Did your child recently get bitten by the acting bug? I’ve gathered a list of local places offering acting classes for children of all ages.
Spotlight Musical Theatre Academy
Located in Lake Oswego, this Academy takes young stars as young as 4. Ages 4 to 6 are “Little Stars,” ages 6 to 16 are “Center Stage,” and teenagers 14 to 18 are in the “Conservatory program.” They teach children rather than material. They are located within the Lakewood Center for the Arts in Lake Oswego.
Northwest Children’s Theater and School
Located in Portland, this theater school takes children as young as 4. “First Stage Classes” are for ages 4 to 6, where they combine character creation, storytelling, songs, theater games, and a general introduction to theater. “Explore Classes” are for ages 6-9 or 8-10, where character creation, imaginative world-building, and creative play occur. “Skills Classes” are for ages 8-10 or 10-14, where students hone specific theater skills like acting, musical theater, improv, and technical theater.
While known for its terrific family plays, Oregon Children’s Theater offers camps and classes in a format different from the above. For the younger ones, they do offer family storytime with rhythm and rhymes. Actual classes really don’t start until the children are around 8, so if you have older children who have gotten the acting bug and are in Portland proper, this might be a good fit for you. They offer beginning classes and higher, more specific technical courses for older kids.
This is no theater but an acting studio. Skills are honed through camps, workshops, and ongoing classes. A nice benefit of this studio is that it offers online options. One thing I noted from their site was that they also focus on the industry’s business side.
As a last note, your city may have acting programs as one-off camps from time to time. For that, check your local city Parks and Recreation website/magazine. Hopefully, the above will be enough for your budding thespian.
Allison Browning is owner at Lake Composition and Editing, wife, and mom. She enjoys fun family adventures, fun with her friends, writing, reading, and cooking.