Education Department

Tanglewood Youth Theatre Classes

Break Into Showbiz! Spring Break Camp

Backstage Pass Summer Camp

Adult Theatre Workshops and One-Day Intensives

Tanglewood Youth Theatre Classes

Tanglewood Youth Theatre has long been a successful and inspirational part of children’s creative education in Western North Carolina. The addition of new courses and instructors, as well as the popular favorites that have been offered for years, makes Tanglewood Youth Theatre a wonderful program for all children interested in exploring the exciting world of theatre. Our classes challenge the mind and strengthen theatre skills, helping children to realize and build upon their natural talents and abilities. Our faculty represents some of the finest talent in the area, and we are thrilled to have them at Tanglewood.

We have many exciting ways for your child to discover the excitement of theatre. We have two semesters of daytime and after-school classes that meet an hour a week for 9 weeks. We have a Spring Break camp (Break Into Showbiz!) that meets during the Spring Break for Asheville City and Buncombe County schools. And we have our popular Summer camp (Backstage Pass) that meets for two sessions of two weeks each in June and in July.

Some financial assistance is available for Tanglewood Youth Theatre classes and camps. Click here to download the Financial Assistance Application Form.

Daytime and After-school Classes

Download the Registration Form here!

We're offering two types of classes during our fall and winter semesters. In our Triple Threat! classes, students will be singing, dancing, and acting - all in the same class! Our nine week courses give students the opportunity to sample a little of each type of training, and put it all together into a short piece to share with family and friends. We'll also offer Concentrations in Acting and Improv & Sketch Comedy. The Concentrations will also meet for 9 weeks, and a presentation for family and friends will end each class.

Classes fill quickly, and are filled on a first-come, first-serve basis. Our class size is limited to ensure high quality of education, and we reserve the right to add classes to the schedule or cancel a class based on enrollment. Tuition for the one hour classes is $100, and tuition for the two hour classes is $200. 50% of the tuition must be paid as a non-refundable deposit due at the time of registration. The balance must be paid before the start of the first class.

**UPDATE: Michael MacCauley will teach The Craft for students 10+. We're looking for students who are serious about theatrical training and are looking to take acting to the next level. The Craft will meet from 10:00 am until 12:00 pm for 12 Saturdays beginning February 21 and running through May 16 (no class on Saturday, April 11). Tuition for The Craft is $250.

About our Teachers

Josh Batenhorst is a professional actor who most recently performed with Highland Repertory Theatre and Manifest Complexity. He has directed with the A-B Tech Drama Department, Birth as a part of North Carolina Stage Company's Catalyst Series, and will be directing The Santaland Diaries for Asheville Community Theatre. He teaches theatre at ArtSpace Charter School.

Tom Chalmers is the former Artistic Director of NYC's Gotham City Improv/Groundlings East. He has taught comedy writing and performing for many years and his former students have gone on to write for Saturday Night Live and Sex and the City and appear on Friends, Seinfeld, and Reno 911. A graduate of Columbia University, Tom has studied with the Groundlings, Second City, and comedy icon Del Close. He has written for SHOWTIME, TBS, and the USA Network.

Ginger Haselden is a graduate of Coker College. She has taught private voice and piano lessons for years. She has taught with Asheville Community Theatre during the Break Into Showbiz! Spring Break Camp and the Backstage Pass Summer Camp. Ginger recently did the musical direction for Once on This Island and The Jungle Book at Claxton Elementary and is the musical director for ACT's Disney's Beauty and the Beast and Schoolhouse Rock Live!

Michael MacCauley has been a professional actor, director, writer, and producer for the past 18 years. His acting credits include several off-Broadway productions, a national tour with John Houseman's The Acting Company, a dozen world premieres, guest artist at various regional theatres including Florida Stage, Studio Arena, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Indiana Repertory Theatre and others. He directed Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing for ACT.

Chris Martin is a local actor, stage manager and director. He teaches at Jones Elementary School, where he has been named Teacher of the Year, and directs their annual theatrical productions. Chris recently directed High School Musical for Emmanuel Lutheran and will direct Schoolhouse Rock Live! for Asheville Community Theatre in the spring of 2008. In his spare time, he performs with the OxyMorons Improv Troupe.

