Who Can Get Involved?
No experience is needed to participate in YAAL’s programming! Many students learn through participation, and we offer different levels of programming for ages 5-18 years old.
Parents & community members who are interested in getting involved, please see our volunteer page!
Teaching artists who would like to work at YAAL, please send an email (info@yaal.org) with a little information about yourself, the position(s) you are interested in, and attach your resume!
Where do Students Start?
YAAL offers several ways to participate, so you and your student can choose the best way for them to start! They may be interested in seeing what happens on stage, or a youngster already expressing a love for the spotlight, or a teen who has just discovered their love of performing arts. Wherever they are at, there’s a place for someone to jump in!
Attending a Performance
Often, the first exposure a student has to theatre is as an audience member. Is your student expressing an interest, and nervous about what theatre is all about? We encourage you to bring them to one of our performances so they can see what happens on stage and get a feel for the space! After seeing a performance, they may decide they are ready to sing, dance, and live a story like they have just seen. We also have board members at our performances, so you can ask questions before or after the show.
YAAL's Regular Workshops & Mainstages
Offered for actors ages 9-17 years old. These productions are tuition-based, and everyone who registers will be cast in a role. Students can expect quite a bit of independent reading, as well as stage blocking that will need to be practiced at home. Depending on the role, some students will also need to work on line memorization, choreography, & vocal music at home. If you have questions about the age range, please reach out!
Workshops
Workshops meet once a week in the evenings. The workshops involve a shorter script and the rehearsal times are shorter in length. The final showcase takes place on a Friday evening with limited ticketing reserved for family members. The audition process is typically shorter with less things to prepare. For example: students may read a passage from the script, play theatre games, or participate in improv to assess acting skills.
Mainstage Productions
Mainstages meet on during the day on Saturdays and some Sundays, with a full week of evening tech rehearsals prior to performance weekend. They have longer scripts with slightly higher demands, and are most often musicals. Students will perform 4 times during show weekend, and performances are to an open audience. The audition process is a little longer. For example: acting skills are assessed similarly to the workshops, and students may also sing a prepared song selection. They may be called back up to sing again, as well as learn & perform a group dance.
Summer Camps
Summer camps are set up differently than school year productions. We still offer tuition-based workshops and mainstages, with all the same expectations as outlined above. The days just look slightly different. Students attend either a 1-week workshop or a 2-week mainstage musical. Both types of camp will meet Mon.-Fri. from 9 am-3 pm. Workshops will have a showcase at the end of their last day. Mainstage musicals will have 4 performances during the weekend after the second week. There will be no evening tech.
Summer camps can be a great way to introduce your student to theatre! Something to note is the 2-week musicals will be fast-paced because there is less time to memorize everything. If your student is new to theatre, and nervous about trying it out, you may hold off on starting with a mainstage musical during the summer. The 1-week workshops are still be a great option, or you can also wait until the school year, if that feels better!
YAAL Youngsters
YAAL Youngster’s is designed for ages 5-8 years old. This program is tuition-based with the goal of giving younger students a sample of what a production will be like. Students attending these classes can expect to learn about acting, theatre language, music, and dance. YAAL Youngsters may be offered during the school year and/or summer, depending on instructor availability. Days usually run 9 am-12 pm, or a similar timeframe, and will usually offer 5 classes per session.
Stage Management Training
Stage Management Training is for students ages 12+ who prefer working backstage. After attending the class, students will be eligible to volunteer as an Assistant Stage Manager, and train towards a paid Stage Manager position. Students will learn to clean the space, stay organized, paperwork required, communication needed, and technical elements of a production. There are also opportunities for students interested in set, costumes, & props. This class is offered as either a full day or 2 half days, depending on instructor availability.
YAAL Teen Program
YAAL’s Teen Program is a summer production for ages 13-18 years old. This is a non-tuition based, audition only program. Auditions & callbacks will run very similar to a community theatre with a prepared vocal audition, a choreo combination taught at the audition, and the possibility of blind side reads. Rehearsals will move quickly to put everything together on a short timeline, and practice at home will be required. Rehearsals take place Mon-Thurs evenings for about 6 weeks. This is followed by a longer tech week that starts on a weekend, and concludes the night before the opening performance.
Decision Making
When deciding on where to start, we encourage you to talk to your student about the different programs, including the time commitment involved with rehearsal times and what needs to be practiced at home. Think about their age, and what seems like a good fit for them right now. If you or your student have any specific questions about where to start, please reach out to us at info@yaal.org!