You will create a brand-new play in seven hours. You start the day by picking an original creature that you will be in our play. You will decide what type of creature you are. Do you fly, swim, crawl on the ground? Maybe you are a robot? Which of the other creatures are your friends? Are you afraid of any of them? Draw pictures of what you look like and start deciding how you will play with the other creatures. Through a series of theater games, we create a story for our characters. Then you create masks and simple costumes. You will decide on what the world looks like that our creatures live in and create a simple set. Finally, after a little rehearsal, we will present our play for our family and friends at 3:30pm.
1 day session Ages: 5-14 yrs. Day: Saturday Date: 11/28 Time: 9:00 am-4:00 pm D/ND Fee: $50/$60 per session Location: Community Center Code: 264811E Min/Max: 4/10 *Please have students come with lunch.
Stage Combat Advanced Found Objects
This class is for students with prior stage combat skills. This class will teach students armed stage combat for the theater using “Found Objects” for the fights! With a concentrated focus on partnership, safety, and storytelling through movement. Focus on hand-to-hand combat and quarterstaff. Learning how to understand and apply basic stage combat techniques in a safe and effective manner -- Develop a better sense of awareness, balance, control, and coordination. Learn partnering skills that include clear communication and trust. We will present a group fight at the final session for friends and family.
Must have instructor approval to register
8 weeks Ages: 9-13 yrs. Day: Mondays Date: 9/14-11/9 *No class 10/12 Time: 4:00-5:00 pm D/ND Fee: $65/$75 Location: Community Center Code: 264811B Min/Max: 4/10
Stage Combat Beginners Basics
Learn the basics of unarmed fighting for the stage in this class covering the basics of tumbling and stage combat. Learn how to safely execute individual actions (such as falls, rolls, and somersaults) as well as partner-based actions (such as pushes, slaps, punches, kicks, and hair-pulls). We will cover how to do this all in a safe and fun manner. We will also learn respect for our bodies and others. We will present a group fight at the final session for friends and family.
8 weeks Ages: 9-12 yrs. Day: Mondays Date: 9/14-11/9 *No class 10/12 Time: 5:00-6:00 pm D/ND Fee: $65/$75 Location: Community Center Code: 264811A Min/Max: 4/10
Ready, Set, Act
Learn the basic skills of acting through theater games and exercises. We will explore the physical and emotional aspects of creating a character. Each actor will learn a short scene, the “same one”- and through this, learn how dialogue can help shape a character! This class will end with a showcase of their work for family and friends!
Bring your fun and creative self to a weekly hour of theatre games! This is a class to stretch your creativity - from improvisation games to ensemble building games - this class is for the enthusiastic actor who wants to wring the fun out of every moment on the stage! This class will end with a showcase of their new improvisation and stage skills!
Every great production begins with the right people in the room. During this session, we are prioritizing our actors by selecting the perfect script only after our ensemble is finalized. Your presence directly determines the story we tell, ensuring a production that fits our cast perfectly.
Students will rehearse twice a week as they prepare for a full weekend of live performances. From auditions to opening night, they’ll experience every part of a real production—costumes, lighting, props, and sound included! Along the way, they’ll learn to work as a team, build characters, memorize lines, and help create props and costumes. A fun, hands-on way to discover the magic of theater!
Ages: 8-17 yrs. Day: Tuesdays & Thursdays Date: 9/8-12/10 *No class 11/3, 11/24, 11/26 Time: 4:30-6:30 pm D/ND Fee: $250/$280 Location: the Studio Code: 264815A Min/Max: 10/10
Performances: Friday, December 11, 2026 @ 7:00 pm Saturday, December 12,2026 @ 2:00 pm Sunday, December 13, 2026 @ 2:00 pm
Tickets:
$10 for adults $5 for children 4-12 yrs.
Purchase tickets by calling (708)749-4900 or visit us @ 1619 Wesley Ave.
*This show is subject to enrollment numbers and may be changed to meet the cast size.
*New Berwyn’s Got Talent Calling All Stars!
