2024 Season Sponsor
Thanks to all those who joined us this past March Break for five days of singing, acting and movement. Drayton Entertainment’s Youth Academy proudly presented two training programs featuring Musical Theatre’s greatest Showstoppers!
Ages: 8 – 12
Location: Drayton Entertainment Youth Academy (145 Northfield Dr. Waterloo) and St. Jacobs Country Playhouse (40 Benjamin Rd. E Waterloo)
Date: Monday, March 11 to Friday, March 15
Hours: 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Cost: $395 plus tax
Learn FOUR major production numbers from classic Disney musicals. Performers will receive practical insight into how big musical numbers are rehearsed and performed while they work with Associate Artistic Director David Connolly and professional artists to produce a showcase of classic Disney showstoppers. Building on the fundamentals of singing, acting, and movement, students will develop an understanding of reading sheet music, vocal production, choreography and creating dynamic characters within the ensemble. The Final Showcase will be presented on Friday, March 15 at 3:00 p.m. In addition, students will attend Master Classes with Industry Professionals in Stage Combat, Audition Technique and On Camera Acting.
Ages: 13 – 18
Location: Drayton Entertainment Youth Academy (145 Northfield Dr. Waterloo) and St. Jacobs Country Playhouse (40 Benjamin Rd. E Waterloo)
Date: Monday, March 11 to Friday, March 15
Hours: 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Cost: $395 plus tax
Learn FOUR production numbers from mega-hit Broadway shows. Performers will receive practical insight into how big musical numbers are rehearsed and performed while they work with Associate Artistic Director David Connolly and professional artists to produce a showcase of hit Broadway songs. Building on the fundamentals of singing, acting, and movement, students will develop an understanding of reading sheet music, vocal production, choreography and creating dynamic characters within the ensemble. The Final Showcase will be presented on Friday, March 15 at 4:00 p.m. In addition, students will attend Master Classes with Industry Professionals in Stage Combat, Audition Technique and On Camera Acting.
The March Break Boot Camp will be held at the Drayton Entertainment Youth Academy (145 Northfield Dr. Waterloo) on Monday through to Thursday. On the Friday the Boot Camp will be held at the St. Jacobs Country Playhouse (40 Benjamin Rd. E Waterloo – 3 min drive from the Youth Academy)
Boot Camp Leaders
Jason Franco
Jason is a choreographer / performer / instructor with over 35 years of professional experience. Ever since his first time onstage in ‘The King and I’, dance and theatre have always been a huge part of his life. He studied dance, voice and acting at various studios in Toronto as well as in NYC.
His work as a performer has taken him to many places around the world including The Charlottetown Festival, PEI (‘Anne of Green Gables’), London England’s West End (‘Casper – The Musical’) and NYC, in Chet Walker’s (‘Fosse’ / ‘Pippin’) company ‘8 and ah 1’ as well as dancing with Royal Caribbean Cruises. Locally, Jason has performed for 8 wonderful seasons with Drayton Entertainment (from 2000’s ‘Damn Yankees’ to 2016’s ‘Cinderella – the Panto’). Choreography credits include ‘Shrek’ for KWMP’, revue shows for Paramount Parks, ‘Annie’ & ’Can Can’ for TUTS, and ‘Legally Blonde’ at the Randolph Theatre in Toronto. In addition to these, Jason has choreographed productions for many secondary schools in Vancouver. Working with young and developing talent is one of Jason’s passions and he has been able to do so as an instructor at various studios including Harbor Dance Centre (Vancouver), the Randolph Academy (Toronto), Danse 1,2,3 (Montreal), Element Dance Arts (Cambridge) as well as being on the faculty of Gotta Sing! Gotta Dance! (Vancouver) since 2004.
Aaron Walpole
Acting/Improv
Aaron is excited to be making his Mayfield debut in Rock Of Ages as Lonny which he has performed for Mirvish as well as Drayton Entertainment. Some of his previous theatre credits include Les Miserables (Broadway/Toronto/Tour), Jesus Christ Superstar (Broadway/Japan/ Stratford Festival), Kinky Boots (Tour/Japan), Camelot, Guys ’N Dolls, Anything Goes (Stratford Festival), Grease (Citadel Theatre), Rocky: The Musical, Man Of La Mancha, The Drowsy
Chaperone, West Side Story, You’ll Get Used To It: The War Show (Drayton Ent.), Damn Yankees, One Hit Wonders, Sweet Charity (Stage West). Aaron has also appeared in many film and TV productions over the years and has a self-titled album through Sony/BMG Canada. Enjoy the show!
Special Workshop Faculty
Siobhan and Matt Richardson
Stage Combat Workshop
Matt and Siobhan are professional actors and fight directors. They have over 50 years of professional stage combat experience between them, including performance, teaching (high schools, universities and professional development) and directing fights for hundreds of productions. Their company, Burning Mountain, is committed to continuous professional development for the growth of the art form and the artist. They are known world-wide for their approach to stage combat: centering on the actor’s process and time-tested safety principles, with biomechanical specificity of technique from foundation principles of numerous martial arts.
This STAGE COMBAT workshop is an introduction to the foundations of stage combat, specifically safety practices, and an introduction to scene work with fight choreography. Students will learn the foundation safety concepts with accompanying techniques, how to connect to the actors’ process within a fight scene, and may even try out a very short piece of choreography.
