Youngstown Playhouse offers acting lessons

The Youngstown Playhouse Youth Theatre will host a series of classes every Saturday from Oct. 9 until Nov. 13, for students in grades one through 12.

Children in grades one through three can attend “Max and Me - Where the Wild Things Are!,” a creative drama and movement class, focused on theatre games, vocal and physical expression and working with others.

The class will explore popular stories about animals, create masks and perform their own version of “Where the Wilds Things Are.”

Class time is 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

Also for this age group is “Super Heroes and Super Heroines: To the Rescue!,” which will have the class creating their own super heroes and plotting a story about fighting the evil, mysterious “Toxic Man.”

The course stresses basic acting skills, story building and the importance of “going green.” A performance will be shared on the last day.

Class time is 11 a.m. to noon.

Instructor Caitlin Driscoll will conduct two courses for students in grades four through six.

The popular class, “It Was a Dark and Stormy Night” from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. will center on learning basic acting skills as they create and rehearse their own mystery play to perform.

“Live From the Playhouse - It’s Saturday Morning!,” is a new course for middle school students, which uses classic theatre games and activities to teach the “off the cuff” style of the art of improvisation, made popular by the television shows, “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” and “Saturday Night Live.”

Class time is 11 a.m. to noon.

Award winning actor/director, John Pecano will lead the two courses for students in grades seven through 12.

“Acting 101,” is designed for beginners and will cover the basics of acting, with voice and body work, audition techniques, monologues and improvisational activities.

Class time is 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

“Preparation for the Stage,” held from 11 a.m. to noon, for those with some previous stage or class experience, will include script analysis, characterization, duet acting and scene study, as they explore the process of producing a play.

This class will also be introduced to the importance roles of lighting and sound design in a theatrical production.

The class fee of $65 per student covers all six lessons.

Class size is limited.

For registration and information, call the Playhouse at 330-788-8739.