The Morgan-Wixson Theatre and the Youth Education / Entertainment Series (Y.E.S.) have been working with youth actors and delighting audiences throughout the Los Angeles area for over 25 years.

Our educational program has completed two successful virtual workshops...and now we are finally ready to transition back to the “in person” world starting this summer, right on our beloved Morgan-Wixson stage!

We have designed these workshops for all levels of experience from the novice to the advanced. A highly skilled team of theater artist educators is excited to lead sessions in acting, vocals, dance, and audition preparation. 

We hope you can join us!


Location
The Morgan-Wixson Theatre
2627 Pico Blvd Santa Monica, 90405

All workshops will take place in person following CDC guidelines (masked and socially distanced). More details will be provided upon registration.
Tuition
Core Weekly Workshops: $225 for one week, $400 for 2 weeks or $600/for all 3 weeks
Modules: $130 as single, $100 in combination with a core workshop week or if taking more than one module

Our goal is for total inclusion and we realize there will be families that cannot afford this opportunity. If you are unable to pay part or all of the tuition, we are accepting students on a “pay what you can” basis. There is no need to apply for a scholarship or to provide any family financial information. If your family is able to donate money above the tuition to help support this program, we will provide you with a donation letter for your tax return and we thank you!
Registration due by June 25.
Spaces are LIMITED to no more than 14 students per workshop in order to keep within CDC guidelines.
 
To register for a workshop, please fill out the registration form:
Virtual Workshops: For those that personally prefer to stay virtual or if you live out of the area, please contact us to discuss options to potentially schedule one.

If you have any questions, please contact us at YouthWorkshops@morgan-wixson.org.
Core Weekly Workshops
Week of July 12-16

ACTING
Bring physicality and interpersonal connections back into your acting! Overview and expanded theater techniques including Improv Skills, Acting/Scene work, Character Development, Voice Projection and Staging.

1:00-3:00 pm for ages 9-12 (or entering 4th-7th grade in fall '21)
Instructors: Eve Keller & Sophie Davidson
 
3:30-5:30 pm for ages 13 -18 (or entering 8th-12th grade in fall '21)
Instructors: Anne Gesling &
Kristin Towers-Rowles
Week of July 19-23

MUSICAL THEATRE AUDITIONS
Use the theatre's acoustics to expand your vocal skills! Learn or review vocal audition techniques from walking into the room to communicating with an accompanist. You will put those skills into practice through mock auditions with a live accompanist. New students will be guided to find a song and return/virtual students can use any previous songs or bring in a new one.

1:00-3:00 pm for ages 9-12 (or entering 4th-7th grade in fall '21)
Instructors:  Eve Keller & Sophie Davidson
 
3:30-5:30 pm for ages 13 -18 (or entering 8th-12th grade in fall '21)
Instructors:  Anne Gesling & Kristin Towers-Rowles 
Week of July 26-30

MUSICAL THEATRE DANCE

Dance on an actual stage where you will learn, re-learn and polish up fundamental musical theatre dance steps while rehearsing choreography routines from popular shows. 

1:00-3:00 pm for ages 9-12 (or entering 4th-7th grade in fall '21)
Instructors: Sophie Davidson and Ruby Lapeyre

3:30-5:30 pm for ages 13 -18 (or entering 8th-12th grade in fall '21)
Instructors: Holly Weber and Sophie Davidson
Additional Training Modules
to be taken in addition to any of the workshop weeks or separately.
BEGINNING TAP
Mondays & Wednesdays
11:30am-12:30pm
6 classes: July 12 & 14; July 19 & 21; July 26 & 28
Instructors:  Sophie Davidson & TBA
 

INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED TAP
Tuesdays & Thursdays
6:00-7:00pm
6 classes: July 13 & 15; July 20 & 22; July 27 & 29
Instructors: Holly Weber & Sophie Davidson

STAGE COMBAT
Saturdays, 10:00am-12:00pm
3 classes: July 17, 24 & 31

Like dance, theatrical swordplay is both complex in structure and beautiful in execution.The timing must be precise and the form flawless all while being executed with effortless flair. Training in theatrical combat will improve your posture, balance, eye-hand coordination and isometric strength. You will memorize complex sequences and time your actions with a partner all while continuously recalling a litany of movements, attacks, parries and evasions. It goes without saying that all of this also requires a tremendous amount of mental focus. Did we mention you get to play with swords?

Instructors: Marc Antonio Pritchett and Rachel Lamell
WIG AND MAKEUP DESIGN
Weekend of Saturday, July 17 & Sunday, July 18
1:00-4:00pm
Other than costumes, nothing can transform you into a character better than wigs and makeup. Day one focuses on wig design basics on how to care for, properly pin-on and store wigs. We will discuss the different types of wigs, how to know what wig is right for what character, and basic styling techniques. Day two will focus on the ins and outs of the most commonly used makeup products and how they contribute to an overall look. Work on a basic face for the stage as well as some work with special effects.