David Connolly
Audition Skills Master Class
David is the Associate Artistic Director of Drayton Entertainment, Director of Education for their Youth Academy and Co-Chair of their EDI Committee. He is also an active Disability and Inclusion Advocate who is deeply committed to changing the statistic of being the only male amputee to have performed on Broadway.
For Drayton Entertainment, he has helmed over thirty-five productions including The Prom, Kinky Boots, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Mamma Mia! Newsies, Singing In The Rain and their beloved Pantos. David is a recipient of The Ontario Premier’s Award of Excellence and speaker for the DEI Committee of the International Musical Theatre Educators’ Alliance. For the past four years, David has curated and moderated a disability inclusion panel at BroadwayCon in New York City to help develop actionable steps to improve disabled representation onstage, and has proudly served as a peer assessor for The Canada Council for the Arts.
David will lead an AUDITION SKILLS workshop focused on both the artistic and business aspects of auditioning. Students will explore all the jobs related to putting on a musical, including casting, plus discuss how to pick appropriate material, how to find out about auditions, representation, unions and overall tips and techniques to gain an edge and feel confident about the process.
Stacy Smith
On-Camera Acting Workshop
Stacy Smith(she/her) is a Genie nominated performer, educator and coach. She has been a professional actor for over 25 years, working in theatres throughout the country and has worked extensively in television and film, with recurring roles on TV in “Rookie Blue” as Zoe Shaw and Sex & Violence starring Olympia Dukakis. Other select film/tv credits include: Law & Order Criminal Intent(Toronto), Monica’s News, Accused, Frankie Drake Mysteries, The Handmaids Tale, Designated Survivor, Murdoch Mysteries, The Detail, Sebastian, Flight of The Butterflies, Blackbird, Jessie Stone, Robson Arms, Relative Chaos, Blessed Stranger, Single Mom, Marion Bridge, Secrets Of Autumn, Wake, Running Into Edna, October 1970, Call Me Fitz, A Town Without Christmas, Heart of A Stranger and The Daily Blade. Theatre experience includes shows with Drayton Entertainment, Theatre Aquarius,
Neptune Theatre, Here For Now, Ships Company, Theatre New Brunswick, Atlantic Theatre Festival, Luna Sea, Off The Leash and Mermaid Theatre. Presently faculty includes Fanshaw College, Acting For Screen and Stage and Theatre Aquarius Theatre School. Other teaching experience includes St. Claire College, The Stratford Festival, Neptune Theatre School, Mohawk College, The Ivey Business School, Dalhousie University, The Foundation for Education, Huron Waves Festival as well as Stacy Smith Coaching which offers online on camera classes and personalized coaching. Stacy is a member of the association of acting coaches and educators.
This ON-CAMERA ACTING workshop is designed to help young performers bring their own life and imagination to actual, age-appropriate TV, voice over and commercial scenes. All students will have time on camera and will work in an encouraging and respectful atmosphere with an experienced film/television/commercial/voice over actor instructor to learn specific and practical skills for auditioning for roles. Learning to use their instincts, adapt to different styles, and take direction are key components of this class.
DJ Carroll
Wizarding Workshop
DJ Carroll is a director, performer, and magician with over 30 years experience in stage combat, improvisation, magic, juggling, special effects makeup and interactive comedy. For 24 of those years, DJ was a high school drama teacher and special education specialist with degrees in both Theatre and Education. He owns and operates the magic and entertainment company, Theatricks, and has led The Battle of Ontario Magicians, The Robin in the Hood Medieval Festival, as well as the Blythe and St Jacobs Harry Potter Festivals. He was the Shakespearean Teacher of the Year at the National Shakespeare Festival for 2010 and 2011, and is the proud recipient of a Waterloo Region Arts Award for Performing Arts.
This WONDROUS WIZARDRY: WHIMSICAL WORKSHOP OF WONDERS will be introduce Wizard Dueling where students will learn the spells, actions and rules of a duel. The workshop is full of magic students engaged in a battle with dramatic ending of course. Then students will participate in a Charms class- where they will learn how to do a magic trick – break it down into the trick versus the “Patter” or acting.
Virtual Guest
Erich Bergen
Virtual Mentor
Erich Bergen is a television, film, and stage actor who starred as Blake Moran on the CBS drama, Madam Secretary, and as Bob Gaudio in the Clint Eastwood-directed feature film, Jersey Boys. Bergen made his Broadway debut starring as Dr Pomatter in Waitress and also appeared in Roundabout Theatre Company National Touring production of Anything Goes as Billy Crocker. Other television credits includeplaying Robert Jones on the final season of Bull, Gossip Girl, Desperate Housewives, Franklin and Bash, Person of Interest, The Tonight Show, and America’s Got Talent. Erich is a cancer survivor and continues to work on behalf of men’s health awareness worldwide. He also dedicates his time fighting for funding for music education in public schools on behalf of the VH1 Save The Music organization.His self-titled debut album and Never Give Up are available on iTunes. @erichbergen
Supervised drop off available at 8:30 a.m. and pick-up until 4:30 p.m.
Please plan to bring water and a packed lunch.