School of Theatre > For youth > Classes
Youth classes
Our winter session of classes will begin the week of January 9, 2012. Course descriptions available below.
For our current students, the fall class schedule is listed at the bottom of the page. Enrollment for the fall classes is closed.
register now
Balinese Shadow Puppetry and Theatre
Grades K–1
Instructor: Erica Blue
Let’s travel to the island of magic, masks, music and mystical shadows. Become a beautiful princess, a silly demon, a strong warrior or a funny gecko! Bali has always been known for colorful pageantry, ritual and hand-carved masks. We will get inspiration from the grand Gamelan percussion orchestra and Wayang shadow puppets. Investigate and become an expert of Bali, as we dance, act and become shadow puppeteers.
Erica Blue has a BA in dance/theatre and child development from Sarah Lawrence College. She has taught and performed around the U.S. from La MaMa in New York to the Cleveland Performance Art Festival and won Best of the Fringe in San Francisco and Seattle. Now a mother of two boys, she has redoubled her enthusiasm for teaching young people how to explore their imaginations.
SAT 9:30–10:30am • 1/14, 1/21, 1/28, 2/4, 2/11, 2/18, 2/25, 3/3, 3/9 (dress rehearsal), 3/10 (performance) • $165
Celtic Mythology
Grades 2–3
Instructor: Erica Blue
Ancient wisdom awaits you in the lush green magical forests of Britain. Come dance with little sprites across the purple heather moors as we bring the characters of Celtic Mythology to life! Bag pipes and fiddles reel a jig as we spin tales of Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Irish music and choreography will help set the tone for warriors and maids, druids and fairies.
Please see teacher bio above.
SAT 11am–noon • 1/14, 1/21, 1/28, 2/4, 2/11, 2/18, 2/25, 3/3, 3/9 (dress rehearsal), 3/10 (performance) • $165
Acting Up…Make ‘em Laugh, Make ‘em Cry
Grades 3–4
Instructor: Nancy Gold
Calling all comedians! Let your creativity shine. Learn to play and play to learn. Challenge yourself to find the funny all around you. Explore how to create characters, make something from nothing but the air and then put it all together in a winning performance for family and friends. No art form—including acting, mime, masks, movement, clowning, improvisation and juggling—will be left untouched. Make a change in your world by learning how to create giggles and smiles.
Nancy Gold is the author of Finding Your Funny Bone! The Actor’s Guide to Physical Comedy and Characters. She has taught at the Berkeley Rep School of Theatre, American Conservatory Theater Young Conservatory, Marin Theatre Company, Cal Shakes, UCLA, and throughout California, Illinois and Maryland in public and private schools. She studied with Jacques LeCoq and Ctibor Turba and holds a BFA from the University of Illinois. Nancy performs her comedy characters and vaudeville with her partner, Lol Levy.
SAT 9:30–11:30am • 1/14, 1/21, 1/28, 2/4, 2/11, 2/18, 2/25, 3/10, 3/17 • $250
Performance Lab: The Enchanted Pig
Grades 4–6
Instructors: Marilet Martinez and Devon LaBelle
A beautiful princess is fated to marry a foul and filthy pig. A wicked witch curses a handsome prince. An honorable king leads his soldiers off to battle. The Enchanted Pig is a tale that rivals Cinderella as it delights, bemuses and teaches us the meaning of true love. This Romanian fairy tale has inspired numerous adaptations, including a children’s opera at the Young Vic in London. Our version, renamed Swine, has been adapted by playwright David Myers specifically for youth ensembles at the Berkeley Rep School of Theatre, and will conclude with a final presentation for family and friends. Students will explore the dramatic process through movement, dialogue, music, improvisation, mask construction and character work to bring the story to life.
Marilet Martinez is a San Francisco native, actor, teaching artist, massage therapist, certified stage combatant, puppeteer, dancer and supporter of the arts. She has originated roles for Crowded Fire, Impact Theatre and Teatro Visión. She has also performed with Cal Shakes, Cutting Ball Theater, Brava Theater, Woman’s Will, African American Shakespeare Company, Shadowlight Productions, Custom Made Theatre Company and SF Playwrights Foundation. She is currently working on an original ensemble piece with Cutting Ball called Tonlawald.
Devon LaBelle received her BA in theatre and creative writing from the University of Puget Sound. In the Bay Area, she designs properties for TheatreFIRST and has worked with Bay Area Children’s Theatre on the school tour of Strega Nona. She has held internships at Berkeley Rep and Actors Theatre of Louisville. While in Kentucky she worked with Walden Theatre Conservatory as a director and playwriting teacher.
WED 4–6pm • 1/11, 1/18, 1/25, 2/1, 2/8, 2/15, 2/22, 2/29, 3/7, 3/14 • $280
Fashion Funway
Grades 4–6
Instructor: Mundi Grove
A design class for creative minds who want to have fun. Each week students will receive a new wearable art fashion challenge. They will design, construct and showcase their creations on the runway—complete with music—throughout the course. Your student may be a designer one week, then a model the following week or even a judge. We will be using a variety of materials; some will be provided. Sewing experience is not necessary.
Mundi Gove is a costume and wig artist with 10 years of professional wig and costume experience on Broadway shows, including Phantom of the Opera, Cats and Amadeus. She creates one-of-a-kind theatrical art dolls. Most recently, Mundi created and directed Color Theatre, a children’s improvisational dance performance workshop. Mundi also taught Project Funway design classes for youth, directed and produced for Yes Theater in Marin. She loves inspiring children to use their creativity and to express themselves through art, design and performance.
