YES Kids is a fun, experiential learning program for students in 1st – 3rd grade, designed to introduce young people to the theater. Students will explore various aspects of the performing arts, including musical theater, Shakespeare, improvisation, short monologues and scenes, and more. The program will culminate in an invited family celebration, including theater games and a sing-along.
Classes will last two hours and will meet weekly.
Fall Session Dates – Cohort 1: Tuesdays – 10/20/26, 10/27/26, 11/3/26, 11/10/26
Fall Session Dates – Cohort 2: Thursdays -10/22/26, 10/29/26, 11/5/26, 11/12/26
Spring Session Dates – Cohort 1: Tuesdays – 5/4/27, 5/11/27, 5/18/27, 5/25/27
Spring Session Dates – Cohort 2: Thursdays – 5/6/27, 5/13/27, 5/20/27, 5/27/27
Calendar: Click HERE
Registration: $300
Registration for YES Kids 2026/27 is now closed.
Registration for YES Kids 2027/28 will open in Spring 2027.
YES (Youth Ensemble Studio) Jr. is designed for students with a passion for theater in grades 4 & 5. This program will meet twice a week for three weeks in September for Academy Days to learn about acting, theater vocabulary and ensemble building. Students who participate in the Academy Days are eligible to audition for YES Jr.’s Fall Production!
Students in this program also join us at Northern Stage for three Main Stage Days, where they will get the opportunity to attend a masterclass, bond over a pizza party with the rest of the company, and join the artists after the production for an interactive talkback. This is the perfect program for young thespians who love to perform.
During the Fall Academy Days we will work on improving acting skills and creating a group ensemble. The academy days will provide a crash course in all things theater in a fun and exciting environment! Each day will run two hours in length.
Fall Academy Dates: September 7 – 24, 2026 (Cohort 1 – Mondays & Wednesdays; Cohort 2 – Tuesdays & Thursdays)
Fall Academy Calendar: Click HERE
Registration Fee for Fall Academy Days: $300
Registration for 2026/27 Fall Academy Days is now closed.
Registration for 2027/28 Fall Academy Days will open in Spring 2027.
Our 2026/27 YES Jr. Production is The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, running at Northern Stage this October! Registration for this program is only open to students who have completed Fall Academy Days.
Our Main Stage Days begin with master classes led by professional theater artists from around the country, followed by a company pizza party before seeing a Northern Stage production. Finally, after the performance, our students participate in a talkback with the cast to ask questions about the theater industry.
2026/27 YES Jr. Main Stage Days
Main Stage Days are included with Fall Academy Days tuition. The program is only open to students who have completed Academy Days.
Northern Stage offers half-day theater camps during all school vacations! Designed for all experience levels, campers learn theater games and skills centered around a theme, and the week culminates in a performance for friends and family!
2027 CAMP DATES
No! We welcome students of all experience levels.
Most education programs for Grades 1-5 are open to everyone. YES Jr.’s annual play is only open to students who participate in YES Jr. Academy Days.
Our programs that take place during the school year are designed with specific grades in mind. We understand that some students are at different levels of maturity than their peers, but we urge you to sign up for the program/production that fits the student’s school year.
Summer programming is based on age rather than grade level. If your student has a birthday during the course of a summer program that will either age them into or out of a specific program, please reach out to our education staff to find out what program will be right for them.
The YES Jr. Production will have public, ticketed performances. Families of participants have a pre-sale window for additional tickets before they go on-sale to the general public, and may receive a limited number of complimentary or discounted tickets for each production at the discretion of the Education & Box Office teams.
YES Kids and Camps do not have a public performance, but will culminate with a private showcase for friends and family.
A 25% deposit is required to reserve a space in all Northern Stage programs. Payments must be made in full by the program start date.
In an effort to ensure theater education is accessible to all, Northern Stage offers sliding scale tuition, need-based scholarships, and payment plans for our education programs. Please click HERE to learn more.
Northern Stage’s refund policies for Education programs:
– Cancellations 60+ days before the classes begin: 75% refund
– Cancellations 30-59 days before the classes begin: 50% refund
– Cancellations within 30 days: No refund
For additional information contact Co-Directors of Education Sam Empey at sempey@northernstage.org and Kevin David Thomas at kthomas@northernstage.org or the Box Office at boxoffice@northernstage.org.
Students experiencing coughing, sore throat, fever or gastrointestinal distress must contact program administrators to determine whether they can come to rehearsal/performance days. If your child has a fever of 100 degrees or greater or if they have vomited two or more times in the past 24 hours, they may not return to Northern Stage. They are welcome back once they have been fever free for 24 hours without the aid of fever reducing medication.
For further questions you can contact Sam Empey at sempey@northernstage.org.
The Northern Stage Education department will typically cancel rehearsals and classes when a majority of surrounding school districts cancel school or have an early release due to inclement weather. We will reach out through email and/or phone to alert families to any cancellations. A make-up rehearsal or class will typically be scheduled to make up for any lost time, schedule permitting.
Weather-related performance cancellations are very unusual but do sometimes occur. If we are experiencing inclement weather on the day of a student performance, Northern Stage will determine if a cancellation is necessary and alert students’ families to the situation as quickly as possible.
For further questions you can contact Sam Empey at sempey@northernstage.org.
You will get a confirmation email from Northern Stage’s Box Office after payment is received in full. This email includes your receipt and a link to the Student Intake Form. This form must be completed by the start of the program or your student will not be able to participate.
Northern Stage’s Education Department will reach out closer to the scheduled start date with more detailed information about the program.
Northern Stage’s Box Office will be closed from Friday, August 21 through Tuesday, August 25 for administrative training. We will not be able to respond to phone calls or emails during this time, nor take any in-person sales.
Our Box Office is always open online by clicking the “Ticket” link in in the header above. If you have any troubles, send us an email at boxoffice@northernstage.org or leave a voicemail at (802) 296-7000 and we will get back to you once we reopen on Wednesday, August 26.
Thank you for your understanding!
Our website is experiencing technical difficulties that is causing information display incorrectly. To know what’s currently on stage, click “Tickets” in the menu or contact our Box Office at boxoffice@northernstage.org or (802) 296-7000.