Our Acting Intensive Teens will study the fundamental building blocks for acting on stage and screen. Students will explore character development through improvisation and text analysis using age-appropriate monologues and scenes from a wide range of published plays. Other specialty workshops will include on-camera acting technique, stage combat, puppetry, and audition skills plus virtual mentor Q&A’s.
Material from from Harry Potter, Into the Woods, Tuck Everlasting, and Alice in Wonderland.
Ages: 12 – 18
Location: Drayton Entertainment Youth Academy (145 Northfield Dr. Waterloo)
Date: Monday, July 28 to Friday, August 1
Hours: 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Cost: $395 plus tax
No audition required
Family Discount: 10% discount for each additional member of the immediate family from the same household.
Multi Class Discount: 10% discount for each additional summer camp attended by the youth/teen.
Indigenous youth under 18 will receive free tuition for Youth Academy training programs. Read More
We strive to ensure that everyone, regardless of financial circumstances, is able to participate. Inquire about our flexible payment plans and financial assistance programs.
To inquire about payment plans, bursaries, and tuition support please contact youthacademy@draytonentertainment.com.
Meet Your Acting Intensive Leader
Eric DaCosta
Eric has been touring the world for the last four years in Hanna Moscovitch’s award-winning show, Old Stock. Previous credits include: Jersey Boys, Annie, Honk!, Snow White: the Panto, Peter Pan: the Panto (Drayton Entertainment); Key Change (Globe Theatre Regina); and Hollywood Hits (Stage West Calgary).
Meet Your Guest Leaders
AJ Bridel – Voiceover
Drayton Entertainment (Select): Lauren in Kinky Boots, Sophie in Mamma Mia!, Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, Peter Pan in Peter Pan: The Panto. Other Theatre (selected): Claire in Chris, Mrs., Sherrie Christian in Rock of Ages (More Ent.), Anne Shirley in Anne of Green Gables (Charlottetown Festival), leading roles in several Ross Petty Pantos, Lauren in Kinky Boots (Mirvish). Film/TV: Odd Squad (TVO Kids), Murdoch Mysteries (CBC), Private Eyes (Global), Voice of Pipp Petals in My Little Pony (Netflix), Caillou (Peacock) Insta and tiktok @ajbridel
Alex Wierzbicki – Hosting For Television
Drayton Entertainment: Doody in Grease. Other theatre (selected): Annas in Jesus Christ Superstar (Thousand Island Playhouse); Keno/Teddy in The Full Monty (Capitol Theatre Port Hope); Neil Sedaka/Righteous Brother in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (StageWest); Donkey in Shrek (Western Canada Theatre); Steve in RENT, Ensemble in Richard II (Stratford Festival); Peter in Peter’s Final Flight (Ross Petty Panto). Film/TV: Host on YTV’s The Zone & The Zone Weekend.
Erick Fournier – Stage Combat
Based out of Toronto, Erick is a bilingual (English/French) actor and performance combat artist and a graduate of the University of Toronto and Sheridan College joint Theatre and Drama Studies program. He is a Certified Fight Instructor with Fight Directors Canada and has taught at educational institutions of all levels, including George Brown College where he currently teaches on faculty at the Theatre School. Erick is also a professional stunt performer and has been a practicing martial artist since the age of 7. Selected credits include: AS FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHER/DIRECTOR- Ghost: The Musical (Starvox Entertainment), Excalibur: La Légende Renaît (ÈSC. St-Frère-André), Hamlet (Unit 102/Freshmint Productions), Mauritius (The Village Players); AS PERFORMER- Murdoch Mysteries, Zik – Season 1 & 2 (TFO), Le Fa Le Do (Théâtre Français de Toronto, *Prix Rideau nomination), The Princess Knight and Sleepy Hollow* (Solar Stage, *Dora Award nomination).
Justin Bott – On Camera Acting
Justin Bott is an award-winning stage, voiceover and film/tv/commercial actor. He’s also a proud dad of two kiddos, a husband, an acting/voiceover coach and an amateur barista!
Recent credits include Cult Hero (Collingwood Film Co), Emerge (TLN Media), Wizard of Oz: The Panto and On Golden Pond (Drayton Entertainment)…and a few commercials. @justin.bott.a.mic @jeybott www.justinbott.com
Stephanie Pitsiladis – Improv
Stephanie made her professional debut in the Mirvish production of Hairspray in 2004 where she was the first Canadian to perform the role of Tracy Turnblad. She has revisited the role across the country multiple times with the Charlottetown Festival, Drayton Entertainment, Rainbow Stage, and Mayfield Theatres.
Stephanie also founded and ran a successful semi-professional theatre program from 2007 – 2011 and coached the Laval Liberty Improv team which competed in the Canadian Improv Games.
Other credits include: Grease, Little Shop of Horrors, Man of La Mancha, Steel Magnolias, Snow White: The Panto, Aladdin: The Panto, The Gefilte Fish Chronicles, The Importance of Being Earnest, History of Rock and Roll: Stars and Stripes, Class of ’63: A Rockin’ Reunion, My Fair Lady, The Christmas Express and Kinky Boots.