Acting Academy for Kids

Acting Academy for Kids
By Shelley Hudson

Stephen Zygo founded Acting Academy for Kids in 2008 with the aim to provide an opportunity for children to experience the performing arts firsthand and to gain exposure to a larger world through creative expression. Stephen’s lifelong love of performing and his background as an educator led him, along with his wife and co-founder, Maggie, to develop a program that has since reached thousands of local children. Acting Academy for Kids has become a bright light in the community and a resource for families who seek enrichment in the arts.

The Zygos have been rewarded with a growing legacy and have seen their vision come to life. Academy alumni now return to the theater on breaks from college to volunteer backstage, and lasting friendships that transcend school and extracurricular life have formed among students from all over Orange County.

The Acting Academy offers a complete performing arts program for children ages 4 to 17, with opportunities in acting, dancing, vocal training, guitar and piano classes or private lessons. Students can also enjoy hands-on experience in set design and construction, sound engineering, lighting design and directing. Four full-scale musicals are staged every academic year in the Musical Theater Series, along with week-long summer camps that each culminate with a performance. The most recent addition to the company repertoire is Academy Voice, a brand new professional recording studio where a sound engineer can help students create their own high-quality CDs and albums. No previous experience is required!

A key component of the program’s success is the professional staff of teachers, administrators and activity directors. “We bring in artists who are also trained educators,” Maggie explains, “They each have a unique perspective and can teach the concepts in ways that allow for students to learn in the most effective way.” Students develop bonds with the staff that translate into leadership skills and a sense of personal responsibility. “Our programs ignite a fire and awaken curiosity in a child,” says Stephen. “Our staff and amazing volunteers provide support and training, and the result for the student is confidence, poise, discipline and an ability to commit fully to a team dynamic. Many of our students refer to the Acting Academy as a second home, and that’s as important as anything else we could possibly do.”

Right now, the Academy is accepting enrollment for summer performing arts camps, which Maggie describes as “a one-week snapshot of the musical theatre experience.” Each week of the summer, students attend daily classes in acting, singing and dancing in preparation for a Friday afternoon performance on the main stage with full costumes and professional lighting and sound. Campers can sign up for one week, all ten, or anywhere in between, and the curriculum is geared toward kids of all levels of experience. The camps take place both at the Acting Academy’s home in San Juan Capistrano’s Camino Real Playhouse and at the Cabrillo Playhouse in San Clemente. Opportunities to help create set pieces and costumes as well as outdoor breaks and playtime are built into the daily schedule, and the focus is on fun! “We find that the majority of kids who test-drive our program at a summer camp want to stay with us for the academic year,” Stephen reflects. “It’s very rewarding for us to be a part of the memories created here.”

Future plans for the Acting Academy include securing a home for the programs for decades to come. Says Stephen, “We’ve formed a wonderful alliance with our theaters, and we’d like to see them continue to thrive. Community support and involvement is an essential element of that.”

For more information on Acting Academy for Kids’ summer camps, classes, school programs, lessons and participation in the Spring 2015 production of Into the Woods, visit ActingAcademyForKids.com.

Check out our behind the scenes look at our cover photo shoot of Acting Academy for Kids!