Act One Update

Act One wants to keep all those interested in the school's programs updated on upcoming events, Winter Term registration and other activities.

The topics below include both new information and some of the most common subject areas that we have been asked about over the past two months:

• 2026 Winter Cabaret - Final Wrap
• 2025/26 Winter Term Registration Update
• February Adult Improvisation Drop-In Update
• 2026 Theatre Summer Camp

2026 Winter Cabaret - Final Wrap:
Act One’s 2026 Winter Cabaret student performances have now wrapped up for the year. On behalf of myself and the instructors, we hope all the students found the show experience fun and rewarding and that it serves as a positive starting point to looking forward to exploring solo work and their year end performances in the coming Winter Term.
We also want to thank all the family and friends who comprised the fantastic audiences over the six shows. We can not express how grateful we are for your support and enthusiasm. It provided all the students with the best environment possible to truly challenge themselves, take dramatic risks and hopefully discover the performer within each of them.
A couple of post-show final notes:
1. Lost and Found: This year we only had a few items left behind. For those who may be missing something, if any of the following are yours, please let us know and you can reclaim them at your earliest convenience:
   1. Red and Blue Montreal Canadians scarf
   2. Pair of white “Furry” earmuffs with pearl head band
   3. A pair of girl’s jeans with a burgundy, sparkly fabric belt/tie wrap
   4. A pair of black leggings, black girl’s shorts and black socks (was in a white plastic bag)
   5. Reversible black foam winter coat (with hood) on one side, grey camo pattern on other 
   6. Black fake fur winter coat (with hood) 
2. FOH Photos: A number of families have asked about getting copies of the scene group photos that appeared on the Front of House board each show night. Should anyone wish a copy of theirs, please just e-mail me and I can send back a PDF or JPG version that you can share or print out, as you see fit.
3. Student Performance Videos: All the performances, from all the shows, were filmed. Over the rest of February, I will be editing and ultimately posting them to the Student Gallery section of the school website. Once there, they can be viewed as desired or downloaded (via a special link I can provide on request). Out of fairness for all performers, I will post all the videos at the same time, once all are ready. This is usually near the end of February. Once posted, I will send an e-mail notification to everyone who performed on at least one night.
4. Photographs of the Student Performances: This year I am also happy to have been able to once again arrange for a photographer to be available for most of the shows. In addition to the performance videos, I will also be posting photo galleries of the show nights. As with the videos, once posted, the photographs can be viewed as desired or downloaded (via a special link I can provide on request). Again, out of fairness for all performers, I will post all the photographs at the same time as the videos, once all are ready.
2025/26 Winter Term Registration Update:

For anyone who may have lost track of time, please be reminded that Act One’s Winter Term classes have now started. We can still accept new students into certain existing classes (subject to there being room in the class) for the next week or so.

The remaining open classes are:

• Theatre for Ages 10-11 (Saturdays 10:30am-Noon) - New
• Acting On Camera Ages 11-13 (Saturdays 3:00-4:30pm) - New
• Acting On Camera Ages 14-18 (Saturdays 4:30-6:00pm) - New
• Adult Improvisation - Level 1 (Sundays 6:00-7:30pm)
• Theatre for Ages 8-9 (Mondays 5:00-6:30pm)
• Improvisation for Ages 14-18 (Thursdays 8:00-10:00pm)




A quick reminder that all previous students and/or Summer campers receive a 5% discount off class fees if joining a class for the rest of the year.

You can find more detailed information on all classes on the school webiste in the Classes section. The on-line registration form can be accessed from here.

To help prospective students with advance planning, key registration, term and performance information dates for the 2025/26 school year can be found here. Please note that these dates reflect our best planning given current circumstances. They are all subject to change, depending on future events.

February Adult Improvisation Drop-In Update:

• For any parents, guardians and other adults who may have been curious about testing the "dramatic waters" (or saw the adult improvisors in the Winter Cabaret and thought it might be fun to give it a try), please note that Act One runs once per month Adult Improv drop-in sessions, on Sundays, from 6:00-7:30pm.

The next session is this coming Sunday, Feb 22nd, with additional sessions scheduled for March to May.

More information can be found on the school website in the Improv Drop-In page.

2026 Theatre Summer Camp:

Act One is once again looking forward to presenting its 2026 Theatre Summer Camp. Consisting of four 2-week sessions through July and August, for campers aged 5-14, the camps offer both new and returning campers the opportunity to discover drama and explore its various components in a fun and educational format. All campers will create and perform their own group plays. In addition, campers aged 12+ shoot their own short film, while those 8-11 create their own interpretations of well-known fairy tales. The youngest campers, aged 5-7, work towards presenting their own puppet show.

You can find much more detailed information and the link to the (now open) on-line summer camp registration form on the Camp Programs page. A quicknote to those who may be interested, current and past Act One students and summer campers receive 5% discounts off their 2026 camp fees. In addition, campers registering and paying in full before the end of April 30/26, will receive the 5% Early Registration discount.    

Previous Year Camper Performance Videos: A quick reminder to returning camper , that the performance videos from all their previous camp sessions are available on the school website, in the Summer Camps section of the Student Gallery. Campers and their families are welcome to relive past experiences. For anyone who wishes to download the videos of a specific camper, please just e-mail the school for the private download link. To ensure only campers and their families have access to their videos, the download function on the school's public website has been disabled.

I hope the above information helps answer many of the common questions I have had over the past couple of weeks and keeps everyone updated with respect to Act One's current and planned future events, activities and programs for the rest of this year.

If anyone has any questions regarding this update or any other topic, please feel free to contact the school.

Sincerely,

Mark Nathanielsz

Owner/Artistic Director