Berkeley Rep School of Theater
My kid did many programs with Berkeley Rep, and had a wonderful time. The teachers were professional theater people. They also had a "teens see plays" rate where teens went to the plays and had a Q & A. This was before COVID, so I'm not sure how much of their program has resumed.
Berkeley Rep had some very good classes and a wide variety of kids participating. If Rebecca Castelli is still there, she is a wonderful teacher.
Both my kids did the Berkeley Rep middle school camp for three summers. My oldest is more outgoing and loved it, and my youngest is very shy and reserved. He also loved it! He is 16 now and sometimes mentions that he draws on his experience at acting camp when he has to do presentations in class. Neither continued with acting, but I think it was a really good experience overall for both of them.
The Berkeley Rep's theater school is second to none -- my child (now a professional working actor) started there in elementary school just for fun, and we found the level of training to be highly professional, with a wonderfully supportive community. They've moved all their classes online for the duration: https://www.berkeleyrep.org/school/
ACT in San Francisco (near BART) and Berkeley Rep in downtown Berkeley both offer acting classes, not just musical theater classes. I think both are good. I’ve found that studying acting separately, without the singing and dancing, has helped my daughter in the long run. A lot of kids only do performance-based musical theater classes and the acting often gets short shrift, because they are racing to pull the songs and choreography together. Consequently, some of kids don’t learn much about acting, so having done so can be an advantage. Plus, it’s fun, and there are never enough boys.
Archived Q&A and Reviews
April 2004
BERKELEY REP SCHOOL OF THEATRE ANNOUNCES SUMMER THEATRE INTENSIVE
Students in grades 6-12 will create a play to be performed at Berkeley Rep
Berkeley Rep School of Theatre is currently accepting registrations for Summer Theatre Intensive for students entering grades 6-12. Set against the backdrop of the Berkeley Repertory Theatre, students immerse themselves in all aspects of the craft and artistry of theatre. This summer Berkeley Rep is offering two-four week sessions. Each week participants work with master teachers studying acting, improvisation, various forms of physical theatre, Shakespeare, stage combat, playwriting, sign language for theatre, hip hop and disciplines of design and production (e.g., costumes, props and lights) which culminate in the development of original work. Under the supervision of a Play Creation teacher, each student group develops from concept to performance a theatrical piece designed to demonstrate the skills they have learned throughout the session. A performance of the students\xc2\x92 work is held at the end of each four-week session at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. Session one, for middle school students, will be held from June 21, 2004 \xc2\x96 July 16, 2004 from 9:00AM- 3:00PM. Session two, for high school students, will be held from July 19, 2004- August 13, 2004 from 9:00AM \xc2\x96 4:00PM. Tuition is $1000. A limited number of financial aid scholarships are available. For more information, please call 510-647-2978 or email school [at] berkeleyrep.org. Berkeley Rep\xc2\x92s Summer Theatre Intensive is held at the Berkeley Rep School of Theatre at the Nevo Education Center, 2071 Addison St. in downtown Berkeley. Joanne Seelig
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