FAQ

Eden Theatre Academy is a Christ-centered performing arts academy where students grow in talent, character, and faith through theatre, dance, and performance. We are committed to cultivating excellence in the arts within a warm, biblically rooted environment where every student is known, valued, and encouraged to flourish.  

Students of all backgrounds and skill levels are welcome at Eden Theatre Academy. Our programs are designed for beginners through advanced performers. While our academy is rooted in Christian values, we warmly welcome any family that honors and respects our faith-based mission and environment.

Our production classes are currently held during the day to cater to homeschool students – the founding directors are homeschool parents themselves, and this timing allowed them to serve the local homeschool community.

No! You do not have to be homeschooled to participate in our production classes.  If our class times work for you, you are welcome to join! 

No prior experience is required! Our instructors are skilled at meeting students exactly where they are and nurturing their growth from there.

Students who register for our elementary and middle school production will have an opportunity to perform at the end of their rehearsal season.  Our Middle-Highschool production will be fully staged in a theater.  Our Elementary production will be performed on a local stage (i.e., a church or smaller local theater setting).  Skill-based classes may hold in-class presentations.

Registration is available online. Early registration is encouraged, as spots fill quickly. All families are required to complete and sign both a waiver and code of conduct. 

A fully staged theatrical production truly takes a village, and we believe that is one of the most beautiful things about it. Our productions operate on a co-op model, meaning every family plays a meaningful role in bringing the show to life. When everyone contributes, the load is light, the community is strong, and the result is something truly spectacular.

Parents are placed in committees — each led by a team lead — so that the planning, creative work, and logistics are shared across a team. Our directors share the vision and provide clear guidance and support to each committee throughout the process. Year after year, parents tell us that being involved in one of our productions has been one of the highlights of their year — a rich experience of community, creativity, and shared accomplishment.

Roles for the Middle and High School Production may include:

• Marketing — designing and printing flyers, managing social media
• Photography
• Props — sourcing or creating props through thrift stores or the community
• Set design and construction — painting, building, and bringing the stage to life (artists and handy parents, this one is for you!)
• Costumes — sewing or sourcing specific costume items
• Ticketing — managing the ticketing process and taking tickets at the door
• Ushering
• Fundraising
• Lobby decoration
• Program design

We survey every parent before placing them in a role, ensuring that each person is matched to a position that suits their abilities, strengths, and capacity. No one is left without support — our directors are with you every step of the way.

Approximate volunteer commitment: 20–40 hours across the year, including show week.

Theatre productions have a remarkable way of drawing families together. Over the years, we have watched this co-op model forge friendships and build community in ways that extend well beyond the stage — and that is something we treasure deeply.

Just like our larger productions, our elementary shows are a community effort — and a joyful one at that. Our productions operate on a co-op model, where every family contributes in a way that is both meaningful and manageable. When everyone pitches in, the show comes together beautifully.

Volunteer roles for the Elementary Production may include:

• Photography
• Props — sourcing or making simple props from thrift stores or the community
• Set design — painting and building light, simple set pieces (artists and handy parents welcome!)
• Costumes — light sewing or sourcing specific costume items on Amazon or thrift stores
• Ticketing — checking tickets at the door
• Ushering — warmly greeting patrons and distributing programmes
• Stage makeup

Parents are surveyed in advance so that every family is placed in a role that fits their skills, strengths, and capacity. Our directors share a clear vision and provide guidance and support throughout the process. Many of our parents have shared that being involved in the production has been one of the highlights of their year – a time of real community, shared pride, and lasting connection.  Each parent is given a manageable and achievable role, and no one walks through the process alone.

Approximate volunteer commitment: 10-20 hours across the year.

Theatre productions have a remarkable way of drawing families together. Over the years, we have watched this co-op model forge friendships and build community in ways that extend well beyond the stage — and that is something we treasure deeply.

Our pre-approval audition process exists not as a barrier, but as a gift to our students. 

Auditions allow us to meet each student, hear them, and begin to understand who they are as a performer and as a person — before the first day of class. This knowledge is what allows us to do something we believe is truly distinctive: rather than selecting a show in advance, we choose our production after we have gotten to know our cast. This means every show we produce is chosen with our specific students in mind — their strengths, areas for growth, and the experience that will serve them best.  

Additionally, meeting our cast and choosing a show well in advance allows us time to plan and prepare all the elements that make up a truly spectacular show!  

The result is a production that fits its cast, rather than a cast that has to fit a predetermined production. We believe this sets both our students and our instructors up for a successful experience – giving our instructors time to plan and prepare, and our students a place to grow.

We warmly encourage any student with a love of theatre to audition. We are not looking for perfection — we are looking for heart, a willingness to work as a team, and the courage to fully commit. Audition guidelines are available upon request.

A production fee covers the cost to put on the show: theater rental, costumes, sets, props, show licensing rights – everything that’s not tuition.

At Eden Theatre Academy, our statement of faith reflects who we are and the values that guide everything we do. Because our mission is rooted in these beliefs, we do ask that all families read and sign our statement of faith and code of conduct prior to participating in any class or program.

This is not intended to be exclusionary — it is simply an expression of our commitment to maintaining a community that is aligned in its foundational values and shared purpose. If you have any questions about our statement of faith, we are always happy to talk through it with you.