Experience books in a whole new way! Classic stories come to life. During the 8-week session we will take a journey through a favorite work of children’s literature. This one-hour class is designed for children ages 4- 5 years old as a great introduction to the magical world of theatre. Our acting sessions allow budding young actors to role play and practice improvisation and storytelling. The final class will have a presentation for family and friends.
*Cancelled due to low interest Ages: 4-5 yrs. Day: Saturdays Dates: 9/14-11/2 Time: 9:00-10:00 am D/ND Fee: $50/$60 Location: Community Center Code: 264811D Min/Max: 4/10
Bring your fun and creative self to a weekly hour of theater 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 8-week class will end with a showcase of their new improvisation and stage skills!
*Cancelled due to low interest Ages: 6-10 yrs. Day: Wednesdays Dates: 9/11-10/30 Time: 4:30-5:30 pm D/ND Fee: $50/$60 Location: Joseph C. Vallez Activity Center Code: 264811B Min/Max: 4/10
Adult Acting is a class for adults looking to explore acting techniques in scene work and monologues. Learn to brush up old skills or dive into acting fundamentals for the first time. Emphasis on learning effective rehearsal techniques and expanding the actor’s range. Requires approximately 3–5 hours of rehearsal with an assigned partner outside of class each week.
*Cancelled due to low interest Ages: 18+ yrs. Day: Wednesdays Dates: 9/11-10/30 Time: 5:30-7:00 PM D/ND Fee: $50/$60 Location: Joseph C. Vallez Activity Center Code: 264811C Min/Max: 4/10
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 theatre 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 3:00pm. Please have students come with lunch.
2-1 day sessions Ages: 5-14 yrs. Day: Saturdays Dates: 9/28 & 11/2 Time: 9:00 am-4:00 pm D/ND Fee: $30/$40 per session Location: Community Center Code: 264811E,F Min/Max: 4/10
This eight-week class continues to teach students armed and unarmed stage combat for the theater with a concentrated focus on partnership, safety, and storytelling through movement. Focus on hand-to-hand combat and found objects. Think fighting with a broom or a water hose… 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. This class is for students with some prior knowledge.
We will present a group fight at the final session for friends and family.
8 weeks Ages: 9-13 yrs. Day: Mondays Dates: 9/9-11/4 *No class 10/14 Time: 4:30-5:30 pm D/ND Fee: $50/$60 Location: Joseph C. Vallez Activity Center Code: 264811A Min/Max: 4/10
The Epic Staging of "A Little Misunderstanding" by Kendall Krueger
Little is a local weatherman, who is about to give his first ever TV weather report. While he is on the air, the intern, McGee, trips. Trying to help him, Little yells, “This guy is falling!” While trying to save his friend, the station’s camera breaks, causing a broadcast blackout. Audiences at home believe Little, as a weatherman, has claimed that the “SKY” is falling. Suddenly, Little becomes an internet sensation! And the news station viewership booms at the cost of thinking Little is a crazy reporter. Chaos ensues as Little tries to tell people the truth, and others work against him.
Students will learn what is like to be a part of a full-scale published production. From auditioning to rehearsal to opening night. Complete with costumes, lights, props, and sound. Students will learn how to work in an ensemble, how to memorize lines and create a character, they will also help with the making of props and costumes.
This class will consist of rehearsal 2 times per week for 13 weeks and will culminate with a full weekend of shows!
13 weeks Ages: 7-16 yrs. Day: Tuesdays & Thursdays Dates: 9/10-12/8 *No class 10/31, 11/28 Time: 4:30-6:30 pm D/ND Fee: $220/$240 Location: Joseph C. Vallez Activity Center Code: 264815A Min/Max: 10/10
Tickets: $8 for adults $5 for children 4-12 yrs.
Performances: Friday, December 6 @ 7:00 pm Saturday, December 7 @ 2:00 pm Sunday, December 8 @ 2:00 pm
Purchase tickets by calling (708) 749-4900 or visit us @ 1619 Wesley Ave.
1st Monday's "Let Me Tell You!" A Curated Story Telling Jam
1st Monday of each month storytelling event 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+ Days: Mondays Dates: 9/9, 10/7, 11/4, 12/2 Time: 7:00-9:00 pm Fee: Free Location: Joseph C. Vallez Activity Center
Do you believe in ghosts? At an early age, Errol encountered unexplained phenomena that made him a believer. From ghost panthers at Scout camp to the spirit of unrequited love in New Orleans, Errol seemed constantly peering through the veil.
Learn the basics of ghost hunting with Errol as his experiences lead him into four years of paranormal investigation. Meet the unrested spirits that he attempted to help to move on and the one that fought back. Fun, poignant and sometimes very scary - and all true. And in the end, what do we know?
Tickets: $15 per performance Purchase Tickets: (708) 749-4900 or visit us @ 1619 Wesley Ave.
