High School

Schedule: Monday–Friday, June 8-18 (No Class on Friday, June 19): 11 a.m.–4 p.m. at 30 Grant Ave.
Tuition: $950

Discover the power of William’s words through swordplay! In this 9-day summer camp, students will focus on Shakespeare’s greatest fight scenes: think Tybalt vs. Mercutio, Macbeth vs. Macduff, Helena vs. Hermia! Whether comedic or dramatic, these young artists will take a deep dive into text, learning techniques for decoding complex language and investing fully in rich characterization. Alongside that students will be learning the power that comes from wielding a sword! With an emphasis on safety, technique, and storytelling, stage combat will be woven into the scene work to create compelling and physically dynamic performances. Led by fight director Danielle O’Dea and YC core faculty member Brennan Pickman-Thoon, this intensive will be limited to twelve actors. Classes will be held in-person at our 30 Grant Avenue Studios in San Francisco. Intensives include morning theater classes and an afternoon performance project. There may be some assignments and memorization between classes. This intensive will culminate in a group showing “open class” on the final hour of the final day (June 18) to present material rehearsed in class.

2-Week Acting Intensive: Swords and Shakespeare is for you if:

• You are interested in the world of stage combat and swordplay and/or
• You want to explore Shakespeare and/or
• You’re excited to learn new skills with peers in a fun and rigorous atmosphere

Schedule: Monday–Thursday, June 29–July 2 (no class Friday, July 3): 11 a.m.–4 p.m. at 30 Grant Ave.
Tuition: $400

Dive into scenes with complex characters and layered text from iconic plays in Acting Intensive: Scenes from Stage and Screen. In this 4-day workshop, students will use classic scenes from film, television, and theater in order to build believable characters, analyze text, and respond truthfully to circumstances, scene partners and language. Classes will be held in-person at our 30 Grant Avenue Studios in San Francisco. Intensives include morning theater classes and an afternoon performance project. There will be some assignments and memorization between classes. This intensive will culminate in a group showing “open class” on the final hour of the final day (July 2) to present material rehearsed in class.

4-Day Acting Intensive: Scenes from Stage and Screen is for you if:

• You love acting and are ready to dive deeper into character creation and scene work and/or
• You were inspired to try acting from watching your favorite movie, television show, or play and/or
• You’re interested in pursuing acting in middle school, high school and beyond

Schedule: Monday-Friday, July 6–10: 11 a.m.–4 p.m. at 30 Grant Ave.
Tuition: $475

Building confidence for a strong audition through solid preparation is key! In addition to covering the basics of auditioning—from preparing a dynamic presentation of contrasting monologues to performing cold reads with confidence—this class will explore material selection, text analysis, resumes and headshots, audition etiquette, and how to develop techniques to sustain your place in a competitive arts world. Classes will be held in-person at our 30 Grant Avenue Studios in San Francisco. Intensives include morning theater classes and an afternoon performance project. There will be some assignments and memorization between classes. This intensive will culminate in a group showing “open class” on the final hour of the final day (July 10) to present material rehearsed in class.

1-Week Acting Intensive: Audition Bootcamp is for you if:

• You want to hone your audition and performance skills and/or
• You’re preparing to audition for college or a particular production and/or
• You need help identifying strong material that highlights your strengths as an actor

Schedule: Monday-Friday, August 3-7: 11 a.m.–4 p.m. at 30 Grant Ave.
Tuition: $475

In addition to imagination and a sense of “in the moment” play, the actor’s voice and the actor’s body are elements that need the most development in young actors. In this course, students will unlock the power of creating vibrant, spontaneous characters through physicalization, identifying obstacles, and working to overcome them. Students will explore a variety of approaches, including improvisation exercises and collective creation of devised original work to strengthen overall performance. This class is designed for adventurous and committed actors. Classes will be held in-person at our 30 Grant Avenue Studios in San Francisco. Intensives include morning theater classes and an afternoon performance project. There will be some assignments and memorization between classes. This intensive will culminate in a group showing “open class” on the final hour of the final day (August 7) to present material rehearsed in class.

1-Week HS Acting: Improvisation and Devised Theater Workshop is for you if:

• You have taken some acting classes, and feel like you would like to practice “letting go” a bit on stage through a new approach and/or
• You would like to expand your physical vocabulary and awareness of your own body to deepen your character work and/or
• You are open to new approaches to acting and want to learn more about devised or collective work

The YC Summer Musical Theater Institute is a 2.5-week/14-day intensive designed for advanced high school performers (rising 10th-12th grade) desiring disciplined university-level training in musical theater in preparation for applying to competitive performing arts programs. To learn more and to audition, click here.

