High school students aged 14-18 are welcome to enroll in the Young Adult Program.

The Meisner Technique, which stems from the Stanislavski System, is an approach to acting based on honesty, bravery, and integrity onstage. At Black Box, we use Meisner-based exercises to teach students how to own their true voices under imaginary circumstances.

“Viewpoints” is a movement-based technique designed to help actors follow their impulses in an organic way. Some Viewpoints exercises are physically demanding, but part of this training is teaching students how to find and push their own physical limits in a safe and healthy way.

Classes in our Young Adult Program can be taken in any order, and there is no prerequisite for enrollment. Each class teaches the basics of our technique in a slightly different way, and then expands to cover a new type of material.

Yes, Young Adult classes are designed to be repeated. Just as a ballet dancer or professional musician would, actors continually train in their craft.

Students with all degrees of experience (or lack thereof) are encouraged to enroll.  Classes in the Young Adult program are designed to teach a comprehensive technique. In order to build a firm foundation, we start from the ground up. Having a diverse group of students with varying levels of experience creates a dynamic and challenging atmosphere.

All Black Box Instructors are working artists in the theatre and film industry, as well as practicing students. They are individually invited to the Black Box Instructor Training Program. After graduation, instructors continue their education through ongoing training. For a more detailed look at our instructors, visit our Team Page for bios and testimonials.

Students are expected to attend every class. Missing more than 2 classes makes learning the fundamental pieces of this technique very difficult.

All conflicts/absences must be cleared with the Director of Admissions, Sarah-Jayne Ashenhurst, upon enrollment. If extenuating circumstances occur during a session, please contact the Admissions Department at admissions@blackboxacting.com.

Prior to the first day of class, you and your child will receive contact information for the class instructor. If your child is running late, they should text the instructor with as much notice as possible, and then text again when they arrive at the space. The instructor will come let the student in as soon as time permits.

The drop-off window begins 15 minutes before class.  The pick-up window ends 15 minutes after class.

Students can be dropped off in front of Black Box (2625 W. North Ave.) on the southeast corner of North Ave. and Talman. Parents must follow sign-in/sign-out procedure.

If you are running late to pick up your child, call the instructor as soon as possible to let them know your estimated arrival time.

Please note that students who remain in the building after class ends must be supervised. As such, a $15 charge will be assessed for every 15 minutes you are late to pick up your child. This charge will be applied to the original tuition payment method.

Enrollment in Young Adult classes is non-transferable. If extenuating circumstances occur that make attendance impossible, please contact the Admissions Department (admissions@blackboxacting.com) to discuss accommodations.

Black Box is happy to make whatever reasonable accommodations we can to help your child participate in class. As a boutique studio we operate with limited resources, so some requested accommodations may be beyond our ability to provide. That said, we encourage you to reach out to our Director of Admissions, Sarah-Jayne Ashenhurst, to discuss your requested accommodations.

Reasonable accommodations must be requested prior to the class start date, as additional planning will be required on the part of both the instructor and the administrative staff.

There is no final performance. Because we teach a technique-based curriculum, all of our focus in the classroom is on building a process rather than creating a final product.

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