Young Actors Studio

A Pittsburgh children's acting school that teaches theater in a safe, positive environment.

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Pittsburgh Acting Lessons for Children

What Is Young Actors Studio?

Saltworks Young Actors Studio (YAS) is a theater school for 7- to 16-year-olds in Pittsburgh, PA. Through our after-school classes and summer day camps, we have helped kids learn about the wonderful world of performing onstage.

Our ever-changing curriculum covers a wide range of topics in the theatrical arts. From monologues to scene study, scriptwriting to movement, we endeavor to give our students a variety of opportunities to learn something new and build on existing skills.

The best thing about our courses is that kids of all skill and interest levels are welcome. Our teaching artists are professionals dedicated to making sure every student has a fun, successful experience in each class.

What Makes Saltworks Unique

We believe the arts are a wonderful outlet for self-expression and growth. While we teach theater here at Saltworks, what we really hope our students will learn is self-confidence, friendship, and respect.

Process over Product

While we frequently put on exceptional final productions, we are most invested in how much our students learn and grow throughout the course of the classes or rehearsals. We understand that different students will need different types of challenges to help them develop.

Have a Woo-Hoo Attitude

We encourage our students to jump in with both feet to every activity and exercise with an excited, positive mindset. We believe everyone should support their fellow actors through every challenge and embrace imagination and creativity when it's their turn.

Creating a Safe Haven

Every Saltworks student gets the chance to shine, no matter how long they’ve been coming to classes or had an interest in performing. No disability or fear has been a barrier for long for any of the students who have come to Saltworks’ Young Actors Studio over the years.

About Our Classes

In our classes, we emphasize building acting skills as well as important character traits that will help students out as they go through life. Things like cooperation, problem-solving, confidence, and communication are addressed in the acting classes.

About Our Staff

All Saltworks instructors for our acting classes have extensive theater training and professional experience which enables them to both challenge and inspire young people.

Committed to Positivity

Our staff is committed to making our acting classes and theater training a positive experience. We also specialize in small class sizes to ensure each student has the best learning environment.

Teaching at Young Actors Studio

Become a Saltworks Teacher

Each year, we hire five School Tour actors to work as teaching artists on tour in schools. Artists are chosen on the basis of their artistic excellence, experience with and commitment to educational theater with children, and personal integrity and comportment.

In addition, we employ teaching artists year-round in our Young Actors Studio and at various community-based events and activities. Teaching artists lead classes and camp sessions, educating students in theater arts and socioemotional skills, challenging kids and youth to try new things and realize their potential, and inspiring young people to pursue everything they do with passion and excellence!

If you're interested in becoming a teacher, fill out our inquiry form.

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Contact Information

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Experience

Types of Programs

Located in the Bellevue/Avalon area, our acting classes and workshops are places that encourage students to try new things in a fun atmosphere.

Fall and Spring Acting Classes

We offer after-school classes to introduce kids to the wonderful world of theater arts in a fun, supportive environment.

Our curriculum covers improv, scene study, scriptwriting, monologues, movement, and more! All skill and interest levels are welcome.

Each season concludes with an informal showcase for family and friends.

Young Actors Ensemble

YAE is for students who have taken at least one Saltworks Young Actors Studio class or the equivalent with another theater. This class teaches more advanced acting techniques through exercises, games, and improvisation, building to a final performance.

Summer Studio Acting Camp

Our YAS summer camps are day camps where students can play, perform, and partner with friends, new and old! Students learn a variety of theater skills through games, improv, and activities. The week culminates in an informal showcase for family and friends.

Parent's Praise for Young Actors Studio

“My child immediately felt welcomed and seemed to be comfortable with the low-pressure approach. She’s new to acting and, in turn, I appreciated that this gave her a chance to learn and practice skills without having to audition or experience pressure/shame.”

“I really appreciated that the focus was on the process and not the final outcome. It was a very supportive and encouraging environment and made the concept of being on stage and performing very low stakes / pressure and built a foundation of confidence and fun around it.”

“The classes have boosted his confidence. He’s made friends and has learned how to work as a team.”

“Allowed for a fun, safe space for exploration with a desire for process, not a final project. The focus on letting the students explore various topics related to theater helped create continued confidence in my child and his interest in theater, storytelling and acting.”

“My son had so much fun, and he gained a lot of confidence in his own acting skills. He told me the teachers were all very kind, supportive, and enthusiastic. I also really liked the diversity of skills the classes offer. He has been doing musical theater with two different groups for a couple of years, but those classes really focused on the performance itself, and he didn’t get instruction in acting skills. It’s great that through Saltworks he’s getting exposed to the diversity of ways to perform (improv, playwriting, puppetry, etc.) and learning about the acting world outside of musical theater.”

“One of the most important things Saltworks provides is an encouraging and worthwhile experience for all kids involved. It may stretch those who are shy and help those who are not to empathize with others.”

