Piper Youth Theatre
Ensemble Based. Process Driven. Physical Theatre. Join a community of emerging young artists!
Afterschool Education
FALL 2025
Fall Afterschool: Whiskers in the Walls
Dates: Thursdays, September 11 - November 13; 3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Location: Old Stone House
10 Weeks / 10 Sessions; $500
Ages: 7 - 10
An original musical by Rob Parker with exciting roles for young performers culminating in a 35-40 minute performance for family and friends.
When an old man passes away, his cat Whiskers is left alone in a crumbling house full of memories and mysterious sounds. As the seasons change, Whiskers discovers he's not as alone as he thought. In the attic lives a cautious family of mice who fear him, a jazz-loving ghost dog dozing in the blue room, and a trio of glamorous fur coats who remember a lost world of speakeasies and starlight. And when a curious raccoon named Mollie crashes through the sunporch, Whiskers is drawn out of grief and into something stranger—and brighter—than he imagined.
WINTER 2025
Winter Afterschool: Playwrights Playground
Taught by Piper Artistic Director, John P. McEneny
Dates: Thursdays, January 8 - February 12; 3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Location: Old Stone House
6 Weeks / 6 Sessions; $270
Ages: 10 - 13
In this hands-on playwriting workshop, students will develop their own original 10–20 page plays through three full drafts. Over six sessions, young writers will explore essential elements of storytelling, including character wants, conflict, stakes, tactics, dialogue, structure, and theatricality. They’ll learn how to shape ideas into scenes, craft specific and meaningful language, and give and receive constructive feedback in a creative, supportive environment. Laptops are required for writing and revising. The intensive culminates in a staged reading of student work.
Summer Education
July 2026
EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION - OPENS AUGUST 4th!
Check out everything Piper has to offer next summer below.
Head to the bottom of the page for essential information about these programs.
Piper Starlings Sing
Two-Week Starlings: Munchkins of Munchkinland
July 13 - 26 (Weekend Performance) | Ages 7-9 |Tuition $1200
Welcome to Munchkin Country—where young artists take their first steps on stage.
In Starlings: Munchkins of Munchkinland, students will spend their first week immersed in creative play, exploring the rich world of Oz through process drama. Together, they’ll imagine life in the eastern quadrant—Mount Munch, Lake Orizon, Nimmie Amee, Boq, and the mysterious Wicked Witch of the East—as they build original stories and characters.
In the second week, students work with a choreographer to learn songs and movement from The Wizard of Oz. The program culminates in a live performance, where they appear as Munchkins in Act One Musical alongside older students.
This is where theatre begins.
With play. With story. With joy.
Act One: Musical Introduction
THE WIZARD OF OZ
Music and Lyrics by Harold Arlen & E.Y. Harburg
Book by L. Frank Baum | Adapted by John Kane for the Royal Shakespeare Company (Rights Pending)
July 13 - July 26 (Weekend Performance)
Ages 10-12 |Tuition $1250
Step into the magical world of Oz in Act One Musical—Piper Theatre’s welcoming introduction to musical theatre for young performers ages 10 to 12. Over two focused weeks, students will sing, dance, and act their way through the beloved tale of The Wizard of Oz.
From Dorothy and the Scarecrow to flying monkeys and the Yellow Brick Road, this classic adaptation offers young artists their first unforgettable journey into ensemble performance. No experience required—just imagination, curiosity, and a willingness to follow the yellow brick road.
The curtain rises with Act One.
Join us for the start of something magical.
Piper Theatre Workshop: Shakespeare
Introduction to Shakespeare:
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM
June 29 - July 10 (No Class July 3rd)
Ages 10-12 |Tuition $1050
An immersion into verse, swordplay, world building culminating in a 30-minute play. Fairies. Mischief. Magic. Love potions.
Shakespeare invites students ages 10–12 to dive into one of his most enchanting and imaginative comedies. A Midsummer Night’s Dream follows runaway lovers, a feuding fairy kingdom, and a troupe of bumbling actors as their worlds collide in a magical forest.
Students will collaborate with teaching artists to unlock Shakespeare’s poetic language through movement, character work, and physical storytelling. Expect mistaken identities, magical transformations, and theatrical mayhem in this fast-paced tale of love and laughter.
This isn’t just Shakespeare.
It’s mischief, magic, and a dream of a summer.