Schedule: Monday–Thursday, June 15-18 (No Class on Friday, June 19): 11 a.m.–4 p.m. at 30 Grant Ave.
Tuition: $425

In this 1-week intensive, actors will focus on the nuts and bolts of a professional musical theater audition. Practicing cold reads, song performance, and group dance auditions, students will gain confidence and knowledge about the theater industry and come away with an individualized audition song. Classes will be held in-person at our 30 Grant Avenue Studios in San Francisco. Intensives include morning theater classes and an afternoon performance project with a live accompanist. There may be some assignments and memorization between classes. This intensive will culminate in a group showing “open class” on the final hour of the final day (June 18) to present material rehearsed in class.

4-Day Musical Theater Intensive: Audition Boot Camp is for you if:

• You want to strengthen your musical theater audition skills and/or
• You’re preparing to audition for college or a particular production and/or
• You’ve taken some acting classes before and want to try out a new area of performance

Schedule: Monday–Friday, July 6-17: 11 a.m.–4 p.m. at 30 Grant Ave.
Tuition: $1050

This 1-week intensive focuses on essentials for the “triple threat” musical theater performer: acting, singing, and dancing. Actors will develop performance skills through solo songs, duets, and group dance numbers. Students will dive deeper into developing vocal technique, dance and choreography skills, and acting tools to tell a full story through music using classic songs from Broadway. Classes will be held in-person at our 30 Grant Avenue Studios in San Francisco. Intensives include morning theater classes and an afternoon performance project with a live accompanist. There may be some assignments and memorization between classes. This intensive will culminate in a group showing “open class” on the final hour of the final day (July 17) to present material rehearsed in class.

2-Week Musical Theater Intensive: Triple Threat is for you if:

• You’ve studied musical theater before and want a more intensive, performance-based opportunity to explore it and/or
• You want a deeper dive into acting and vocal techniques and/or
• You’re excited to hone your skills as a “triple threat:” actor, singer, and dancer

Schedule: Monday–Friday, August 3-7: 11 a.m.–4 p.m. at 30 Grant Ave.
Tuition: $525

Hone your musical theater performance skills through this 1-week foray into the Best of Broadway! From classics like West Side Story and Chicago to contemporary favorites like Six and Hamilton, performers will explore characters and songs from iconic Broadway musicals over the last 100 years. Classes will be held in-person at our 30 Grant Avenue Studios in San Francisco. Intensives include morning theater classes and an afternoon performance project with a live accompanist. There may be some assignments and memorization between classes. This intensive will culminate in a group showing “open class” on the final hour of the final day (August 7) to present material rehearsed in class.

1-Week Musical Theater Intensive: Best of Broadway is for you if:

• You love to sing and dance and would like to develop your musical theater skill set and/or
• You’re interested in exploring a wide variety of musical theater styles and shows and/or
• You want a fun and energetic introduction to the world of musical theater

Schedule: Monday–Friday, June 22–26: 11 a.m.–4 p.m. at 30 Grant Ave.
Tuition: $525

Interested in learning more about the on-camera industry? This 1-week introductory course will cover some of most common questions actors have about getting started. Topics will include how to set up profiles on reputable casting platforms with tips on preparing for headshot sessions, materials to include when pitching to agents, commercial auditions techniques, self-tape best practices, on-set etiquette, and more.  Classes will be held in-person at our 30 Grant Avenue Studios in San Francisco. Intensives include morning theater classes and an afternoon performance project. There may be some assignments and memorization between classes. This intensive will culminate in a group showing “open class” on the final hour of the final day (June 26) to present material rehearsed in class.

1-Week On-Camera Intensive: Breaking into the Film Industry is for you if:

• You’ve taken some acting classes and would like to learn more about the film, television, and commercial acting industry and/or
• You’re curious about getting cast in commercial work

Schedule: Monday–Friday, July 20-31st: 11 a.m.–4 p.m. at 30 Grant Ave.
Tuition: $1050

Let’s roll out the red carpet! This 2-week intensive will invite students to create their own short films. Through screenwriting, acting, and directing, actors will learn about the process of producing their own (mini!) movies. For filming components, students will need to bring a smart phone with video capability. (Please email for accommodation if you do not have one.) Classes will be held in-person at our 30 Grant Avenue Studios in San Francisco. Intensives include morning theater classes and an afternoon performance project. There may be some assignments and memorization between classes. This intensive will culminate in a group showing “open class” on the final hour of the final day (July 31) to present material rehearsed in class.

2-Week On-Camera Intensive: Original Short Films is for you if:

• You’ve taken some acting classes and want to deepen your on-camera performance skills and/or
• You love to film short videos and share them online and/or
• You’re excited to write, direct, and act in your own short films!