About Montreal Children's Theatre
Educating. Guiding. Inspiring.
Over 10,000 Montrealers have attended classes at The Children’s Theatre since the school was founded in 1933 by Montreal legends Dorothy Davis and Violet Walters.
Many people said a drama school founded in the midst of the Great Depression, by two women no less, would not survive. However, the ladies’ passion and commitment to children and the theatre turned their school into a Montreal institution that is still going strong to this day.
Many of the students have gone on to professional careers in motion pictures and on television and the stage including William Shatner, Ben Mulroney and Tony-award winning actor Richard Easton. Another of our notable alumni includes Cote St Luc city Mayor and director of the Cote St Luc Dramatic Society, Mitchell Brownstein. Others have pursued careers behind the scenes in production or outside of the arts. What can be said for all students is that The Children’s Theatre offers a rewarding and enriching experience.
Our Goals
A major goal of the curriculum is to raise the students level of self-confidence. Techniques employed by The Children’s Theatre bring out creativity and personality in young people. They learn to speak well and to express themselves with clarity and confidence. The shy become more outgoing, the extroverts are given a positive outlet for expression and all students learn the value of attitude, demeanor and teamwork. To ensure the effectiveness of these techniques, we have only 12 students (or less) per class.
STUDENTS OF THE CHILDREN’S THEATRE DEVELOP:
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Enthusiasm
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Self-Expression
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Confidence and self-esteem
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Stage-craft
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Communication Skills
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Social Skills
The life skills (along with acting skills) that come from the classes are astounding. It is amazing that all of this can be learned in a fun and joyful environment, where positive reinforcement is used while teaching projection, diction, mime, posture, body movement and vocal skills, and of course the whole process of putting on a play builds individual and group pride enormously.
