student to maximize their artistic skills as well as emphasize commitment, responsibility, critical thinking, and personal expression.
School Year Intensives run September 2025 – May 2026 and include Young Actors Studio, Advanced Musical Theater, Advanced Improvisation, and Production Design.
Auditions are August 18-22 from 2:30-4:30 PM at the Milwaukee Youth Arts Center's Goodman Mainstage Hall. Contact the Academy Office at (414) 267-2970 for more information.
YOUNG ACTORS STUDIO (GRADES 5-9)
Be part of something new! We are excited to announce Young Actors Studio, a brand-new school year intensive designed for passionate, dedicated young performers in grades 5-9.
Replacing our former Advanced Musical Theater and Advanced Acting classes, this reimagined program combines the strengths of both into an immersive experience. Students will receive focused training in acting, dance, and voice, rotating through each area of the curriculum weekly to build strong, versatile performance skills.
Modeled after our award-winning Young Company program, Young Actors Studio provides younger performers with a similarly high-caliber, holistic training experience. The program emphasizes more than just technique—through a structured rotation model, students will gain well-rounded performance training while deepening their artistic growth.
ADVANCED MUSICAL THEATER (GRADES 9-12)
Advanced Musical Theater is an audition-based school year intensive for students interested in acquiring and growing the skills of a musical theater performer. The goal of these classes is to advance in the areas of singing, dancing, and acting, as well as tangible skills vital to being a musical theater performer: audition process, audition materials, reading music, and understanding the business of being a performer.
ADVANCED IMPROVISATION (GRADES 7-12)
Advanced Improvisation, also known as Organized Chaos, is an audition-based school year intensive for students interested in diving further into the craft of long form improvisation. The goal of these classes is to grow stronger storytellers, stronger characters, and make in the moment choices without a script. Students will then have a chance to present these skills with an end of the year performance.
PRODUCTION DESIGN (GRADES 7-12)
Production & Design is an application-based school year intensive for students interested in diving further into the craft of theater design. Through this intensive, students will gain hands-on knowledge of what goes into being a professional designer. The goal of these classes is to explore all of the behind-the-scenes elements that bring a production to life, including set, lightning, props, sound, and more!
AUDITIONS
2025-2026 School Year Auditions:
August 18-22, 2:30-4:30 PM
Students are welcome to audition for multiple School Year Intensives in one audition, presenting the requirements as listed below.
WHAT TO PREPARE:
Students auditioning for Young Actors Studio (Grades 5-9) must prepare one monologue (contemporary or classical) and 16 bars (30-60 seconds) of a musical theater song. You will sing a capella, but please feel free to bring your sheet music with you. Audition Packages should not exceed 3 minutes.
High School Students auditioning for Advanced Musical Theater (Grades 9-12) must prepare one song, not to exceed one minute in length. You will be singing a
capella, but please feel free to bring your sheet music with you.
Students auditioning for Advanced Improvisation (Grades 7-12) do not need to prepare anything ahead of time.
For Production Design (Grades 7-12), please email academy@firststage.org for the class application.