Your living room is the stage and your child is the star. 

Is this a familiar scenario in your house? If being the audience is getting a bit old and your clapping skills are lacking in enthusiasm, you definitely need a break.  And face it - your kid deserves some constructive and heartfelt feedback for a change as well.  Do yourselves both a favor this summer.  Check out these opportunities for your young stars to hone their acting skills and express their theatrical side.    

A good place to start is the Los Angeles Music and Art School, which offers a pay-by-the-class weekly Acting Workshop.  Students learn how to read lines, create characters, improvise, put together scenes and understand basic stage directions.  Class is for ages 7+ and kept small at no more than 10 students. 

For ages 10-13, the New York Film Academy at Universal Studios has announced a two-week camp on Introductory Tween Acting for Film.  Students will gain lots of experience learning to create believable characters and participating in on camera exercises.  Classes are non-traditional in nature and emphasize character development in the unique circumstances of a film or television shoot. Campers will take home a souvenir DVD of their performance in a film scene that will be taped, edited and screened in front of a live audience.

The Youth Acting program at Lankershim Arts Center in North Hollywood offers ongoing six-week sessions.  For ages 12-17, The Brass Tacks of Directing will teach students how to tell a story while viewing actors as their most important tool.  Also, The Ins & Outs of Commercial Acting teaches acting techniques with an emphasis on improv to students ages 8-18.

The Youth Academy of Dramatic Arts, located in the third street district offers another class great for beginners.  Their Intermediate Level I class is perfect for new actors in grades 1-5.  Students learn techniques in music, choreography and blocking while integrating basic character development, speech and articulation.  

Theater 360 Summer Camp is a fun option as well.  Their 2-week day sessions in Pasadena consist of campers taking four classes each day.  Acting class includes improv, theater games, characterization and scene work.  Voice class includes vocal warm ups, breathing and song study.  Dance class includes musical theater, jazz, lyrical and ballet.  The Specialty class lets students choose between topics such as Stage Combat, Shakespeare and TV Commercial Acting.  

Travel & Learn 

For any high school-aged Shakespeare nut, there’s the exciting Ashland Shakespeare Seminar.   Here’s an exclusive chance for students to really delve into what they’ve been reading in English class.  Participants in this seminar will live and study in Ashland, Oregon - home of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.  During this six-day seminar, students will discuss the Bard’s contributions to literature and attend four professional performances.  At after-show dialogues with directors and actors, they will discuss any questions they have regarding their decisions from casting to costume design.  In addition, daily classes will be thought provoking and engaging.  Students will get great mileage using their best analytical skills to participate in class discussion.   This seminar isn’t just for acting enthusiasts; it’s designed for writers, philosophers and fashion designers as well. 

Now give yourself a high five.  You have created amazing learning opportunities for your child this summer.  And come September, those clapping hands should be well rested and ready for action.     

Images courtesy of NYFA, Youth Academy of Dramatic Arts and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

Browse more Acting & Theater classes for kids on Two Smart Dogs.  GO!