Do you have a talent that can wow a crowd? Singers, dancers, comedians, magicians, musicians, spoken word artists, cultural performers, and more — this is your moment to shine!
Berwyn’s Got Talent is your chance to perform live in front of an excited audience and a panel of three judges ready to be amazed. Whether you’re a seasoned performer or stepping onto the stage for the first time, we want to see what makes you unique!
Performance Guidelines:
· Acts must be 3 minutes or less · Performances must be appropriate for all ages · Open to all types of talent
15 Total Acts:
To sign up, email mdimaso@nbpd4fun.org Include your name, phone number, and a short audition video Submissions accepted 9/1–9/15 Selected participants (15 total) will be notified by October 1 Participants must provide all elements for their act
Prizes Awarded:
The Top three performers will receive special prizes and bragging rights as Berwyn’s brightest stars! Bring your energy, creativity, and confidence — and show us what you’ve got! Berwyn’s Got Talent… and that talent could be YOU!
Ages: all ages welcome Day: Saturday Date: 11/7/2026 Time: 2:00 pm D/ND Fee: FREE! Location: Joseph C. Vallez Activity Center, 1529 Harlem Ave.
1st Mondays, “Let Me Tell You!” A Curated Story Telling Jam
hosted by 2-time Moth winner Errol McLendon
Everyone tells stories. At family gatherings. In bars and coffee shops. Here is your opportunity to share your personal stories with your community. Stories can be funny or poignant. About love or tragedy, or maybe both. They can be about something you learned or something you wish you had never done. Something historic you witnessed or were a part of.
Submit a description of a 7 - 8 minute story you would like to tell to errol.mclendon@gmail.com to be included in an evening of friends sharing stories with friends. First time tellers are welcomed and encouraged.
A free Zoom workshop will be offered two weeks prior to each show to help enhance your story in a relaxed, informal environment. One-on-one coaching will also be available.
Ages: 18+ yrs. Day: Monday Date: 8/3, 9/14, 10/5, 11/2, 12/7 Time: 7:00-9:00 pm Fee: Free Location: Joseph C. Vallez Activity Center * Snacks, soda, beer, and wine will be available for purchase throughout the show.
Still Doing It Two person show
Still Doing It is Val & Jeff Gee telling the story of their life the only way they know how—honest, funny, and occasionally a little messy. Two immigrants. A long marriage. A lot of miles and a lot of stories. From raising kids to raising eyebrows, from cars that barely made it up hills to moments that changed everything, they look back (and sometimes sideways) at how they got here—and why they’re still laughing.
It’s about love, survival, culture clashes, bad decisions, good music, and the strange, beautiful business of building a life together. Mostly, it’s about this: after everything… they’re still doing it.
Bio: Life’s a blast with Val & Jeff Gee. Married in 1970. Irish twins circa ‘73. Flew across the pond in ‘83. Started their own business in ‘85. Became American citizens. Acquired two sons-in-law. Got 3 grandkids. Did all kinds of crazy stuff like climbing to Base Camp, Mount Everest, Val going all spiritual and shaving her head; Jeff beating cancer; starting a comedy Fawlty Service dining business in Lake Forest, hired to do standup comedy on the train from Wilmette to Chicago, performing The Queen and Prince Phillip at the Winnetka Follies to drowning in the recession, climbing back out, writing books, telling stories, and still keeping their corporate business afloat after 38 years. Their target audience is everyone who wants to laugh out loud at life.
Performances: This is an 18+ show
September 18, 2026 @ 7:00 pm September 19, 2026 @ 7:00 pm September 20, 2026 @ 2:00 pm
Tickets: $15 Performance Location: the Studio 6300 W. 19th Street, Berwyn, IL 60402 Purchase tickets by calling (708) 749-4900 or visit us @ 1619 Wesley Avenue *Tickets available for purchase at the door
Save Your Programs Nothing prevents a good program from running more than waiting until the last minute to register for it. Classes that have a low enrollment are generally cancelled approximately one week prior to the first meeting date. Please register for your programs as early as possible to avoid cancellations. _____________________________________________________________________
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