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, and 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, the Homeschool Acting Class on Mondays is $150, and the Home School Acting Troupe on Fridays is $175. 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.

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.

Lindsay Garner recently came to the Asheville area from Orlando, Florida, where she studied theatre at the University of Central Florida and lighting design at Valencia Community College. She has spent the past several summers heading up the drama program at Camp Merrie-Woode in Sapphire, North Carolina. She has directed several youth productions including Crazy For You, Into the Woods, Godspell, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, and Singin' in the Rain.

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!

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.

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

Home School Acting Class - Mondays 1:00-2:30

This class will unleash your imagination through theatre games, pantomime and storytelling. We'll use improvisation and scripted scenes and monologues, and when we add in a little singing and a little movement, we'll have a well rounded performance!

Fall session first class: September 17

Winter session first class: January 14

Improvisation - Mondays 4:00-5:00

Improvisation stimulates the imagination, strengthens acting skills and most importantly, it's fun! Learn the art of improv through games and storytelling in this fast paced and exciting class!

Fall session first class: September 17

Winter session first class: January 14

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!)

Fall session first class: September 17

Winter session first class: January 14

Beginning Acting - Tuesdays 5:15-6:15

Unleash your imagination through theatre games, pantomime and storytelling. We'll us improvisation and scripted pieces for this introductory class! A fun class for the actor who's just beginning, or the young actor with some experience.

Fall session first class: September 18

Winter session first class: January 15

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!

Fall session first class: September 19

Winter session first class: January 16

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!

Fall session first class: September 19

Winter session first class: January 16

Advanced Acting - Thursdays 5:15-6:15

In this class, students will delve deeper into character work in scenes and in monologues. For the student who has previous acting experience.

Winter session first class: January 17

Home School Acting Troupe - Fridays 10:00-12:30
Home school students ages 8 and up are invited to audition for the Home School Acting Troupe! Students will rehearse and perform a short production, which will tour locally. Enrollment in the troupe is by audition only, and tuition fee will be collected upon acceptance into the Troupe. Audition dates are Friday, August 31 for the Fall Troupe and Friday, December 14 for the Winter Troupe. For an audition appointment, please contact Cary Nichols at 667-3899 or by email at cary@3dkarting.com.

Fall session first class: September 21

Fall session tour dates: Nov. 30, Dec. 7, 14, 18

Winter session first class: January 18

Winter session tour dates: March 14, 21, 28 and April 1

Spring Break Theatre Camp

Download the Registration Form here!

Break Into Showbiz! 2008
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 2008
This summer, Asheville Community Theatre and North Carolina Stage Company partner to bring NEW classes to more students in more theatres! 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!

Registration for Backstage Pass 2008 is now open. Some financial assistance is available. Click here to download the Financial Assistance Application Form.

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