Instructors:  Jon Sparks and Rachel Lamell
COSTUME DESIGN
Weekend of Saturday, July 24 & Sunday, July 25
1:00-4:00pm
Day one focuses on learning about patterns, different types of fabric, and basic hand and machine sewing skills.  Day two will be spent actually designing and pulling the costumes from our extensive costume shop for a specific show.

Instructor: Anne Gesling & TBA
The reviews are in!
Here's what people told us about our spring virtual workshop season:
From the Parent/Guardians:

You were all wonderful and so encouraging to the students. Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

My child grew because of the constructive feedback that was provided by the instructors.”

“… wanted to thank you all SO MUCH for this incredible opportunity and for opening the doors of musical theater for (our daughter). She absolutely LOVES theater, stories, performing, musicals, and music so the integration of all these into one passion outlet is dream come true for her. You've been amazing and a wonderful source of joy for her during a most challenging season of life. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

What a wonderful program you created for our kids to learn and practice their craft. (Our daughter) would light up every Wednesday knowing she got to spend time with her MWT peeps. In times like this, it means even more to give our children positive experiences that bring them joy.”

From the Participants:

I really grew so much as a performer! It was really helpful.”

I loved this workshop so much. It definitely changed all of skills for the better.

Since I am really wanting to continue with the MWT, these workshops were extremely helpful to me because I could get familiar with some of the theater's/director's expectations and styles.”
Our Instructors
Anne Gesling (Administrator, Instructor in Acting, Auditions & Costume Design) is the founder of the Annual Youth Musical and a co-founder of the YES Program at the Morgan-Wixson Theatre. In 34 years at the MWT, she has directed and/or music directed over 150 youth and mainstage productions and served as costume designer on over 50 productions. She has received awards for direction from the National Youth Arts and the NAACP in addition to numerous awards at the MWT. Her passion is working with and training young actors. 
Eve Keller (Administrator,Instructor in Acting & Auditions) has been teaching musical theatre and audition techniques to youth throughout the LA area for over 20 years. She is also a director for YES at the Morgan-Wixson Theatre where she has received nominations for her directing from National Youth Arts. Eve has her Masters in Child Psychology and combines her passion for children’s development with her knowledge of the performing arts to create an inspiring theatrical space to allow young performers to comfortably tap into their artistic gifts. 
Sophie Davidson (Instructor in Musical Theatre Dance and Beginning Tap) is a junior at Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University, studying Musical Theater with a concentration in dance. She’s been involved with the Morgan-Wixson for six years now, both performing in and choreographing several musicals. Sophie is so excited to be back for the first time since the pandemic and can’t wait to share her love of tap and musical theater jazz with the youngins of Los Angeles! 
Rachel Lamell (Instructor in Makeup Design, assist in Stage Combat and Wig Design) is a sophomore at the University of Michigan studying Choral Music Education. She has spent many years mentoring junior theatre companies and teaching private voice lessons. She hopes that after the challenges of the past year, students will feel the joy in returning to performing in person!
Ruby Lapeyre (Instructor in Musical Theatre Dance) is a senior at Venice High School in the WLGS Magnet. She has been performing at the Morgan Wixson for almost 5 years now; you may have seen her play Lucy in You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown and Paulette in Legally Blonde. Besides performing, Ruby has choreographed shows and audition dances at the MWT and works as a counselor for Theatre31.
Marc Antonio Pritchett (Instructor in Stage Combat) works as a Director, Fight Coordinator and Session Singer in Los Angeles. He has over 20 years of stage combat experience. Stage credits include productions at Los Angeles Opera, Opera Pacific, The Sacramento Theatre Company, Rubicon Theatre. Films include The Bacchae, Privateers, Lethal Prey & Soldier of Godwww.marcantoniopritchett.com
Jon Sparks (Instructor in Wig Design, assist in Makeup Design) is thrilled to be working with The Morgan-Wixson Theater. For the past two decades, he has performed, directed, and produced shows all over Los Angeles and Orange County. Jon is a proud member of IATSE Local 706, the Make-Up Artist and Hair Stylist Guild. Jon is an accomplished wig master, having worked at Disneyland as well as many local theaters.
Kristin Towers-Rowles (Instructor in Acting & Auditions) is a Los Angeles native who trained in Acting and Musical Theatre in NYC at AMDA. She has played leading roles in 7 National Tours and in over 100 regional productions all over the USA. As a director, she has directed many award-winning productions of plays and musicals. Kristin has taught Musical Theatre and acting all over Southern California and is a college placement audition coach. She is excited to be back at one of her theatrical homes, The Morgan-Wixson Theatre.
Holly Weber (Instructor in Musical Theatre Dance and Intermediate/Advanced Tap)  trained in dance at Northwestern University and has taught and choreographed for dancers and actors all around Southern California for 16 years. She currently teaches dance and acro to competition dancers at 8 Count Dance Academy in West LA. Holly made her musical theater debut as a child at the MWT and has since performed and danced all over the country. Most recently, Holly was awarded for her performance as Janet Van de Graaff in The Drowsy Chaperone right here on the MWT stage. 
Space is limited!
Register by June 25
Questions? Contact us at YouthWorkshops@morgan-wixson.org.