Summer Program - Hartford Children's Theatre (HCT), Hartford, CT

Does your child want to be in the High School Musical? Sing in the shower like an American Idol? Is a drama queen like Hannah Montana?

Hartford Summer Youtheatre is a dramatic learning experience welcoming preschoolers through high schoolers. Classes are held in the air conditioned Classical Magnet School where there is ample free parking. Our curriculum is developmentally appropriate, aligned with the National Standards in Theatre, and, best of all, FUN! Our outstanding faculty of experienced artists will ensure that your child gets the star treatment.

“The most exciting part of this summer will be the performances!” shares Nora Matthews, Education Director. The students going into grades 4 and up will spend their mornings rehearsing for a fully produced production of SEUSSICAL, JR., which has a lot of great roles for actors, singers, dancers, and those new to the theatre. Families of students in grades K-3 have three two week sessions during which they will be putting on their own age appropriate musical play. Youngsters in our Dramatic Play Days program (ages 3-5) will also have the opportunity to sing and act out a story for their own special ‘Share Day’ performance.”

Session Schedule is as follows:

Dramatic Play Days (ages 3-5)
Session 1 – June 30th-July 11th ($250)
Session 2 – July 14th-25th ($275)

Discovery Company (going into grades K-3)
Session 1 – June 23rd-July 3rd ($500)
Session 2 – July 7th-18th ($550)
Session 3 – July 21st-August 1st ($550)

Youth Company (going into grades 4-7) and Teen Company (going into grades 8+)
July 7th-August 1st 9AM-5PM (performances August 2nd) ($995)

To register over the phone or have a brochure sent to your home: Call 860-249-7970 ext. 12 or email office@hartfordchildrenstheatre.org.

Hartford Children’s Theatre, Connecticut’s Premier Theatre and Drama School, is proud to present Hartford Summer Youtheatre, a theatrical immersion experience serving students in preschool through high school. The summer program curriculum is developmentally appropriate and aligned with the National Standards in Theatre. The Hartford Summer Youtheatre program allows emerging young artists to explore drama in a fun and supportive atmosphere led by an outstanding faculty of experienced teaching artists. For an extra charge, an Early Drop Off/Late Pick Up option allows interested parents to drop off students as early as 8AM and pick up students in grades K-12 as late as 6PM.

Dramatic Play Days (Ages 3-5, not yet entered Kindergarten)
This program meets for two weeks, Monday-Friday, 9AM-Noon. Young children enrolled in this program are in for a delightful introduction to the world of creative drama. Mornings will be spent with a balance of structured and unstructured activities, including daily dramatic play centers such as dress-up, puppets, and a play store. Creative movement, music making, outdoor play, and art projects complement the Dramatic Play Days experience. Our professional teaching artists will work with our youngest performers to develop cooperation, communication, and listening skills. Each session culminates in an informal “Share Night” presentation. Parents may enroll their preschooler for one two week program or for both.

Discovery Company (Kindergarten-Grade 3)
This program meets for two weeks, Monday-Friday, 9AM-5PM. An informal musical play is the focus of our early elementary school students’ Discovery Company experience. This dramatic project is supplemented by an array of developmentally appropriate activities, including a daily “Story Theatre” class and several electives and workshop opportunities such as Creative Movement, Mime, and Puppetry. Parents may enroll their child for one two week program or for both.

Youth Company (Grades 4-7) and Teen Company (Grades 8+)
Our Youth and Teen Company program is the most intensive and exciting of the summer. This program meets for four weeks, 9AM-5PM. Each student auditions and is cast in our production of Once on This Island Jr., for which daily rehearsals are held each morning. In addition students participate in a performance-based elective such as Musical Theatre Cabaret, One Act Play, or Social Issues Improvisation. The performance-based elective classes present their work in an informal “Share Night” presentation towards the end of the program. All Youth and Teen Company students also have the opportunity to explore their own interests through a choice of elective classes covering a range of topics, including TV Acting, Stage Combat, Technical Theatre, and Theatre History. Program-wide field trips are taken once a week, giving Youth and Teen Company students the chance to get to know each other better and take a break from their artistic work.