Dates: October 18, 2024 @ 7:00 PM October 19, 2024 @ 7:00 PM October 20, 2024 @ 2:00 PM
Location: Joseph C. Vallez Activity Center 1529 Harlem Ave, Berwyn, IL 60402 Lower Level
Bring your fun and creative self to a weekly hour of theater 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 8-week class will end with a showcase of their new improvisation and stage skills!
8 weeks Ages: 6-10 yrs. Day: Wednesdays Dates: 1/15-3/5 Time: 4:30-5:30 pm D/ND Fee: $50/$60 Location: Joseph C. Vallez Activity Center Code: 261811B Min/Max: 4/10
Adult Acting is a class for adults looking to explore acting techniques in scene work and monologues. Learn to brush up old skills or dive into acting fundamentals for the first time. Emphasis on learning effective rehearsal techniques and expanding the actor’s range. Requires approximately 3–5 hours of rehearsal with an assigned partner outside of class each week.
8 weeks Ages: 18+ yrs. Day: Wednesdays Dates: 1/15-3/5 Time: 5:30-7:00 PM D/ND Fee: $60/$70 Location: Joseph C. Vallez Activity Center Code: 261811C Min/Max: 4/10
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 3:00 pm. Please have students come with lunch.
2-1 day sessions Ages: 5-14 yrs. Day: Saturdays Dates: 1/18, 2/15 Time: 9:00 am-4:00 pm D/ND Fee: $40/$50 per session Location: Community Center Code: 261811E,F Min/Max: 4/10
This eight-week class continues to teach students armed and unarmed stage combat for the theater with a concentrated focus on partnership, safety, and storytelling through movement. 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. This class is for students with some prior knowledge.
We will present a group fight at the final session for friends and family.
8 weeks Ages: 9-13 yrs. Day: Mondays Dates: 1/13-3/17 *No class 1/20, 2/17 Time: 4:30-5:30 pm D/ND Fee: $50/$60 Location: Joseph C. Vallez Activity Center Code: 261811A Min/Max: 4/10
The Epic Staging of "The Big Bad Wolf" by Megan Tripaldi
A modern retelling of “The Three Little Pigs” that focuses on an unlikely hero.
Bernard is a descendant of a long line of “Big Bad Wolfs”. His brother, Zack is all for keeping the legacy, (or so he says), but Bernard finds himself drawn to more artistic endeavors. When he meets the three siblings who run The 3LP Theatre Company he realizes that he doesn’t need to run away from his problems, he just needs to act his way out of them.
Students will learn what is like to be a part of a full-scale published production. From auditioning to rehearsal to opening night. Complete with costumes, lights, props, and sound. Students will learn how to work in an ensemble, how to memorize lines and create a character, they will also help with the making of props and costumes. This class will consist of rehearsal 2 times per week for 13 weeks and will culminate with a full weekend of shows! *Please bring a water bottle and a snack * This play is subject to change based on registration
13 weeks Ages: 8-16 yrs. Day: Tuesdays & Thursdays Dates: 1/14-4/13 *No class 4/1, 4/3 Time: 4:30-6:30 pm D/ND Fee: $230/$250 Location: Joseph C. Vallez Activity Center Code: 261815A Min/Max: 10/10
Show Tickets: $8 for adults $5 for children 4-12 yrs.
Performances: Friday, April 11 @ 7:00 pm Saturday, April 12 @ 2:00 pm Sunday, April 13 @ 2:00 pm
Purchase tickets by calling (708) 749-4900 or visit us @ 1619 Wesley Ave.
1st Monday's "Let Me Tell You!" A Curated Story Telling Jam
1st Monday of each month storytelling event 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. Days: Mondays Dates: 1/6, 2/3, 3/3, 4/7, 5/5, 6/2, 7/7, 8/4, 9/1, 10/6, 11/3, 12/1 Time: 7:00-9:00 pm Fee: Free Location: Joseph C. Vallez Activity Center
This has been the election year for women in politics – with a woman candidate running to become the 47th President and our first Madam President.
Hear Mary Todd Lincoln tell you the story of her campaign to make her husband the 16th President of the United States.
During a time 175 years ago, not unlike our own, of great political upheaval and polarization over the issues that faced our nation.
The daughter of a wealthy, slave-owning Kentucky family who married against their wishes a rough frontiersman they saw as having limited prospects. But believed her husband would achieve national prominence. Who educated him up into society. Who was his unwavering supporter and political advisor. Who encouraged him to leave local politics for the national stage. And who cajoled him out of his despondency after political disappointments and election losses.
Politics’ first ‘power couple.’ Their relationship was built on their mutual interest in public affairs. And love.
Thought provoking, engaging and poignant – and historically accurate.
Tickets: $15 per performance Purchase Tickets: (708) 749-4900 or visit us @ 1619 Wesley Ave.
Dates: February 28, 2025 @ 7:00 PM March 1, 2025 @ 7:00 PM March 2, 2025 @ 2:00 PM
Location: Joseph C. Vallez Activity Center 1529 Harlem Ave, Berwyn, IL 60402 Lower Level
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.
