Private voice lessons with Jennifer Almeida. Eight weeks; 30 min lessons. Please register here and Jennifer will contact you for scheduling

Jennifer Almeida is incredibly excited to be teaching voice at the Academy where she is proud to be a board member and chairing the Education Committee. She has an extensive background in teaching and performance. Jen has directed musicals, plays, and concerts and has taught private voice and classroom music as well as classes in acting and musical theater.

As a singer and actor in the community, she recently performed as The Fairy Godmother in Cinderella, Laurey in Oklahoma, Mary Poppins in Mary Poppins, and Sarah Brown in Guys & Dolls at the Academy of Performing Arts and with Falmouth Theater Guild as Marian and Chiara in The Bridges of Madison County. She performed the role of Emily Hobbs in Elf the Musical at Cotuit Center for the Arts along with her son, Lucas as Michael Hobbs.

 Jennifer completed her undergraduate degree at the Hartt School and her graduate degree at the New England Conservatory where she was a member of the opera theater program. Jennifer has sung as a soloist with the Kansas City Symphony Orchestra and was a regional semifinalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. She was a young artist with PORT (Opera Maine) and has performed in several seasons with them. She is excited to be co-directing and playing the role of Grace Farrell in the upcoming production of Annie and will be playing the role of Maria in the Academy’s summer production of The Sound of Music.

Mondays 5-6:00

8 weeks

Runs week of 9/23-11/11

This class will be taught by Denise Page and Ryan Van Buskirkand is designed for the new or newish adult actor. Were you the head end of the horse for “The Wells Fargo Wagon” song in your High School Production of The Music Man? Maybe you got a taste of the stage at a hypnosis event and you’ve been thinking about consciously returning ever since… or maybe you LOVE watching theater but have never ever tried being on stage before. Have you only done the “behind the scenes” stuff: ushering, ticket sales, concessions, pulling ropes attached to pully’s… Maybe the idea of this acting stuff is completely new to you but you just need a change, and a push and you want to meet new people? If any of this resonates with you – this is a class to consider taking. This class will focus on the basics of acting. We’ll be working with fun and simple pieces, scripts, skits and monologues. Some of the goals will be to have you understanding theater terminology while preparing you for a potential audition at a community theater… and maybe this class is as far as you want your acting “career” to go – that’s ok too. Some other skills we’ll work on will be building self-confidence, trusting and understanding your stage partner(s), applying different emotions to the words on the paper, exploring the empathy required for acting and being a character that isn’t you and how to express feelings on stage through physical, facial and body expression. You’ll leave this class feeling empowered and prepared for the next step in your acting journey.

Mondays, 4-5:00

8 weeks

Beginning week of 9/23 and ending week of 11/11

Taught by Denise Page and Ryan Van Buskirk. This class is designed for the new actor OR newish actor who would like to experience the stage in an intimate setting. This is a great course for kids who have no experience, as well as those with some experience but who haven’t had a chance to speak a lot of lines or have a featured role in a show yet… everyone in this class will get to be a star! We will focus on building self-esteem and confidence on stage, while also learning acting basics and for those students who have some experience; we will review and polish stage positioning, facial expressions, emoting as an actor, etc. Specific exercises in class will include, exploring the auditioning process, projecting and using diction, connecting to your character, rehearsing for and learning a skit/short play which we will present at our end of session showcase.

Broadway Babies

Tuesdays 10:30-11:30

Ages 3-5

8 week session

Children will learn a variety of fun songs with choreography and play various hand instruments. Basic musical principals such as beat, pitch, and tempo will be taught. The Broadway Babies will perform their showstoppers at our showcase performance at the end of the session. 

About the Teacher:

Jennifer Almeida is incredibly excited to be teaching  at the Academy where she is proud to be The Director of Education and a board member. She has an extensive background in teaching and performance. Jen has directed musicals, plays, and concerts and has taught private voice and classroom music as well as classes in acting and musical theater.

