Education at the Playhouse

Education is a vital cornerstone to Tommy O’s Playhouse, where programs are always being developed and improved. The Playhouse offers special field trips for school groups in the spring where kids can watch an original musical, play theater games, ask the actors and directors questions, and tour the backstage, lighting and sound booths. One-on-one private lessons are offered during the summer, with professionals in the areas of singing, acting, dance, sound, lighting, and stagecraft.

Kaleidoscope Theater Camp is a two-week theatrical experience that embraces the entire social awareness spectrum. Our professional staff creates an inclusive learning environment to meet the needs of young people at all levels of experience and ability, ages 7-17. Campers learn about and participate in all aspects of theater, from onstage performance to technical crafts such as lighting and sound, set building, costumes and makeup. Activities include basic exercises for body and mind, group role-playing, improvisation, and team-oriented games. These are designed to open up creativity and help improve social awareness, promote teamwork, and develop community.

Tommy O’s Playhouse partners closely with a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and several local Autism Therapists to bring children on the autism spectrum to the world of theater. The theater’s actors and educators lend a hand to provide InterACT with ASD, a workshop for ASD kids that happens alongside the Kaleidoscope Theater Camp. New this year, Focus on Autism will present special performances of an original children’s show specifically tailored to the sensory needs of autistic children, with particular attention paid to lighting and sound.