Des Moines Playhouse Offers Online Theatre Classes

Summer is almost here! The Des Moines Community Playhouse is offering students from kindergarten through ninth grade seven different classes plus private coaching, all online, to fill the long summer days and keep minds active.

Theatre staff and teachers have developed classes lasting 45 minutes or longer for students starting June 8, 2020, including the popular Performance Academy. Class sizes are limited. For a complete list of classes and registration, visit dmplayhouse.com.

Classes for elementary students give youths the opportunity to become the characters they read about in the books they love, focusing on self-expression, creative thinking and collaboration. The Color Chronicles, Rumble in the Jungle, Build It Bigger, Munchkinland and Jumanji are offered for elementary students K-6 .

Students in grades 4-8 can register for the Performance Academy production of The Big One-Oh!, a musical adapted by Musical Theatre International to accommodate virtual rehearsal and performance. Teens entering grades 7-9 can also learn improvisation from Comedy XPeriment's Joe Van Haecke. Addtionally, youths in grade five and up can sign up for private song, monologue, or scene coaching with Playhouse teaching artists Melissa Chavas-Miller, Anne Frett, Nate Jorgensen, Katy Merriman, Maddie Ripperger, and Robin Spahr.

Theatre arts education at The Playhouse provides students with the opportunity to explore, create, imagine, and express themselves, all within a safe, nurturing environment. Every class at The Playhouse is unique and led by the theatre's professional teaching artists.

The Playhouse is one of the oldest and largest community theatres in the US. Located at the 42nd Street exit of I-235, the theatre has presented a season of shows since 1919 and also offers a wide variety of educational experiences including classes for ages 4 to adult, theatre trips to New York, and volunteer opportunities onstage and backstage.

For more information on summer theatre camps and other Playhouse educational offerings, contact the Playhouse education department at 515-974-5365.

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