Explore Theater Basics
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About this event
One of 43 upcoming events at Gorton Center, and 9,643 across Chicago.
Explore Theater Basics Is your child curious about the stage? Then this beginner-friendly drama class is the perfect place to start! Students learn the basics of acting, singing, and dancing. Best of all, fresh activities keep every session fun and engaging. Each week, students improvise, play acting games, and learn new songs and dances. Along the way, they explore characters from beloved stories like Toy Story, Encanto, and The Wizard of Oz. This class welcomes curious beginners and young performers with some experience. In a playful, supportive setting, kids build confidence and spark their creativity. As a result, they grow their drama skills one step at a time. The Demonstration At the end of the session, students host a demonstration for family and friends. They share a mix of games, exercises, and songs that show off the skills they learned. Students sing together in one large group or in several small groups. In addition, each song features simple choreography. Let Your Child’s Imagination Shine! Help your young performer take their first steps on stage. Sign up today! Level One: Explore Ages 5-8 Mondays | 4:30–5:15 PM November 2–December 7, 2026 6 Classes | $200 At Gorton Drama Studio, students learn foundational acting skills through the teaching methods developed by Jeremy Kruse, author of The Young Actor’s Handbook (Applause Acting Series, 2017) and the upcoming The Young Actor’s Technique. Throughout the day, students strengthen stage presence, projection, active listening, and the ability to create believable characters. At the same time, they build confidence, overcome stage fright, and develop valuable communication skills. Most importantly, every class encourages students to discover more about themselves, better understand the world around them, and express themselves through the art of theater. Meet The Gorton Drama Studio Creative Team Jeremy Kruse, Artistic Director of Gorton Drama Studio is the author of “The Young Actor’s Handbook” (Applause Acting Series, 2017).The book was published in Korean and Chinese in 2022. Jeremy is a professional actor, published playwright, award-winning screenwriter, and award-winning filmmaker. Some of the classes he taught at The Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in New York include Method Acting, Comedic Improvisation, Sketch Comedy Writing, and Acting for Film and TV. He graduated from The Strasberg Institute at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts where he majored in drama. Jeremy also teaches privately, one on one www.jeremykruse.com and www.jeremykruseactingtraining.com