MON 4–6pm • 1/9, 1/23, 1/30, 2/6, 2/13, 2/27, 3/5, 3/12, 3/19, 3/26 • $300
Performance Workshop: Glee Club—Grease Audition
Grades 6–9
Instructors: Ben Hanna and Rebecca Castelli
Love to create drama? Love to sing, act and dance? Using the smash hit television show Glee as inspiration, students create their own cast of characters and spend 10 weeks learning the craft of auditioning for musicals. Focused mainly on the traditional audition format of 16 bars of music, the class ends with a final showing of scene work and a mock audition for the school musical Grease.
Ben Hanna is an actor, director and artist educator who believes that arts education fuels creative thinkers, produces problem-solvers and emboldens leaders. He studied theatre and youth development at the University of Minnesota and has performed and instructed at The Children’s Theatre Company, SteppingStone Theatre for Youth Development and Penumbra Theatre Company. Ben is a teaching artist and the community programs manager at the Berkeley Rep School of Theatre.
Rebecca Castelli holds a BA in voice and theatre, and an MFA in acting. She also dialect coaches for various Bay Area theatres, including Shotgun Players, Theatre Rhinoceros, Town Hall Theatre, Mendocino Theatre Company and Ross Valley Players.
FRI 4–6pm • 1/13, 1/20, 1/27, 2/3, 2/10, 2/17, 2/24, 3/2, 3/9, 3/16 • $280
Acting Intensive
Grades 6–9
Instructor: Ben Hanna
This class is designed for serious young actors who want to take their performance to the next level and are interested in searching for ways to make authentic work. Focus on sharpening your skills with other actors ready to take on the challenge. Learn how to play an action in a scene, identify your objective, overcome your obstacles and focus your energy.
Please see teacher bio above.
SAT 10am–noon • 1/14, 1/21, 1/28, 2/4, 2/11 • $165
Monty Python’s Flying Circus—Examined, Rehearsed and Performed!
Grades 6–10
Instructor: Jon Burnett
Dissect the origins of the fabulous Python team by examining their roots and influences. Students explore classic Pythonesque scenarios by delving into elements such as absurdism, precise wordplay, surrealistic visuals, emotional mayhem and satire. We will use improvisation and physical theatre exercises while rehearsing some of Monty Python’s most famous sketches. As a group, we will choose from among such classics as “Dead Parrot,” “Nudge Nudge, Wink Wink,” “The Killer Joke,” “Ministry of Silly Walks,” “Spam” and more! WARNING: this class is liable to be very silly!
Jon Burnett has performed in such diverse locations as Hungary, Slovakia and Seattle, as well as locally for Porchlight Theatre Company in Ross, La Luna in San Francisco and Cinnabar Theater in Petaluma. Jon received an MFA in Performance from University of Tennessee’s International Actor Training Academy, where he trained with world-class theatre artists from Argentina, Bulgaria, England, Germany, Holland, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Russia. He has taught theatre to students ranging from kindergarten to undergraduate college, and found inspiration, profound laughter and empathy at every level. Jon is currently an associate artist for Porchlight Theatre Company.
MON 4–6pm • 1/9, 1/23, 1/30, 2/6, 2/13, 2/27, 3/5, 3/12, 3/19, 3/26 • $280
Private Voice
Grades 6–8
Instructor: Rebecca Castelli
Learn to sing with ease and confidence, eliminating vocal pain and fatigue while improving your range and breath control. Each session includes breathing and relaxation exercises, vocal exercises and technique and vocal coaching on songs, including how to act a song and how to prepare a musical theatre audition.
Rebecca Castelli holds a BA in voice and theatre, and an MFA in acting. She also dialect coaches for various Bay Area theatres, including Shotgun Players, Theatre Rhinoceros, Town Hall Theatre, Mendocino Theatre Company and Ross Valley Players.
TUE & THU 3–3:50pm & 6–6:50pm • $60/session
register now
fall class schedule
(Enrollment for the fall classes is closed.)
Musical Theatre Performance Ensemble: West Side Story
TUE & THU 4–6pm • 9/20, 9/22, 9/27, 9/29, 10/4, 10/6, 10/11, 10/13, 10/18, 10/20, 10/25, 10/27, 11/1, 11/3, 11/8, 11/10, 11/15, 11/17, 11/22, 11/29, 1/10, 1/12, 1/17, 1/19, 1/24, 1/26, 1/31, 2/2, 2/7, 2/9, 2/14, 2/16, 2/21, 2/23, 2/28, 3/1, 3/6, 3/8, 3/13, 3/15, 3/16
“[My son] received a lot of positive feedback throughout the class, which is very helpful for him in developing his social skills and self-confidence.”
—Parent, Mythological Adventures, Winter 2011
“[The best part was] bonding with the other kids; having us all become really good friends by working together to make a play.”
—Student, Performance Workshop: Glee Club, Winter 2011
summer theatre intensive
Register now for Summer Theatre Intensive. Session 1 for grades 6–8 will be held June 18–July 13. Session 2 for grades 9–12 will be held July 17–August 10.
scholarships
Berkeley Rep School of Theatre is pleased to be able to offer financial aid for students enrolling in our youth and teen classes. Scholarships will be granted to students attending classes who demonstrate a strong financial need. Financial aid will be disbursed on a sliding scale—eligible families generally receive scholarships covering between 30%–100% of tuition.
Families applying for financial aid must submit a minimum $25 deposit per student at the time of registration. This amount secures the student’s place in the program while their financial aid application is under consideration. This deposit is refundable if the registration is cancelled by the end of the first week of class.
Download our application form or call the Berkeley Rep School of Theatre at 510 647–2972.
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school of theatre
major sponsors
The S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation / The Mosse Foundation for Education and the Arts / The Woodlawn Foundation
