For 25 years, Next Actors: Summer Theatre for Teens has emboldened high school students in Milwaukee and surrounding areas to recognize their value and connect artistically to their community.
Join with professional theatre artists and other Milwaukee teens to develop your theatrical skills and devise a performance piece to share with family, friends and the community.
This year, Next Actors: Summer Theatre for Teens will consist of two shorter, two-week sessions. Join us for either or both of them, and your participation in at least one qualifies you to join our tour week and combined finale presentation! Additionally, before our first session, we will offer an Optional Playwriting Workshop.
New this year: Every day of Sessions One and Two will end with a variety of guest artists hosting workshops for Next Actors. Choose from a variety of workshops taught by professionals on singing, dance, improvisation, poetry, stage combat, TTRPG writing and playing, scenic painting, sound design and composing, puppetry, playwriting, costuming, stage management, theatre hair and makeup and more!
2024 Schedule
Optional Playwriting Workshop: A deep dive into playwriting after school in the two weeks leading up to the camp. A great opportunity to get practice and meet some of your fellow campers before full sessions begin, or a good option for those too busy during the rest of the summer. Snacks and bus passes provided. June 3rd – June 14th; Mondays – Fridays, 3 – 5 p.m.
Session One: Meet daily with your fellow Next Actors to collaborate and combine your skills to create a few small performance pieces, while learning a variety of unique theatre skills from local professionals. Workshops will include: music ensemble building, improvisation, poetry, lighting, stage combat and more to be announced! This will culminate in a public performance at Next Act Theatre on Saturday, June 29th. Lunch, snacks and bus passes provided. Session One runs June 17th – June 28th; Mondays – Fridays, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.; with a presentation on Saturday, June 29th.
Session Two: Meet daily with your fellow Next Actors to collaborate and combine your skills to expand on last session’s pieces or create new ones, all while learning a variety of unique theatre skills from local professionals. Workshops to include: stage combat, writing and improv for TTRPGs, lighting, playwriting, sound design and composition, poetry and more to be announced! This will culminate in a public performance at Next Act Theatre on Saturday, July 20th. Lunch, snacks and bus passes provided. Session Two runs July 8th – July 19th; Mondays – Fridays, 9 a.m. -3 p.m.; with a presentation on Saturday, July 20th.
Tour Week: Combine any and all of our previous work into a touring show to take around to the community! Anyone who participated in Session One or Session Two is welcome to join us for any amount of time on tour. Snacks, lunch, and bus passes provided. Tour week will be July 22nd – July 27th; Monday – Friday, approximately 9 a.m. -3 p.m.
Combined Finale Presentation: Any student who participated in Session One or Session Two is invited to be part of our Combined Finale Presentation, where we will adapt our touring show into a final piece and perform it publicly at Next Act’s professional 152-seat theatre. Snacks, food and bus passes provided. The Finale will be in the afternoon of July 27th, with a required tech rehearsal taking place that morning.
For more information about this program, check our FAQ or email pia@nextact.org.