A view from the Main Street Theatre & Dance Alliance stage

Hundreds of children have taken classes and participated in performances each year. Some have gone on to the Broadway and off-Broadway stage and to television. Many have become skilled stage managers and lighting technicians as a result of backstage work. All students take with them a love for the performance arts and a set of lifelong friends.

The Main Street Theatre is proud to offer a wide variety of classes for children of all ages. This year the following will be offered:

Creative Drama Ages: K - 2nd grades Taught By: Debra Orenstein     Develop creative abilities in a fun, non-competitive environment with pantomime, improv and imaginative story-work. Flexible classes for beginner and intermediate levels. Musical Theatre Workshop Teen through Adult Taught By: Paul Johnson, Jacqueline Lucid-Cusick and Mary McCatty     Put on a show from start to finish! Immerse yourself in the world of musical theatre from the first read-through to the final tech and dress rehearsal. This class has it all: dancing, singing, and acting -- all leading to a full musical theatre workshop production in the spring. All skill levels welcome. Come have a great time! Children's Theater 3rd through 7th Grades Taught By: Phillip Bettencourt and Sean Hagerty     Be a part of Roosevelt Island's unique Children's Theatre experience. Learn the basics including improv, theatre games, basic scene study, storytelling and performance skills in a fun and supportive environment. Auditions and early registration for the Spring Children's musical will be held in December. Teen Acting 8th through 12th Grades Taught By: Eric Sydnor and Sean Hagerty     Enjoy it all -- from basic stagecraft to more advanced concepts of comedy, drama, and classical theatre. Focus on improvisation, theatre games, team dynamics, creative movement, speech, and vocal production; explore and develop characters through monologues, scene work, and cold readings. Auditions and early registration for Spring teen musical and play will be held in December. Whose Line Is It? Improv! 16 Years - Adults Taught By: Bridget Johnston     Dare yourself to be spontaneous. Try a class that’s a fun and easy introduction to the increasingly popular world of Comedy Improvisation. Includes theatre games, confidence-building games, and fundamental improvisation techniques. Think of TV’s “Whose Line Is It Anyway?”) The number one rule is to have fun! 6-8 Sessions to be offered mid-April.

Ned Dishman and Greg Goodman in Into the Woods     Some of the cast of 2006's Damn Yankees