Piper Theatre Workshop
PTW4: ADVENTURE SERIES ~ NEVERENDING STORY
Adapted by David S. Craig | Based on the novel by Michael Ende
June 29 - July 26 (No Class July 3rd; Weekend Performance) | Ages 11-15 | Tuition $2400
Our workshops allow students to create a physical adaptation of a classic work of fiction with an emphasis on physicality, transformative props, and ensemble storytelling.
We will embark on a four-week theatrical journey through one of literature’s most iconic worlds—Fantastica. When Bastian, a shy boy with a powerful imagination, opens a strange book, he is pulled into a land of luckdragons, crumbling kingdoms, and vanishing hope. Through ensemble acting, physical theatre, and rich character work, students will bring this fantastical world to life onstage.
Designed for curious young artists ready to dive into the heart of epic storytelling.
Imagination is the gateway.
The adventure begins here.
Act Two: Musical Intensives
June 29 - July 26 (No Class July 3rd; Weekend Performance) | Ages 12-17 | Tuition $2600
Take your next bold step with Act Two — Piper Theatre’s advanced musical theatre program for dedicated young performers ages 12 to 17. In this intensive musical theatre experience, students learn to sing, dance, and act in a full musical. Students audition for both musicals and are assigned to a company by the creative team. While preferences will be considered, students should be open to working on either project!
Musical 1: THE PROM, SCHOOL EDITION Book and Lyrics by Chad Beguelin | Book by Bob Martin | Music by Matthew Sklar
A glittering, heartfelt Broadway hit about identity, inclusion, and standing tall in the face of opposition. A group of Broadway actors descends on a small town to support a teen who wants to bring her girlfriend to prom. Big-hearted, funny, and moving, The Prom celebrates being exactly who you are. The Prom School Edition is presented through special arrangement with and all authorized performance materials are supplied by Theatrical Rights Worldwide 1180 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 640, New York, NY 10036. www.theatricalrights.com
Musical 2: ALICE BY HEART Book by Steven Sater & Jessie Nelson | Music by Duncan Sheik | Lyrics by Steven Sater
Set in a London tube station during the Blitz, Alice by Heart is a haunting, lyrical reimagining of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. With rich music by Tony Award–winning composer Duncan Sheik (Spring Awakening), the story explores grief, memory, and the power of imagination to carry us through. Alice by Heart is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized production materials are also supplied by MTI. www.mtishows.com
Students will collaborate with professional directors, choreographers, and music directors in a rigorous rehearsal process that emphasizes craft, storytelling, and ensemble. Performances at the end of the session showcase the full scope of student growth. This is your Act Two. Step into the spotlight.
Design Intensives
June 29 - July 26 (No Class July 3rd; Weekend Performances) | Ages 12-17 | Tuition $2400
Design is storytelling.
In PTW4: Design Intensive, students assume the roles of visual and technical storytellers. Over four intensive weeks, participants will rotate through workshops in Costume, Set, Sound, and Lighting Design. Each student will make meaningful design contributions to Piper’s summer productions and serve as crew for final performances.
From sketching and drafting to painting, wiring, and cueing, students will collaborate with professional designers to understand how theatre is built from the ground up. Field trips may include: The Museum of the Moving Image, The TDF Costume Collection at Kaufman Astoria Studios, NBC Studios (30 Rock), and more.
This is for the maker. The builder. The one who wonders what happens in the wings. Students must be available for all performances. Seven Student Minimum.
Essential Information for Summer 2026
There’s so much happening at Piper in the summer!
Here’s everything you need to know:
The ages listed for each program are suggestions. There are no cut-offs for age. Artists are at different development periods. If a younger child would like to work with older children or an older child is comfortable with younger children, that is fine.
Please contact info@pipertheatre.org for more information to see where your child might find success.
All summer rehearsals will be held from 9am – 4pm at a Park Slope location to be determined.
Due to the performance nature of our program, students are expected to attend EVERY rehearsal and performance.
Students will need to provide confirmation of MMR immunizations. COVID-19 vaccination is encouraged for all students and staff.
Financial aid is available upon request. Application Deadline is April 1, 2026 (early submission strongly recommended.)
Apply upon registration. Deposit waived pending awards announced on April 15, 2026.Non-refundable deposit is required upon registration: $250 for one-week programs / $500 for two-week, three-week & four-week programs
Full payment is due by May 1, 2026
10% Sibling Discount
Titles and Dates are subject to change