Classes

“My daughter completely enjoyed her first experience with Legacy, and I was so very impressed with her and all the participants of Dive Into Drama: Summer Intensive. Thank you for what you and Legacy Theatre are doing for our children.” - Proud parent/ Branford Resident

Summer 2022 Intensives

To sign up for summer sessions, please fill out the form. Check payments for Legacy Theatre's Summer Intensives may be written to Legacy Theatre with "Summer Intensive" as the subject, and dropped off at the theatre during open hours (found on our website) or mailed to: Legacy Theatre, 128 Thimble Islands Road, Branford, CT 06405.

Legacy’s Emerging Actors Week-Long Intensive: Ages 7-12

July 18- July 22, 2022
Mon-Fri, 9am-3pm
Tuition: $350

Spend a week in residence at the Legacy Theatre in Branford! Actors will work with theatre professionals to enjoy play-making inside a newly restored historic regional theatre. Final showcase Friday at 3pm on the Legacy stage! (All classes will take place at the Legacy Theatre, 128 Thimble Islands Road in Branford.)

Legacy’s Young Professionals Week-Long Intensive: Ages 13-18

July 25- July 29, 2022
Mon-Fri, 9am-3pm
Tuition: $350

Legacy Theatre’s Wheel Life Theatre Troupe

FREE

Join a theatre troupe for all ages for those who ambulate with crutches or use wheelchairs and their friends/families! This troupe meets weekly to rehearse original, new and familiar pieces and will perform a special adaptation of Peter and Wendy at Legacy Theatre on August 21 at 2pm.

Additional Opportunities for Youth

Junior Apprenticeships

Volunteer

Earlier This Season…

Current Classes in Partnership with Branford Parks and Recreation

Legacy Theatre is thrilled to partner with Branford Parks and Recreation to offer classes for students throughout the year!

Summer 2022 Classes

Join us for the Summer Session of Acting Classes! June 25 - August 27th

Legacy Theatre’s Class for Tots: Toddler Dance, Storytime and Drama

June 25 - August 27
Saturdays 9:30-10am
Tuition: $100 for Branford Residents, $110 for Non-Residents / 10 weeks

We will explore making sounds (range, diction, volume, pace), moving our bodies, expressing our feelings through the vehicle of storytelling. Children and parents work with the Instructor to create a story (possibly based on a favorite, possibly original) through fun exploration! Classes take place at the Branford Parks and Rec Community House, and the Final Performance Showcase is on the final class date at Legacy Theatre on the Legacy Theatre Stage!

Legacy’s Emerging Actors Acting Class: Ages 7-9

June 25 - August 27
Saturdays, 10:30-11:30am
Tuition: $100 for Branford Residents, $110 for Non-Residents / 10 weeks

Come and Play! Build confidence and interactive skills with fun improvisation and scene work with Artist/Teachers from Branford’s Legacy Theatre! Classes take place at the Branford Parks and Rec Community House, and the Final Performance Showcase is on the final class date at Legacy Theatre on the Legacy Theatre Stage!

Legacy’s Young Professionals Acting Class: Ages 10-12

June 25 - August 27
Saturdays, 12:00-1:00pm
Tuition: $100 for Branford Residents, $110 for Non-Residents / 10 weeks

Continuing from basics learned and explored in the Emerging Actors class, Young Professionals explore published scene work, monologues and continue exploration through theatre games and improvisation with Artist/Teachers from Branford’s Legacy Theatre. Classes take place at the Branford Parks and Rec Community House, and the Final Performance Showcase is on the final class date at Legacy Theatre on the Legacy Theatre Stage (time tbd)!

Legacy Theatre’s Acting for Teens

June 25 - August 27
Saturdays, 1:30-2:30pm
Tuition: $100 for Branford Residents, $110 for Non-Residents / 10 weeks

Enhance your personal repertoire and build experiences for your growing acting resume! Learn monologues and helpful audition techniques as you explore improvisation and scene work with Legacy Artist/Teachers. Classes take place at the Branford Parks and Rec Community House, and the Final Performance Showcase is on the final class date at Legacy Theatre on the Legacy Theatre Stage! This class is for ages 13-17.

