Do you have a young performer in your house who is looking to develop their artistic skills? At the Great Big Theatre Company locations across the GTA and Southern Ontario, their Fall Classes offer dynamic acting, drama and theatre arts programs throughout the school year. In twelve-week sessions, on weekdays or on Saturdays, GBTC’s enthusiastic and caring staff creates a warm, supportive environment where students aged 6-13 can discover the exciting world of theatre.
These weekly programs cover many inspirational subjects, including plays, mime, improvisation, theatre games, musical theatre, and backstage work. New this year, visiting guest artists and specialists will bring their expertise to classes around the region, helping participants learn to explore mime, stage combat, costume design and improvisation. Then, the Fall session concludes in an amazing performance put on for friends and family!
GBTC’s Theatre Arts Fall Classes
GBTC’s Theatre Arts Program offers performance-oriented theatre and musical theatre programs for students, set in an environment that is focused yet flexible. Each engaging class covers new, exciting and challenging content, so the kids never get bored!
The contemporary and dynamic sessions aim to spark the interests of today’s youth with exciting and varied content. Every new session offers challenging new activities, concentrating on personal growth, imagination and creativity. Furthermore, they provide a graduated approach to developing the skills and confidence of the young performers.
Young students in the Junior Program (ages 6 -8) develop basic drama and self-presentation skills through voice, movement, simple songs, and traditional stories. Next, the intermediate-level students (ages 9-13) continue their development through both scripted and unscripted work, as well as playwriting, improvisation, stage presentation elements, character development, and musical theatre basics.
Junior Program (Ages 6-8)
The Junior Program is a fun introduction to the dramatic arts in one action-packed hour each week! The wide variety of fun activities includes acting out short plays, storytelling, role-playing and improvisation, mime, mask-making, creative movement, and fun theatre games.
Further class elements include:
- Storytelling — Children learn to think creatively and develop empathy. Experienced coaches guide them in exploring their imagination and in expressing feelings through drama.
- Role-playing — Based on diverse age-appropriate themes, students work on acting out short stories and plays.
- Movement and Music — To help develop physical coordination, groups work on short movement routines set to music, all while developing listening skills.
- Vocal exercises — To contribute to their growth in public speaking and leadership skills, students learn to speak with clarity to gain overall personal confidence.
Fees: 12 weeks (12 hours) — $210.00 per child
Intermediate Classes (Ages 9-13)
Great Big Theatre Company’s Intermediate Classes are a special way for older and more experienced artists to get creative and make new friends, too! Extending their class time to 90 minutes, these classes keep participants busy, working on short plays and scripted work, improvisation and mime, musical theatre, stage combat, commercials, public speaking, mask-making, costume design, character development, theatre games and exercises, stage set and lighting design.
During the rehearsal sessions, everyone comes together to prepare their presentation and get everything ready to share their efforts with an audience. At long last, the culminating presentation for parents and friends takes place at the last class of each workshop session.
Additional class elements include:
- Producing and Performing a Play — Students form problem-solving skills through the active involvement in scripted plays and dramatic scenes.
- Role play and Characterization — Participants develop their stage presence through the use of such tools as tableaux, positioning, stage blocking, direction and vocalizing. Also included are improvisation, reader’s theatre and musical theatre.
- Technical Terms — Students learn appropriate theatrical terms to communicate ideas in a dramatic context.
- Movement and Music — Participants express themselves through movement routines, free-style improvisations and dance choreography set to music.
- Vocal exercises and Song — Students learn how vocal spontaneity and clarity can be expressed through song, such as choral pieces and vocal exercises.
Fees: 12 weeks (18 hours) — $310.00 per child
All class sizes are limited to fourteen participants, so be sure to register early to reserve your place here!
Great Big Theatre Company Fall Classes
Date: September — December 2026
Venue: Locations in Burlington, Cambridge, Georgetown, Guelph, Hamilton (2 locations), London, Markham, Mississauga, Oakville, Richmond Hill, St. Catharines, Toronto (3 locations), Waterloo, Whitby
Phone: 905-628-9747 (Toll-Free 1-866-864-4282)
Email: onstage@gbtc.com
Facebook: @greatbigtheatrecompany
Instagram: @greatbigtheatre
Website: www.gbtc.com
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