• Teaching Artists guide students through creating characters, crafting art projects, and performing stories with friends. 

    Students must be potty-trained to enroll.

    FALL

    Saturdays: 9 - 10 a.m.

    SOLD OUT: Courageous Kids and Critters

    Email conservatory@nationalchildrenstheatre.org to join the waitlist.

    November 1, 8, 15, 22, December 6, 13 

    WINTER

    Saturdays: 9 - 10 a.m.

    Register for: Folktale Friends and Foes

    January 17, 24, 31, February 7, 14, 21

    SPRING

    Saturdays: 9 - 10 a.m.

    Register for: Peculiar Pets and Playmates

    February 28, March 7, 14, 21, 28, April 4

    Saturdays: 9 - 10 a.m.

    Register for: Trusty Travelers and Transports

    April 18, 25, May 2, 9, 16, 23

  • Students learn performance and design fundamentals, and collaborate with friends to rehearse and perform scenes from plays.

    FALL

    Mondays: 4 - 6 p.m.

    SOLD OUT: The Wizard of Oz

    September 15, 22, 29, October 6, 20, 27, November 3, 10, 17, 24, December 1, 8, 15

    Saturdays: 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.

    SOLD OUT: Courageous Kids

    Email conservatory@nationalchildrenstheatre.org to join the waitlist.

    Scenes from King Arthur, The Phantom Tollbooth, The Snow Queen

    November 1, 8, 15, 22, December 6, 13 

    WINTER

    Saturdays: 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.

    Register for: Adventurers and Magical Creatures

    January 17, 24, 31, February 7, 14, 21

    Saturdays: 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.

    Register for: Fantastical Folktales

    January 17, 24, 31, February 7, 14, 21

    SPRING

    Saturdays: 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.

    Register for: Alice in Wonderland

    February 28, March 7, 14, 21, 28, April 4, 18, 25, May 2, 9, 16, 23

    Performance: Saturday, May 23 at 12:30 p.m.

  • Students learn dance, music, and performance fundamentals, and collaborate with friends to rehearse and perform Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical Jr., presented through special arrangement with and all authorized materials are supplied by Music Theatre International.

    Mondays: 4 - 6:30 p.m.

    Register for: Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical Jr.

    January 26 (2:30 - 6:30 p.m.), February 2, 9, 23, March 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, April 6 (2:30 - 6:30 p.m.), 20, 27, May 4, 18, 19, 20

    Performances: Friday, May 22 at 7:00 p.m. and Saturday, May 23 at 2:00 p.m. at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company

  • Students of all levels of experience will strengthen their performance skills as they collaborate with friends on scenes from plays.

    FALL

    Saturdays: 12:30 - 2:30 p.m. 

    Register for: Ancient Greek Myths

    Scenes from Antigone, Metamorphoses, The Trojan Women

    November 1, 8, 15, 22, December 6, 13 

    SPRING PRODUCTION

    She Kills Monsters: Young Adventurers Edition by Qui Nguyen, presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc.

    Saturdays: 12:30 - 2:30 p.m.

    Register for: She Kills Monsters: Young Adventurers Edition

    January 17, 24, 31, February 7, 14, 21, 28, March 7, 14, 21, 28, April 4, 18, 25, May 2, 9, 16, 23

    Performance: Saturday, May 23 at 7:00 p.m. at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company

Location: Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church 201 4th Street SE, Washington, DC 20003

In addition to being a fun after-school and weekend activity, here are some great reasons to enroll:

Key Findings on the Benefits of Theatre Education

Prepared by Thalia R. Goldstein, Ph.D., Department of Psychology, George Mason University

Language: Theatre and drama classrooms are highly verbal via the analyses and performance of scripts. Findings include building vocabulary skills, particularly for English language learners, narrative skills, and verbal skills including story understanding and reading readiness.

Social-Emotional Development: Across age groups and settings, theatre has been linked to a large variety of social and emotional skills and abilities. These include empathy, self-esteem, emotional control and regulation.

Creativity and 21st Century Skills: All theatre involves some improvisation, but specific classes and interventions using improv skills have shown improvements in 21st century skills and increases in divergent thinking and uncertainty tolerance, a necessary skill to make informed decisions, and a correlate of mental health.

Acting Habits of Mind: A recent nationally representative study of acting classes showed teachers are giving students opportunities to practice body awareness, imagination, self-confidence, meta-cognition, empathy, collaboration, decision making skills, and cognitive flexibility.

Class Details: will be emailed to registered students the week prior to the class start date. Full tuition is due at registration. There is a non-refundable deposit of $50 per registration. If you need to withdraw your registration, refunds (minus the deposit) will be available up until the week before the class begins. A limited number of need-based scholarships will be awarded on a rolling basis. Please email info@nationalchildrenstheatre.org to request a scholarship application.

Photo of Summer Camp 2025 by Randall Pike