School Year Academy
First Stage Theater Academy is the nation’s largest high impact theater training program for young people. A wide variety of classes for students in grades K4-12 are offered in Fall, Winter, and Spring sessions throughout the school year. Led by professional theater teaching artists, students will learn new acting skills including Voice and Movement, Musical Theater, Scene Study, and Improvisation, developing stage skills while simultaneously building life skills, such as confidence, focus, and teamwork.
- Story Drama (K4-1 Grade 1)
- Playmakers (Grades 1-2)
- Acting Fundamentals (Grades 3-12)
- Musical Theater Fundamentals (Grades 3-12)
- Advanced "School Year Intensives" (Grades 5-12)
- Students on the Autism Spectrum
- Financial Assistance
- Student Leadership Opportunities
PLEASE NOTE: Due to the recent water damage sustained at the Milwaukee Youth Arts Center, we are shifting the start dates of our Winter Academy sessions to maximize our limited space accommodations while this issue is resolved.
Mark your calendars for the new start dates of Winter Academy sessions:
Winter II Academy, Tuesdays:
Original start date: Tuesday, February 7
NEW Start Date: Tuesday, February 14
Winter II Academy, Saturdays:
Original start date: Saturday, February 11
NEW Start Date: Saturday, February 18
School Year Intensives, Saturdays:
Original resume date: Saturday, January 14
NEW Resume Date: Saturday, January 21
Story Drama
Grades K4 - 1
Through creative drama, young actors will bring their favorite stories to life through the exploration of setting, plot, and character choices to develop beginning acting skills.
Playmakers
Grades 1-2
Young actors will go on a new adventure each week as they utilize improvisation techniques to create their own characters and stories, and further develop their beginning acting skills.
Acting Fundamentals
Grades 3-12
Students will work with theater professionals to establish performance skills, deepen their knowledge of theater, and become confident in themselves as actors - and as people. Lessons are inspired by specific scenes or songs from popular shows and musicals.
Musical Theater Fundamentals
Grades 3-12
Musical theater is the art of telling a story through words, music, and movement. Every session will offer new vocal and dance techniques to work on utilizing age-appropriate songs from popular musicals.
Electives
Grades 5-12
Electives allow students to focus on a specific area of their craft, including Stage Combat, Costume Design, Playwriting and Poetry, and Shakespeare.
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School Year Intensives
For Grades 7-12
Some of our most concentrated and focused classes, diving into the disciplines of Acting, Musical Theater, Improvisation, and Playwriting. Classes meet every Saturday of the school year.
Auditions for Performance Experience Classes for the 2022/23 School Year are complete.
Next Steps
For Students on the Autism Spectrum
Next Steps classes are highly specialized and designed for both verbal and non-verbal students, students with classic autism, PDD-NOS, other sensory processing disorders, and Asperger's.
Financial Assistance
Financial assistance is available to any family; additional application and paperwork required. Flexible payment plans are also available.