As a singer and actor in the community, she recently performed as Maria in The Sound of Music, Justice in Rock of Ages, Grace Farrell in Annie which she co-directed, The Fairy Godmother in Cinderella, Laurey in Oklahoma, Mary Poppins in Mary Poppins, and Sarah Brown in Guys & Dolls at the Academy of Performing Arts and with Falmouth Theater Guild as Marian and Chiara in The Bridges of Madison County. She performed the role of Emily Hobbs in Elf the Musical at Cotuit Center for the Arts along with her son, Lucas as Michael Hobbs.

 Jennifer completed her undergraduate degree at the Hartt School and her graduate degree at the New England Conservatory where she was a member of the opera theater program. Jennifer has sung as a soloist with the Kansas City Symphony Orchestra and was a regional semifinalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. She was a young artist with PORT (Opera Maine) and has performed in several seasons with them. She is excited to be playing the part of the Woman in Death of a Salesman at Cotuit Center for the Arts and will be co-directing Elf this December at the Academy.

Mommy and Me Music Exploration 

Tuesdays 9:30-10:00

Ages 1-3yrs

w/ Mommy or Adult caregiver

8 week session

Join Miss Jen for an exciting musical introduction where little ones will explore music, sing fun songs, dance, move their bodies, and play instruments. Always a great time!

About the Teacher:

Jennifer Almeida is incredibly excited to be teaching  at the Academy where she is proud to be The Director of Education and a board member. She has an extensive background in teaching and performance. Jen has directed musicals, plays, and concerts and has taught private voice and classroom music as well as classes in acting and musical theater.

As a singer and actor in the community, she recently performed as Maria in The Sound of Music, Justice in Rock of Ages, Grace Farrell in Annie which she co-directed, The Fairy Godmother in Cinderella, Laurey in Oklahoma, Mary Poppins in Mary Poppins, and Sarah Brown in Guys & Dolls at the Academy of Performing Arts and with Falmouth Theater Guild as Marian and Chiara in The Bridges of Madison County. She performed the role of Emily Hobbs in Elf the Musical at Cotuit Center for the Arts along with her son, Lucas as Michael Hobbs.

 Jennifer completed her undergraduate degree at the Hartt School and her graduate degree at the New England Conservatory where she was a member of the opera theater program. Jennifer has sung as a soloist with the Kansas City Symphony Orchestra and was a regional semifinalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. She was a young artist with PORT (Opera Maine) and has performed in several seasons with them. She is excited to be playing the part of the Woman in Death of a Salesman at Cotuit Center for the Arts and will be codirecting Elf this December at the Academy.

Adult and Teen Hip Hop

Thursdays 6-7:00

Classes begin September 26th

This class is for the recreational dancer and is focused on hip-Hop technique. This class will improve fine and gross motor skills, dance technique, and dance terminology. 

BIO: Clare MacDonald

Clare started as an assistant dance educator at 12 and went on to earn her bachelor’s in PE and Dance. In her mid 20’s, Clare changed directions and became a Special Education teacher, but dance soon called her back. She spent the next 20 plus years teaching Tap, Ballet, Jazz and Hip Hop at Brixham Danceworks in South Berwick Maine. Her primary focus at Brixham was with the younger population, teens and adults. In addition to joining the Playhouse, Clare works at NRHS in the Special Education department.

Discover the Art of Stage Combat with Mark Roderick!

Unlock the secrets of stage combat in this exciting introductory course led by the accomplished Mark Roderick. With a wealth of experience as an actor, director, playwright, and more, Mark brings unparalleled expertise to the craft of stage fighting. Learn essential techniques like delivering punches and slaps safely and realistically in a controlled environment.

Join us for this dynamic two-day workshop on October 5th and 6th, from 1-4 pm. Open to students ages 12-18, this is a unique opportunity to gain valuable skills in theater combat. Don't miss out—register now and step into the world of stage fighting with confidence and precision!

Calling all painters to a fun workshop with our incredible set designer, builder, and actor, Mark Roderick. Come learn some super cool art techniques and create memories on canvas that you'll bring home and keep forever! Don't miss out on this. Mark is amazing and space is limited! 

Sunday, October, 13th 6-8 pm