Acting Academy for Kids

Acting Academy for Kids
By Shelley Hudson

When Stephen Zygo was teaching fourth grade and running his school’s K-8 theater department, Acting Academy for Kids was just a seed of an idea. As arts programs were being slashed due to widespread budget cuts, Zygo saw a need in the community and wanted to continue helping kids discover their inner performers. Stephen and his wife Maggie took a leap of faith, followed that passion and created an environment where students are free to explore musical theatre, acting, voice, dance and instrumental music.

Acting Academy for Kids is now a burgeoning, multi-program organization, exposing young people to all aspects of the performing arts. The Academy’s home base at the Camino Real Playhouse in San Juan Capistrano and satellite location at The Gate in Rancho Santa Margarita allow aspiring singers, actors, musicians, and set designers to try their hands at the real thing. In the Acting Academy’s Musical Theater Series, young cast members produce and perform popular Broadway musicals every 12 weeks. These seasonal programs each culminate in a full-scale production with professional lighting, sets, and sound.

The Academy also offers Performing Arts Camps all summer long. These week-long sessions provide children and teens with a “full-theater immersion experience,” capped off with a performance for family and friends. Campers have the option to sign up for one week, the whole summer, or anywhere in between. “Summer camp is the perfect ‘test-drive’ for a child who’s interested. It’s a great opportunity for kids to interact outside their peer groups as well,” enthuses Maggie. With the popular camps at the Camino Real Playhouse and the launch of camps at San Clemente’s Cabrillo Playhouse this summer, the Zygos hope to get more kids involved than ever before.

In addition to its seasonal and summer camp programs, the Acting Academy provides after-school acting classes (group and private), vocal training, and guitar and piano lessons. Fundamental concepts like improv, line memorization, character development, professional singing techniques and voice-over training give the student a performing arts foundation that helps develop self-esteem. “Acting Academy for Kids helped transform my son from a shy athlete into a confident stage performer,” says one appreciative mom, “It’s a delight to see him willingly hang up his cleats one day per week to participate in the arts.”

The Zygos’ Acting Academy is more than a livelihood for the couple—it’s a true labor of love and a way for Stephen to combine his “twin passions.” Stephen and Maggie both have advanced degrees in education and they assert that the quality of the faculty sets their programming apart. “Our teachers are trained performing artists AND credentialed educators,” says Maggie, “They understand how kids learn.”

Stephen and Maggie pride themselves on the authenticity of the experience they offer as well. “We want the kids to see the real deal—an active dressing room, staging, lighting design, and set creation in a genuine working theater. Hands-on learning helps kids understand that each role is vital to the success of a show.”

With feet firmly planted in both the arts and in education, the Zygos have taken their show(s) on the road with their “school services” concept. They collaborate with schools, churches, and community centers, administering enrichment programs for organizations that don’t have the staff or resources to develop their own.

Stephen gives much credit for the Acting Academy’s excellence to the system of parents and volunteers who help bring each production to life. “It takes an army of crew, costumers, lighting and sound technicians, set designers, box office corps, and photographers to make a theater come alive” he says. “We’re proud that we provide teachers with jobs in the performing arts and that our students find friends, fun, and confidence along the way,” Stephen continues, “At Acting Academy for Kids, we aim for young performers to have all the opportunities possible to learn to present themselves, speak publicly, showcase their work, and understand the sheer teamwork involved in an endeavor like this.”

Take a behind the scenes look at Acting Academy for Kids photo shoot!

For more information on Acting Academy For Kids please visit their website.
ActingAcademyForKids.com