FAQs
WHAT CAN I EXPECT ON THE FIRST DAY OF CLASS?
Dress your child to comfortably move and play. Please arrive a few minutes early on the first day of class so you and your student may meet the teacher and fill out a student emergency form. At the time class starts you may walk your child back to the classroom if you wish. Parents are not allowed beyond the door to the class hallway during class time, as it is often disruptive to the students. You may either wait in the designated waiting area or leave and pick up your student at the end of class.
WHAT IF MY CHILD NEEDS TO MISS A CLASS?
Please let us know in advance if your child will miss any classes so that the teacher can adjust his or her lesson plan accordingly. Refunds cannot be made for missed classes.
WHAT TIME SHOULD I ARRIVE TO PICK UP/DROP OFF MY CHILD?
Please arrive a few minutes early on the first day of class (no more than ten minutes!) so you and your student may meet the teacher. You will also be asked to fill out a student emergency form. You may also print one off and fill it out before the class. Click HERE to find the form.
We request that all parents/caretakers arrive shortly before the class ends to pick up their student(s). Our priority is your child’s safety. You must come into the building to retrieve your child. Students will not be permitted outside. Please be prompt. Our teachers are not paid for time outside of class. If you are more than 10 minutes late, your student will automatically be put in Entr’acte, the aftercare program. You will be charged accordingly.
CAN PARENTS SIT IN AND WATCH THE CLASS?
To help students, let go of their inhibitions and develop a strong stage presence, parents are not allowed beyond the door to the class hallway to the classrooms during class time, as it is often disruptive to the students. You may either wait in the designated waiting area or leave and pick up your student at the end of class. However, at the time class starts you may walk your child back to the classroom if you wish.
WHAT IS SHARING DAY?
Many of our ACT classes have a “Sharing Day” on the last day of class for family and friends that may wish to observe. This may be an informal performance, a reading of a script, or they might simply share with you something the class has worked on. NOT EVERY CLASS WILL PRESENT A “PLAY” OR OTHER PERFORMANCE FOR SHARING DAY. Each instructor will design a sharing day based on the needs of the class.
If a performance is planned for sharing day, this performance is intended to be very informal and almost always done without the lights, sets, props, and costumes. If the student wishes to bring in a costume or prop, please note: Students are not allowed to ask parents to buy materials for costumes or allowed to ask parents to make their costumes. Costumes and props will be provided.
WILL MY CHILD NEED TO MEMORIZE LINES?
Memorization is encouraged for most presentations. Assisting your child in memorization is a wonderful, shared experience for children, especially children with limited reading skills. If a performance of a short play is planned, you can expect some prompting, directions, or suggestions from the teacher. Please remember that this is an informal presentation, and the class has limited time to prepare for sharing day! THE MOST IMPORTANT GOAL IS FOR YOUR CHILD TO HAVE A POSITIVE AND FUN EXPERIENCE WHILE LEARNING THE FUNDAMENTALS OF THEATER!
WHERE CAN I FIND INFORMATION ON PERFORMANCE GROUPS?
The best way to find information on performance groups is to go to HERE.
We have 3 main different types of Performance groups. Improv, Show Choir, and Ensemble acting. For both show choir and ensemble acting there are options available to grades 3rd-12th and for improv we have options available for grades 6th-12th.
HOW DO I JOIN PERFORMANCE GROUPS?
To join performance groups, the best way is to email the instructor. All the emails as well as more information can be found HERE.
HOW DO I SIGN UP FOR CLASSES?
The best way to sign up for classes is to go to click HERE. You can also register by phone, or at the ACT studio during office hours (Mon-Thurs 10a-12:30p). Payment is due at the time of registration. Classes can fill up quickly, and for this reason, we cannot “hold” spots. Cash, personal checks, and debit/credit cards are accepted.
WHAT IS STORY DRAMA?
Story Drama is most often employed in pre-K and 1st-3rd classes. Each day for class the students will be presented with a creative problem to solve connect to a book. This problem will be solved via using our imaginations, creating characters, engaging our senses, creative thinking, improv, body control, problem solving, and working together. Though dramatic play students will bring the ideas of a given story life. For our Pre-K students problems are solved over the course of a lesson. For our 1st-3rd students’ problems are solved over the course of the entire class.
