Description

YPT’s Junior Ensemble is a comprehensive program designed for young actors in Gr. 7 and 8 who demonstrate a readiness for more advanced theatre training and wish to create and perform their own play. The program is held in YPT’s brand new classrooms at YPT 161 Studios (161 Frederick Street) – just across the street from our theatre on Front Street East.

Please Note:

• To see our COVID-19 protocols, click here.
• Auditions are by appointment only and will take place in person on Nov. 26, 2022.
• Contact the Drama School at 416.363.5131 x263 to schedule an audition.
• The final performance will take place on Saturday, June 10, 2023.
• There are no classes Mar. 11, Mar. 18, Apr. 8 & May 20, 2023.

Over two terms (Winter & Spring), students will develop into a cohesive ensemble using theatre performance and collective creation skills. This program culminates in a devised play to be performed in June.

The Junior Ensemble works with a collective creation process, and is dependent upon everyone being present and actively contributing at all times. Please confirm with your parents and caregivers, before applying, that you can commit to every day of rehearsal and the final performance. Attendance at all rehearsals and the final performance is mandatory.

We are excited to announce that Lee Stone will direct this year’s Junior Ensemble! Their direction of the Junior Ensemble will be inspired by their work with their theatre company, Dead Name Theatre (DNT), which will be presenting Into the Woods in June 2023. During the Winter term, students will engage in an investigatory and improvisational process that leads them collectively to choose one or more fairytale(s) that they will retell in a way that is meaningful to them.

We are also exploring other opportunities to connect with artistic teams outside the Junior Ensemble rehearsal hall. This would provide an opportunity for students to speak to, and ask questions of, working professionals in multiple avenues of theatre creation. In addition to regular rehearsals, students will be invited to visit DNT’s rehearsals in May 2023.

Audition Information

Auditions are by appointment only and will take place in person on Saturday, Nov. 26, 2022.

Individual Auditions (40 minutes)

There are 3 parts to the audition:

• Interview: A short interview with the director of the Junior Ensemble and the Drama School Director.
• Monologue: A one-minute performance of an original piece of writing created and memorized by the student. This may be written in any form such as a monologue or poem. We encourage you to choose a subject for your monologue that is of special interest to you personally, while also speaking from the perspective of a very specific character. The student should expect to receive direction on their performance, which will involve performing it more than once. We encourage students to consider the space they will perform in, and how they can best use it to support the story they are sharing.
• Improvisation: A brief improvisation with one or two other students who are also auditioning.

IMPORTANT: Please wear comfortable clothing and shoes that allow you to move freely.

Please contact Taran Bamrah, Drama School Coordinator at tbamrah@youngpeoplestheatre.org, to schedule an audition, indicating your complete availability for the audition day. Kindly send this along with a completed Registration Form for the Junior Ensemble.

*Please note: We will not process your payment until a spot in the Junior Ensemble has been offered and accepted by the student and parent/caregiver. As spots in the Junior Ensemble are limited to a maximum of 12, we encourage students who wish to guarantee Winter term programming to simultaneously register for the Gr. 7-8 Drama class of their choice. Payment will be transferred if student is accepted into the Junior Ensemble.

Bursaries for the Drama School and the Junior Ensemble are funded in part by a generous donation from Ada Slaight.

Download the class schedule here.