The Morgan-Wixson's
YOUTH WORKSHOPS
ARE BACK!
Spring Session begins February 1
The Morgan-Wixson Theatre and the Youth Education / Entertainment Series (YES) have been working with youth actors and delighting audiences from throughout the Los Angeles area for over 25 years. 
This educational program, having just completed an extremely successful session of workshops, is now offering new classes for all levels of experience from the novice to the advanced. 
A highly skilled team of theatre artists is leading sessions in vocals, dance, acting, audition preparation and self-tape techniques.  
We hope you will join us!
Location: All Workshops will take place online via Zoom. Details will be provided upon registration.

Dates: All Workshops begin the week of February 1, 2021
for 15 sessions
ending May 24, 2021.  
There will be a 2-week spring break from March 29 through April 11.
Tuition: The tuition for each workshop is listed below.
Our goal is for total inclusion and we realize that there will be families that cannot afford this opportunity given current circumstances.
If you are unable to pay all or part of the tuition, we are accepting students on a “pay what you can” basis. There is no need to apply for a scholarship or to provide financial information.
If your family is able to donate an amount above the tuition to help support this program, we will provide you with a donation letter for your tax return. We thank you for your support!
Intro to Theatre
Goal: To introduce novice artists to all aspects of theatre
by teaching fundamental skills.

For youth with very little or no previous theatre experience and/or training. 
Mondays, 4:00-5:00 pm for ages 9 -11 (currently in 4th or 5th grade)
Tuesdays, 4:00-5:00 pm for ages 12 - 14 (currently in 6th through 8th grade)
 Students will work on basic theatre techniques including Improv Skills, Acting and Scene Work, Voice, Musical Theatre Auditions, and Dance.
Tuition:  $275
Instructors:  Eve Keller, Jenae Thompson, Rachel Lamell, Maggie Randolph,
Ruby Lapeyre, and Mirai Booth-Ong
Foundations
Goal: To build upon basic knowledge and expand skills with specific acting and voice techniques.

For youth who have some experience and/or training (private lessons, Kids on Stage, YADA, or a similar program), who have completed 3 or 4 YES shows, or who have completed the Fall Workshop Intermediate 1. This workshop is a prerequisite for Advanced Acting and Building Your Book.
Wednesdays, 4:00-5:30 pm for ages 9-14  
The first half of the session focuses on learning the Stanislavski acting technique and applying those skills to scene work. The second half consists of two concurrent sessions of either group Voice Training or Vocal Musical Auditions. The instructors will guide each student into the appropriate session.
Includes two 45-minute sessions of private instruction per student during Voice or Vocal Musical Auditions.
Tuition:  $400
Instructors:  Mirai Booth-Ong, Jenae Thompson, Maggie Randolph, and  Rachel Lamell
Advanced Acting
Goal: Continued application of acting techniques with an emphasis on cold reading, monologues and deepening skills in scene work.

For youth who have completed the Fall Workshop Intermediate 2 or Advanced Sessions.
Wednesdays, 4:00-5:30 for ages 13-17
Building Your Book 
for
Musical Theatre Auditions
Goal: To expand the student's audition book with songs from each musical genre while learning an overview of the history of musical theatre and developing skills through practice auditions.

For youth who have completed the Fall Workshop Intermediate 2 or Advanced Sessions.
Thursdays, 4:00-5:30 for ages 13-17
Students will explore the various periods of musical theatre history from Operetta to the present adding a song from each period to their Audition Book. They will also continue working on audition techniques and the System of Wants as it applies to song.
Includes three 45-minute sessions of private instruction per student.
Tuition:  $400*  
Instructors:  Anne Gesling and Kristin Towers-Rowles
*It is highly recommended that students who have completed the Fall Workshop Intermediate 2 or Advanced sessions take both Advanced Acting and Building Your Book. If you do choose to take both, tuition will be discounted to $600 for both classes combined. (Taking both is not required.)
Additional Training Modules
Designed to be taken along with one of the workshops above—
or on their own
Self-Tape Techniques for Theatre, Film and Television
April 9 through May 15 (7 sessions)
Fridays from 4:00 to 5:30
For ages 11-18
With the advent of the coronavirus, self-tape auditions are now the norm and will likely continue after the pandemic. This workshop will cover the equipment requirements for a successful self-tape (at all price levels) and the on-camera techniques needed for theatre, film and television.
Tuition: $150 as a single module or
$100 in combination with a workshop above
Instructors: Maggie Randolph and Jax Malcolm
Basic Musical Theatre Dance
February 15 through March 15
(5 sessions)
Fridays from 4:00 to 5:00
For ages 9-18
Tuition: $100 as a single module
or $75 in combination with a workshop above
Instructor: Mirai Booth-Ong
Beginning Tap
April 19 through May 24 (6 sessions)
Saturdays from 10:30 to 11:30
For ages 9-18
Tuition: $100 as a single module
or $75 in combination with a workshop above
Instructor: Krystal Jasmin Combs
More info about our workshops
Workshop Placement: It is our goal that each participant has the most beneficial experience. Please email us if you would like guidance to find the workshop that most fits your student’s needs. In addition, our administrators may wish to move a participant into a different class depending on the student’s past experience and will consult with the student and parent(s) as needed.

Workshop Materials: Each participant needs a device (laptop, PC, MAC or tablet) with camera and sound capabilities, internet access, and the Zoom app downloaded. If you need help obtaining any of these, please contact us. 

Registration: Limited Enrollment - please register by Monday, January 24 to reserve your place. 
If we receive a high volume of requests, we will consider adding workshops that would be scheduled during the same time frames based on instructor availability.  