WHAT IS CREATIVE DRAMA?
Individual creative drama classes vary within the theme of the class but are also often literature based. All creative drama classes aim to teach the fundamentals of using the body, voice, and imagination for theatre. Like improv classes for older students, creative drama uses theatre games to teach specific skills like concentration, focus, inventiveness, and use of voice.
WHAT ARE ACTING GAMES/EXERCISES?
Acting games and exercises are activities that which are designed to teach an element of acting or theatre.
AT WHAT AGE DO PRESCHOOL CLASSES START?
Your child needs to be past the age of 3 ½ to be registered for classes. We ask that students who attend class are able to use the restroom by themselves and communicate their needs, as our program is designed as a drop off program.
REGISTRATION
You can register online HERE, by phone, or at the ACT studio during office hours (Mon-Thurs 10a-12:30p). Payment is due at the time of registration. Classes can fill up quickly, and for this reason, we cannot “hold” spots. Cash, personal checks, and debit/credit cards are accepted.
CANCELLATIONS AND REFUNDS
Families have until seven (7) days before the start of class to cancel the registration to receive a refund. Classes are assessed the Thursday before the first day of class. If the registration looks like it will be too low to hold the class, you will be sent an email informing you that there is a chance the class will be canceled. It is common to have last-minute online registrations and the occasional walk-in registration on the first day of the class. You will get a heads-up email the Thursday before class starts informing you that they may be canceled after you arrive on the first day. This cancellation policy keeps ACT from canceling classes prematurely. If the ACT staff is forced to cancel a class, you will be given the choice of a full refund or credit towards a future class.
THEATRE SKILLS ARE LIFE SKILLS
Our classes are very carefully planned to match the skill and emotional level of the student. For that reason, we only place students in classes within their grade range. On the first day of class, you can ask for information on what to expect from any particular class.
DOES ACT DO BACKGROUND CHECKS ON STAFF?
Every adult that works with students at ACT has a background check through the Washington State Patrol. This includes teachers, volunteers, directors, stage crew, tech crew, costumers, etc. It is the main reason why adults that have not had a background check are not allowed past the black door during classes.
WHAT CLASS SHOULD I SIGN MY STUDENT UP FOR?
All our classes are designed for students, both new and returning. Our teaching artists will work with the students to understand their skill levels and find challenges that will meet the needs of the students within the classes’ themes and learning plans. In Summer students should be signed up for the grade they are entering in the fall. In the school year they should be signed up for the grade they are currently in. Special exceptions can be made but they are made with the consent of the teacher and the education director. Our classes are designed for the student’s appropriate grade level.
WHERE'S A GOOD PLACE TO START?
A good place to start is to take look at our website and the classes we are offering at the time and see if there is any that your student is interested, then register for a class! During the summer we have week long classes with different themes each week. During the school year we have Saturday morning classes that run each Saturday with different themes each month. We have classes for Preschool – 12th grade.
We also have our main stage productions that are open to student’s 4th grade and up. More information about our main stage productions can be found HERE.
WHAT AGE RANGE SHOULD I ENROLL MY STUDENT IN FOR SUMMER?
In Summer students should be signed up for the grade they are entering in the fall. In the school year they should be signed up for the grade they are currently in. Special exceptions can be made but they are made with the consent of the teacher and the education director. Our classes are designed for the student’s appropriate grade level.
DO I HAVE TO FILL OUT AN EMERGENCY RELEASE FORM WHEN I GET TO THE THEATRE?
If you have not taken a class with us yet, the answer is YES. We also refresh all our emergency release forms at the beginning of each summer to keep all the information up to date. The form is available HERE to fill out and bring with you prior to arriving to class.
WHERE CAN I FIND AUDITION INFORMATION?
Audition information can be found HERE. You can find all the information about our current main stage season, anything from auditions dates to purchasing tickets and summaries about the shows.
HOW OLD DOES MY STUDENT NEED TO BE TO START PRESCHOOL?
Your student needs to be 3 years old. We ask that students who attend class can use the restroom by themselves and communicate their needs.