Ashleigh Millet is a recent graduate of Manchester Metropolitan University in Cheshire, Engladn. A native of Asheville, Ashleigh has been seen both onstage and behind the scenes for many shows at both Asheville Community Theatre and Haywood Arts Repertory Theatre.

Cary Nichols is a local actress and director. She has appeared onstage at Asheville Community Theatre (Christmas Belles, Run For Your Wife, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof), Hendersonville Little Theatre (Steel Magnolias) and at Haywood Arts Repertory Theatre (The Miss Firecracker Contest, You Can't Take it With You). Cary recently directed 'Night Mother for HART.

Jane Porterfield has directed or assisted in the directing for productions at North Carolina Stage Company, Hendersonville Little Theatre and the YouTheatre program at Flat Rock Playhouse. In addition to teaching at ACT, she teaches at Flat Rock Playhouse and the Asheville Arts Center. Jane has appeared on stage and in commercials and has a degree in theatre from the University of Georgia.

Class Descriptions

Comedy for Teens - Mondays 5:15-6:15

Learn how to think quickly on your feet in improvisation games and get started writing and performing sketch comedy (just like on Saturday Night Live!)

Winter session first class: February 2, 2009

Let's Act! - Tuesdays 4:00-5:00

Planet Earth - in the Future!

What will our world be like in 10 years? 50 years? 1000 years? Put your creative skills to the test in this class where you'll create your own futuristic character while developing acting skills and having fun!

Winter session first class: February 3, 2009

Let's Act! - Tuesdays 5:15-6:15

In Disguise

Do you love costumes and secret identities? Then this is the class for you! We will tackle acting concepts like character, emotion, and setting to create an original piece where you may not know who's who until the final curtain!

Winter session first class: February 3, 2009

Triple Threat! - Wednesdays 4:00-5:00

A performer described as a Triple Threat is one who can sing, dance and act. This class allows students to explore different performance techniques - in a sampler class!

Winter session first class: February 4, 2009

Triple Threat! - Wednesdays 5:15-6:15

Students will work on acting, musical theatre and movement skills, with the final session combining all three categories into one performance! Soloists and group singers welcome!

Winter session first class: February 4, 2009

Contemporary Theatre - Thursdays 5:00-6:00

In this class, emphasis is on improvisation and movement rather than text, freeing you to explore and experiment. Recognizing that movement, gesture, and visual impact are integral in making theatre accessible on a cross-cultural basis, actors will work towards a final performance which will be developed through collaboration. Level of experience is unimportant for this avant garde acting and performance style.

Winter session first class: February 5, 2009

TOP HAT: Home School Acting Troupe - Tuesdays
This class is about learning basic theatre skills and having fun while creating characters and writing a play to be performed for family and friends at the end of the session! Class space is limited.

Winter session first class: February 3, 2009

To register for TOP HAT classes, please contact Cary Nichols at 667-3899 or by email at carynichols@3dkarting.com.

Spring Break Theatre Camp

Download the Registration Form here!

Break Into Showbiz! 2009
Students will spend the day in Musical Theatre, Acting, and Movement & Choreography. Students learn new songs, write a script that links the songs together, and learn choreography that completes the show! It's an opportunity to invent chararacters and stories, learn about plot and dialogue, and create a unified performance piece with peers. The session ends with a performance showcase, so that each child will have a chance to perform on our Mainstage for an audience of family and friends. Class size is limited and spaces fill quickly.

Summer Theatre Sessions

Download the Registration Form here!

Backstage Pass 2009
Our popular summer theatre camp returns for Summer 2009! Younger students will have a chance to work with acting, music, movement, and improvisation through innovation and imagination.   Along with developing other skills, older students will also explore courses that delve deeper into scene and monologue work and split their days between the two major producing theatres in downtown Asheville. Each two-week session culminates with a performance showcase, so that each child will have a chance to perform for an audience of family and friends.

Classes include:

Acting and Improvisation

And ... Cut!

Movement & Choreography

Musical Theatre

Design Crew

To receive a brochure, please contact Jenny Bunn at 254-2939 x21 or email her at jenny@ashevilletheatre.org. Or, click here to read the Frequently Asked Questions about Backstage Pass Summer Camp!

Or, e-mail her at:  jenny@ashevilletheatre.org