Class Descriptions

GUIDING THE ENTERTAINERS OF TOMORROW

Town Hall Theatre’s professional education program provides the residents of Montgomery County with quality performing arts programming arts education. Through the medium of theatre, we strive to increase the confidence of each child that passes through our doors, as well as create a positive, student centric learning environment where each individual can be successful.

Fee Explanation

R: Resident
NR: Non Resident
PHR: Complete Passholder Resident
PHNR: Complete Passholder Non Resident

For a complete listing of all classes and programs offered at the Washington Township Recreation Center, click here.

Private Voice

Grades 2 - 12
Tuesdays, January 12th – March 16th, 2010 by appointment.

Voice students will learn the essentials of proper singing technique; breathing, support, projection, diction and strengthening voice. They will also learn exercises to increase their breath control, range, and vocal stability. Half-hour lessons are available on Tuesdays between 3-7pm at Town Hall Theatre by appointment only. Students will have the opportunity to participate in a recital for family and friends at the end of the session.

To register, contact the Education Director directly or call 438-7989. Winter session lessons will be taught by Greg Dastillung.

Individual Lesson Fee: $30
Winter Session Pass: $290 (10 lessons)

Acting One

Grades 2 - 7

This course is a prerequisite for being cast in a production at Town Hall Theatre. This class concentrates on the craft and process of acting. Students will work with monologues and short scenes to strengthen skills in script work. We will also be looking at characterization, voice, diction and movement exercises. Each student will understand theatre terminology and the process of going through technical rehearsal into a performance. Completion of this class is dependant on receiving a passing grade on the theatre terms quiz.

Acting Two: Character Creation

GRADES 2 - 7

In this class students will be detectives and learn how to find clues about a character from a script. Youth actors work with scenes from well known theatre for youth plays and will use the text to uncover and interpret all kinds of things about their characters life, circumstances, feelings, and thoughts. Students will also learn to delve deeper into a plays' structure to understand character growth over the entirety of a play.

Story Dramas

Age 4 -7

Students will make new friends, become comfortable speaking in front of a group and feel successful about putting on their own mini play! Your child's favorite stories will come to life, with a few twists of course! In this class children will begin by reading a story. Students will then use the story as a jumping off point for creating their own mini play during each class. Parents are invited to see the play or "story drama" during the last five minutes of each class.

Junie B Drama Queen!

GRADES K - 2

Get ready for "a little monkey business" Junie B. style! Students will use the wildly popular Junie B. Jones books by Barbara Park to explore the far reaches of their own imaginations. Students will learn about dramatic interpretation as well as an actors most important tools; body, voice and imagination. The class will culminate in the creation of an original adaptation using the Junie B. characters. Their will be a performance on the last day of class for parents and friends.

Be a "Fancy Nancy"

GRADES K - 2

Fancy Nancy from the Jane O’Connor books knows how to make everyday a special event, awesome clothes and accessories! From butterfly fairy costumes to pirate peg legs Fancy Nancy transforms herself into something else every day. Students will undergo metamorphosis themselves when they are given complete freedom (umm, almost) in the Town Hall Theatre "costume closet". Students will have a short presentation at the end of each class.

The Costume Closet

GRADES K - 2

Your child be carried away by the unlimited possibilities of one of the most compelling aspects of theatre; costumes! During each class children are invited into the costume box to pick out some crazy new duds! Students will then let even their wildest imaginings come to life while creating stories and characters to go along with their new "look". Parents are invited to a grand presentation at the end of the session in our classroom space.

Singing for the Stage Jr.

GRADES 2 - 5

This class is designed to introduce the non-singing actor to successful musical vocal production, and to give the experienced vocalist the opportunity to advance the skills required for excellent singing. Basic vocal production, including proper breathing, pitch, tone and intonation will be covered. The concept of "acting the song" will be emphasized, since telling the story of the song is very important in theatre. For the younger students, familiar folk and learning songs will be used in addition to theatre songs. There will be a performance on the last day in our classroom space.

American Girl Theatre for Youth

GRADES 2 - 5

Fans of the American Girl series have the chance to act out the lives of their favorite characters! This is the perfect class for students who love the American Girl dolls and want to experience being in a play. Students will talk about their favorite books and characters and then decide how they want to structure their play. They will also wear painting clothes and get crazy painting their own backdrop! Parents are invited to a final presentation at the end of the session in our classroom space.

Performance Intensive Jr.

GRADES 2 - 5

This is the perfect fit for a child who has shown interest in having a role in a play but is not able to commitment to the rehearsal time required to do a main stage production. Students will audition on the second day of class to be cast in their very own original production. Performance Intensive produces a range of scripts throughout the season. From tragedy to drama these selections offer youth actors the opportunity to explore the craft of acting farther using an actual production script vs. classroom scenes and monologues. There will be a final production presentation at the end of the session in our classroom space. Each session focuses on a different theatrical text so this class may be taken more than once!

Make It Up As You Go Along!

GRADES 2 - 5

Improvisational theatre is unscripted theatre. Kids literally make it up as they go along! Come play and learn! Students will have a hilarious time putting on their thinking caps while learning to be comfortable with spontaneity as they create and act out scenes. They will learn how to compliment their fellow actors and have the audience gripping their sides rolling in the aisles with laughter!

Theatre for Kids with Special Needs

GRADES 2 - 7

A class that strives to exhibit the acting talents of kids with some of the biggest imaginations around! This class is designed for the special needs student that will focus on basic acting skills such as projection, characterization, voice and diction. Students will work on scenes with partners as well as participate in-group exercises together. And of course, have a ton of fun with theatre games! Students will have a final performance on the last day of class to share all their new skills with their parents!

Singing for the Stage

GRADES 5 - 8

This class covers much of the same ground as the JR version but is geared towards middle-school students. It is designed to introduce the non-singing actor to successful musical vocal production, and to give the experienced vocalist the opportunity to advance the skills required for excellent singing. Basic vocal production, including proper breathing, pitch, tone and intonation will be covered. The concept of “acting the song” will be emphasized, since telling the story of the song is very important in theatre. Many songs and styles will be introduced, giving students a wide variety of material to be learned. There will be a performance on the last day in our classroom space.

Performance Intensive

GRADES 5 - 8

This class covers much of the same ground as the JR version but is geared towards middle-school students. Students will audition on the second day of class to be cast in their very own original production. Performance Intensive produces a range of scripts throughout the season. From tragedy to drama these selections offer tween actors the opportunity to explore the craft of acting farther using an actual production script vs. classroom scenes and monologues. There will be a final production presentation at the end of the session in our classroom space. Each session focuses on a different theatrical text so this class may be taken multiple times.