Legacy Theatre’s Adult Improv Class

June 25 - August 27
Saturdays, 3:00-4:00pm
Tuition: $100 for Branford Residents, $110 for Non-Residents / 10 weeks

Enjoy the exploration of Improvisational Acting in fun and engaging scenes and exercises. Improve presentational skills and confidence through the art of acting with theater professional instructors! Classes take place at the Branford Parks and Rec Community House, and the Final Performance Showcase is on the final class date at Legacy Theatre on the Legacy Theatre Stage (time tbd)!

Legacy Theatre’s Cabaret Class for Adults

June 25 - August 27
Saturdays, 4:30–6:30pm
Tuition: $300 for Branford Residents, $310 for Non-Residents / 10 weeks

Join Legacy Theatre Artist/Teacher and piano accompanist along with fellow adult students of all levels in a two hour class that will explore different ways to sell a song of any style within a group cabaret performance. Each artist will have the opportunity to sing their chosen solo pieces and receive feedback from the Artist/Teacher and group. Classes take place at the Branford Parks and Rec Community House, and the Final Performance Showcase is on the final class date at Legacy Theatre on the Legacy Theatre Stage!

Legacy Veteran’s Improv Group

June 25- August 20
Saturdays 1:45-2:45pm
FREE

Interested in working on being more in the moment? Improving your listening skills? Building confidence? Connecting with others? While at the same time flexing your creative muscles? Learning to play again? And having fun? Come join Legacy’s improv group, open to all military veterans.

Instructors

Chelsea Dacey is delighted to instruct for Legacy! Her resume includes many regional and Off-Broadway credits as well as local productions throughout CT. Her teaching experience varies from kids aged 3-adults and everywhere in between! Favorite recent teaching moments include directing for Fairfield Summer Stage, Orange Players, teaching music and movement for Independent Day School and choreographing for Castle Craig Players. chelseadacey.com

Keely Baisden Knudsen An award winning director, Keely has performed, directed, and choreographed internationally in plays, musicals, operas, and dance companies in hundreds of theatrical productions and has performed in 48 of the United States and in the UK. Realizing her vision of a new theater company on the Connecticut Shoreline, Keely’s ideals of inspiring, inclusive work that uplifts the human spirit and connects communities formalized in the creation of the Legacy Theatre with Co-Founder Stephanie Stiefel Williams, a performing colleague and dear friend. Keely has directed, choreographed, and taught a myriad of performing arts courses at such institutions as Quinnipiac University, Yale University, Fairfield University, Hartt School of Drama, Southern Connecticut State University, Westminster College, and was the Director of Education of New Haven's acclaimed Elm Shakespeare Company for several years. Additionally a composer/lyricist and playwright, she is currently collaborating on two musicals and is a member of ASCAP. Her directing has been heralded by the Arts Paper as “…visually striking, emotionally moving” and “captivating” and of her direction of Hamlet it was said, “Knudsen has made the notoriously difficult Shakespearean language accessible.” Her creation of the Wheel Life Theatre Troupe has been an especially rewarding program as she acts and directs with those who ambulate with crutches and wheelchairs. Her BFA is from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, at which she graduated first in the class, and she received her Masters Degree in Drama on full scholarship from The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow. Keely, her husband Brian, and five children (Saviah, Liviana, Wynter, Emery, and Reeves) reside in Guilford, CT, where she thoroughly enjoys running the Legacy with a tremendous staff and community support.

Mary Lou Lauricella

Bio to come!

Sarah Pero Born and raised in New Haven, CT, Sarah has been involved with local community and professional theatre for 20+ years. Acting at the age of 10, and Directing at 16, Sarah received her BFA in Theatre, with a concentration in directing from the University of Rhode Island. Right after college, Sarah was a part-time drama teacher in New Haven Public Schools and also taught theatre classes with Performing Arts Programs (South Windsor, CT). Sarah then worked at the Music Theatre of CT (Norwalk, CT) School of Performing Arts, wearing many hats as Administrative Manager, Teaching Artist, Director, Music Director, and Choreographer for the school. Sarah also managed the Box Office and was the Resident Sound Designer for MTC’s Professional Main Stage. Following MTC, Sarah worked as Administrative Manager at the Downtown Cabaret Theatre (Bridgeport, CT). As a Production Stage Manager for various Theatre Productions in Rhode Island and Connecticut, some of her favorites include: Tick, Tick Boom; Little Women: The Musical; and You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown. Most recently, Sarah served as the Production Stage Manager for I Do! I Do! and multiple Legacy productions in the 2021 season. Sarah is thrilled to officially join the Legacy team as Production Manager.