Acting Schools for Kids - Drama Classes

The Beverly Hills Playhouse acting school offers Young Actor and Teen Acting Classes for actors ages 7-17! Taught by Emmy Award Winner Melissa Hayden, the acting for kids classes incorporate scene study, exercises, as well as information forums for both parents and young actors.

TWO CLASSES OFFERED

Ongoing: year-round Youth & Teen Acting Classes are on Saturdays from 1-4pm at $50 per class.  

Summer Intensive: This year we are proud to offer a special Youth & Teen Summer Intensive Acting Class. It features three classes per week, Q&A sessions with working actors, an industry invited final showcase, and a filmed showcase scene ready for your young actor's reel.  The Youth & Teen Summer Intensive Acting Class begins Monday, June 20, at 10:00am and runs Mondays and Wednesdays from 10am-2pm, and Saturdays from 1pm-4pm. There are no classes July 2, or 4th, but class will resume July 6. There will be a technical rehearsal for the final showcase August 6, and performances of the final showcase August 7th. Times for these to be determined.  

The price for the entire 6 week Youth & Teen Summer Intensive Acting Class is $750.  All classes are held at the Beverly Hills Playhouse, 254 South Robertson Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90211  If you would like to enroll your young actor you can fill out the registration form call 323 657-5933 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

ABOUT THE CLASSES

In line with the ideals of the adult acting classes at the BHP conceived by Milton Katselas, the acting for kids classes offer a straightforward, no-nonsense approach to the work. Actors will gain confidence, discipline and focus with the chance to grow, explore their creativity, emotionality and imagination.

Melissa Hayden

Instructor Melissa Hayden began dancing at the age of 3, and was a working child actor from the age of 13. She was directed by John Huston in a film and later won a Soap Opera Digest Award, a Youth in Film Award, and an Emmy Award. She then studied with Milton Katselas for ten years, and has been a longstanding member of the BHP.

Melissa worked as an on-set coach for five years on Guiding Light, worked in a pre-school for three years in Santa Monica, and has spent the last nine years doing art, music and performance with special needs children around Los Angeles.

Class Structure

The core of the BHP acting process - Acting, Attitude, and Administration - will be taught in these classes.

ACTING: The classes in the BHP Young Acting School are on-going scene study-based classes. The two-hour class will involve exercises including warm-ups, improvisation games, personal monologues, song and dances, environmental exercises, and cold reads in addition to scene study—just as in the BHP's adult acting classes. Scripts will be available for both cold-reading exercises and for scenes, and the young actors are encouraged to bring material that they would like to work on, including scripts from films and audition sides. An audio recording of every critique will be available online for later review.

Attitude

The professional ethic in the classes is geared towards getting the young actors working in the industry. Professional attitude and work ethic are expected from the students. Policies are basic: Be on time, be prepared, and support your fellow artists.

Administration

In addition to the acting classes, there will be offered the occasional parent workshops and industry showcases.

The workshops will focus on educating parents on topics such as setting up your child’s acting website, standard industry and agent contracts, when to hire a lawyer, child labor laws, how to submit your child for jobs online, and much more. Information will be available as dates are set.