“My son had so much fun, and he gained a lot of confidence in his own acting skills. He told me the teachers were all very kind, supportive, and enthusiastic. I also really liked the diversity of skills the classes offer.”

“Allowed for a fun, safe space for exploration with a desire for process, not a final project. The focus on letting the students explore various topics related to theater helped create continued confidence in my child and his interest in theater, storytelling and acting.”

“Saltworks is a predictably positive experience. Connor is always excited to attend each week, no matter how tired he may be coming home from school. He comes home from Saltworks energized. Thank you!”

“As usual, Saltworks does a fantastic job of teaching the kids to work together. What they learn as a group, in my opinion, is more important than what she learns as an actor.”

“I appreciate your commitment to meeting children where they are at developmentally and inviting them to find and connect to the best in themselves. That’s a fabulous, life-giving way of teaching.”

“Saltworks Summer Studio continues to be a fantastic experience. It boosts self-confidence, provides a great social atmosphere, and develops confidence speaking and performing in front of a large group.”

“It’s the positive learning atmosphere, teaching staff, and the whole ‘Saltworks experience’ that draws us to Saltworks. I’ve always been a fan of your ‘process over product’ philosophy. If the Friday performances and enthusiasm of the students can be a measure, then you are definitely the best.”

“What I appreciate most about Saltworks is the focus on kids doing theater for kids. There is nothing schmaltzy about what you do with the kids or what you have them perform; everything is genuine. The pressure that you so often see when it comes to children performing in front of an audience doesn’t exist here and this breaks down those barriers and provides the students with the opportunity to feel comfortable in the setting and as a result step up and enjoy giving a performance at their level.”

“Jack had a fantastic time, enjoyed the experience greatly, and babbled non-stop to his family. His mom and I were most grateful, and were additionally pleased at all the theater terms he picked up. We are all very grateful for this terrific experience and for the care and fun all of you put into it. Again, many thanks.”

“Josie enjoyed the week. We were amazed that she could memorize the lines for the play and get up on stage and deliver them. The curriculum was fun and engaging. But truly, the best part was the instructors; their loving, kind, and generous spirit made the week a very memorable experience.”

Young Actors Studio FAQ

Where are you located?

Saltworks is located in the Bellevue/Avalon section of Pittsburgh, PA. We hold classes and camps at Greenstone United Methodist Church at 939 California Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15202.

Is the Young Actors Studio a highly competitive environment?

No! Our program is intentionally designed to be supportive. Unlike many theater programs, every student at Saltworks gets a part and an opportunity to shine. We make sure each child’s unique talents are highlighted while also encouraging them to build new skills. While we do expect students to work hard and take pride in the parts they earn, casting is always a low-stress and encouraging process—whether it’s for a scene study or a show.

At our Young Actors Studio, students learn to value the strength of the ensemble rather than focusing only on starring roles. Our teachers consider teamwork, attitude, and enthusiasm just as much as talent when working with students.

My child has a physical/mental/social/emotional disability. Will the Young Actors Studio be a good place for them?

Only you and your child can know whether a certain type of activity or location will be appropriate for them. However, we have had a number of students with a range of different disabilities who have all thrived at Saltworks. We approach each student with the mindset that everyone can do everything and then make adjustments as necessary. Our location is handicap accessible. Saltworks can be a noisy, seemingly chaotic, joyously wild place at times and that is something that cannot be changed. The Young Actors Studio might not be the right place for everyone, but everyone is welcome.

Is Saltworks a Christian theater company?

Everyone is welcome at Saltworks! Saltworks was founded on the Christian principles of caring for others and choosing joy. Our classes and programs are open to students of all backgrounds, faiths, and traditions. Our mission is to educate, challenge, and inspire students to make positive choices both on and off the stage, while nourishing their spirits through creativity and performance. We do not pray in class, teach the Bible, or ask students to make any statement of faith. Instead, we focus on creating a welcoming environment where all children can learn, belong, and shine.

What if I’ve never acted before?

Then Saltworks will be a great place for you! We pride ourselves on making sure that all of our classes are appropriate for students of all levels of experience and commitment to theater. Our teachers are all equipped to work with students who maybe need extra support or a greater challenge.

Who teaches at Saltworks?

Our teachers are all theater professionals who love to teach their craft! We look for a very special kind of enthusiastic, positive person to teach at Saltworks, so we frequently have teachers return year after year for our classes and camps. We are also lucky to have many alumni come back to teach or assist every year. All of our instructors have their necessary clearances.

Will I be in a class with people my own age?

We always endeavor to put students with people near their age, but the size of the class dictates whether or not we are able to split classes into age groups so sometimes a 10 year old will be with a 14 year old. A mixed-age class is an excellent experience, though! We always encourage our students to learn from and support each other during class so it can be wonderful to have people of different ages contributing to one learning environment.

How many students are in a class?

At the Young Actors Studio we always aim to have at the most a 1:10 teacher to student ratio. This is because we believe that having a lot of one-on-one time with our students leads to more successful experiences all around.

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