To register workshops, please click here for the registration form.
Praise for our Fall Session
From Parents/Guardians:

“You were all wonderful and so encouraging to the students. Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

“My child grew because of the constructive feedback that was provided by the instructors.”

“… wanted to thank you all SO MUCH for this incredible opportunity and for opening the doors of musical theater for (our daughter). She absolutely LOVES theater, stories, performing, musicals, and music so the integration of all these into one passion outlet is dream come true for her. You've been amazing and a wonderful source of joy for her during a most challenging season of life. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts!”

“What a wonderful program you created for our kids to learn and practice their craft. (Our daughter) would light up every Wednesday knowing she got to spend time with her MWT peeps. In times like this, it means even more to give our children positive experiences that bring them joy.”

From Participants:

“I really grew so much as a performer! It was really helpful.”

“I loved this workshop so much. It definitely changed all of skills for the better.”

“Since I am really wanting to continue with the MWT, these workshops were extremely helpful to me because I could get familiar with some of the theater's/director's expectations and styles.”
Our Instructors
Anne Gesling (Administrator and Instructor of Foundations, Advanced Acting and Building Your Book, Advanced Acting and Building Your Book) is the founder of the Annual Youth Musical and a co-founder of the YES Program at the Morgan-Wixson Theatre. In 34 years at the MWT, she has directed and/or music directed over 150 youth and mainstage productions and served as costume designer on over 50 productions. She has received awards for direction from the National Youth Arts and the NAACP in addition to numerous awards at the MWT. Her passion is working with and training young actors. 
Eve Keller (Administrator and Instructor of  Intro to Theatre, Acting and Musical Theater Audition Techniques) has been teaching musical theatre and audition techniques to youth throughout the LA area for over 20 years. She is also a director for the YES program at the Morgan-Wixson Theatre where she has received nominations for her directing from National Youth Arts. Eve has her Masters in Child Psychology and combines her passion for children’s development with her knowledge of the performing arts to create an inspiring theatrical space to allow young performers to comfortably tap into their artistic gifts. 
Mirai Booth-Ong (Instructor in Acting for Intro and Foundations and Dance) has been directing and choreographing youth theatre for over 10 years and has been performing for young audiences even longer than that! She has worked on numerous TV shows and films, in theatres across the country, and also does voice over and audiobook narration. More than anything she loves to share her love of theatre and performing with kids and help to train the next generation of storytellers. Mirai holds a BFA from Elon University.
Rachel Lamell (Instructor in Voice for Intro and Foundations) is a sophomore at the University of Michigan studying Choral Music Education. She has spent many years mentoring junior theatre companies and teaching private voice lessons. She hopes that despite the world’s current situation, students can still learn and enjoy musical theatre from their own home.
Ruby Lapeyre (Instructor in Dance for Intro, Dance Assistant for all other dance sessions) is a senior at Venice High School in the WLGS Magnet. She has been performing at the Morgan Wixson for almost 5 years now; you may have seen her play Lucy in You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown and Paulette in Legally Blonde. Besides performing, Ruby has choreographed shows and audition dances at the MWT and works as a counselor for Theatre31.
Jax Malcolm (Instructor in Self-Tape Techniques) is an award-winning actor and filmmaker who's garnered 10 awards and many nominations for his visionary work. Jax stars in the new holiday film Jingle Trails, now streaming on Amazon Prime, and is a rising TikTok creator with millions of views. Jax is best known for his nominated work as an actor on The CW's "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend," FOX's "The Other Side of the Door," and FX's "The League." Jax won both a Young Entertainer Award and Young Artists Academy Award as Best Young Actor for his Music Video “Run Run Rudolph.” Jax also stars in the YouTube series "Conservation Invasion" that teaches environmental stewardship to children. Jax lends his star power as a celebrity Ambassador to Heal the Bay, SNPLA, and the Starlight Children's Foundation. 
Maggie Randolph (Instructor in Voice and Musical Theatre Audition Techniques for Intro and Foundations) is a musical theater actress who moved from performing in multiple productions to working in theater education. Since moving back home to Los Angeles she has worked with children to find their voices through song, through many theater productions, and through the many stories she’s collected about her travels as a performer herself.
Jenae Thompson (Instructor in Acting and Musical Theatre Audition Technique for Intro and Foundations) attended Azusa Pacific University majoring in Theatre Arts and English with a Creative Writing emphasis. She has performed in national tours and now infuses her passions for theatre and the arts into her business, SayQuoi Entertainment, as well as into her role as Associate Producer of the Theatre Department with ChoZen Productions in Los Angeles, CA. 
Krystal Jasmin Combs (Instructor in Beginning Tap) has performed, choreographed, and taught dance in Los Angeles for MWT, MTV networks, national concert tours, music videos, various charities, local theaters, dance studios including Jilly Jazz Dance Arts, and several public and private schools. Krystal has choreographed 18 musicals here at MWT including many YES shows. Krystal holds two teaching credentials, a Master’s Degree in Education, and teaches humanities, mathematics, fine and performing arts.
Kristin Towers-Rowles (Instructor in Advanced Acting and Building Your Book) is a Los Angeles native who trained in Acting and Musical Theatre in NYC at AMDA. She has played leading roles in seven National Tours and in over 100 regional productions all over the USA. As a director, she has directed many award-winning productions of plays and musicals. Kristin has taught Musical Theatre and acting all over Southern California and is a college placement audition coach. She is excited to be back at one of her theatrical homes, The Morgan-Wixson Theatre. 
We are looking forward to a fun, educational, and inspirational spring session!

Please enroll as soon as possible, by January 24, to ensure that we have space for every student who wants to participate.

If you have any questions, please contact us at 

For information on our new classes for adults, click here.