Stage Door Conservatory

Our daughter has gone to Stagedoor the last two years and has had a blast.
It’s amazing that the kids can memorize a play, design costumes, design sets all in 2 to 3 weeks. The kids really become independent and learn to work together as a team. She is so excited to go back this year!

They gleefully take your money, then change the musical they’re putting on (last year) and this year they cancelled the entire session wiithout any warning. No word about the refund of our deposit. This may have been a reasonable summer camp for teens interested in musical theatre a few years ago, but now it’s just a bunch of people too disorganized to run a camp at all. Stay away, save your money, save your time.

I can’t say enough good things about this organization! My daughter has performed with Stage Door since she was 7 and she’s now a junior in high school. We stumbled upon SD by accident and saw «Annie». I knew right away that musical theater was going to be my daughter’s passion. Stage Door campers get to dance, sing, learn to act, build sets and props, sew, swim, play and just have a great time creating community with each other. Stage Door is a great introduction to musical theater for any child. Little ones start with two-​weeks sessions where they learn songs, choreography and lines and put on short one-​act plays. They build from that into four and six week camps of intensive (and fun) theater games, acting, learning what it talks to put on a musical and participate in an ensemble. No part is to big or small for Stage Door! Everyone gets stage time and the opportunity to shine creatively.

Every perfomance is a surprise as to how very very talented the performers are. Kids on Stage this year did plays based on Raol Dahl! James and the Giant Peach was as fun for the audience as it was for the performers. This week-​end it is Legally Blonde the Musical. Can’t Wait. Productions have been getting better and better every year.

i went to see the performance of charlie wonka and the chocolate factory and was surprised at the tremendous talent shown by the performers. it was explained at the beginning of the show that the young actors only had two weeks to prepare for their performance. nevertheless, the show was well acted, hilarious and i am glad we have dedicated instructors, directors and volunteers keeping theater by young actors, alive in berkeley, california. keep up the good work. i recommend this theater summer camp to children 7 to 14.

This has to definitely be the best teen theatre company I have every worked with. I vividly remember walking into the place on my first day there (A half-​hour late, as I didn’t know where the place was.) and it being one of the most welcoming theater experiences I have ever had. That was in 2009 when I was in Grease. I’ve since returned in both 2010 and 2012 for Chicago and Sweeney Todd, respectively, and I have to say that it just keeps getting better and better, especially last summer’s production of Sweeney. Without a doubt the best show I have ever been in. The camp director, Simon Kaplan, is the nicest and more caring person ever and knows exactly how to make everyone’s summer experience the best possible. Your child or teen will absolutely fall in love with this place. I know I did.
I can’t wait for next year. :)

KIDS! WHAT“S THE MATTER WITH KIDS TODAY???
A hop, skip and a jump and we were at the stage door of the El Cerrito Performing Arts Theater to see «Bye Bye Birdie» last night. Friday the 13^th it was, but there was nothing unlucky about this performance. It was carried off without a hitch.
Enthusiasm bounded throughout the halls, much of it generated by youthful Thespians wearing 1950s style poodle skirts and bobby socks.
Directed by Simon Kaplan, this production showcased the skills of young actors who studied with Stage Door during the summer months.
Absolutely memorable in her role as «Rosie» was Kiana Jardin who sang and danced her way around her boyfriend/​fiancée Albert, played by Dylan Ames. Oh, and check out the future talent in Rosanna Marsh. She’s fab… and her parents, Robin Marsh and Peter Rozo send mucho kisses. Ya gotta trust me on dis…
The cast was stupendous and the music marvelous. The teens were supported by talented musicians in the orchestra pit who seemed to be okay with being upstaged by dancing, twirling teenagers. The state-​of-​the-​art theater led to some excellent acoustics. And, of course, the stage props were satisfyingly creative.
The audience, well the audience went wild. But then, that’s what one would expect from parents, grandparents and friends of grandparents.
Bouquets were readied in virtually every row of the theatre. I thought perhaps the flowers would be tossed toward the stage at the end of the show, but this was not to be.
I do suspect, however, that there were a lot of Stage Door Johnnies waiting in the wings for that final curtain call. Or maybe the folks milling about were just waiting to chauffeur the younger teens home before curfew.
Anyway, the performance was grand, real, alive. Did I mention enthusiastic?
And it cost just fifteen bucks. There are two more performances this weekend. Catch them if you can. These kids will hit the great white lights soon enough. Trust me, yet again.
«The last time I trusted you we had twins! «
Okee, dokey, have it your way… just get with the program and subscribe. I thank you, my momma thanks you. The twins thank you.