What will my student receive?
- 2 Monthly hour-long acting coaching sessions (required August – February)
- 2 Monthly hour-long vocal coaching session(required August – February)
- 5 Main Stage Days
- 5 Specialized Workshops for YES Next Stage Students throughout the year.
- College Summer Sprint – a weeklong college preparation intensive
- College counseling and financial advising
Why should I choose YES Next Stage for myself or my child?
YES Next Stage is here to help prepare you for the road ahead. Starting with the same demanding training that you will encounter in the country’s leading BFA and MFA programs and continuing with college application guidance and audition prep, YES Next Stage will give our young actors the highest possible chance to succeed.
For those who are still exploring the role that theater will play in their lives, YES Next Stage is here to help discover how it can continue to enrich your life for years to come, whether or not it’s as a career. We fervently believe that this advanced training is beneficial beyond simply preparing young actors for college applications. Theater asks us to be generous, empathetic, brave and imaginative, traits that help you succeed not only in a BFA audition but in any other challenge you face.
How to be a part of YES Next Stage?
YES Next Stage is an audition-based program. Interested students will schedule an interview with Co-Directors of Education Kevin David Thomas and Sam Empey. Both Students and Parents attend the initial interview to help determine whether or not this is the correct program for them. Students will then be invited to submit an application based on what is decided after the interview. Students will submit a personal letter on why they are interested in the program, a 32 bar cut of a song, a 1-2 minute monologue, and their high school transcript.
To be a part of the YES Next Stage company you must participate in our Summer Musical Theater Intensive, The Spring Showcase or one of our Main Stage productions. We believe that an important part of our students’ training is using the skills we learn in our workshops and coachings and applying them to the rehearsal room and performances.
What does YES Next Stage cost?
The cost to participate in YES Next Stage is 1,900.00 dollars for the year. Financial aid is available for qualified actors and their families. Click HERE to learn more about our Sliding Scale Tuition Program and additional scholarships.
If you are interested in applying to YES Next Stage, we’d love to meet with you! Please email Sam Empey at sempey@northernstage.org and Kevin David Thomas at kthomas@northernstage.org to schedule an interview or doe any questions.
Important Dates for 2025/26 Academic Year:
- Interview beginning the week of 06/09/25
- Auditions due the week of 06/23/25
- Acceptances announced the week of 6/20/25
Education
Sponsors
Youth Ensemble Studio is sponsored in part by Ramunto’s Hanover Brick n’ Brew.
YES Next Stage FAQ
Click on the questions to learn more
While we make every effort to accommodate conflicts, attendance at certain rehearsals and all tech/performance dates is required. Please contact Co-Directors of Education Sam Empey at sempey@northernstage.org and Kevin David Thomas at kthomas@northernstage.org if you have questions about whether your conflicts are compatible with participation in the program and would like to discuss.
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.
Nope! You can sign up for one or all of the offerings in a given year.
We no longer require Covid testing to participate in Northern Stage programs. 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.
Please reach out to Co-Directors of Education Sam Empey at sempey@northernstage.org and Kevin David Thomas at kthomas@northernstage.org to schedule an interview.
Communication
Theater is about collaboration and good communication is a pillar of this activity. When you sign up for this program, you are making a commitment to clear communication. Parents must check their email regularly and read all the information we send out. We encourage YES students to be actively engaged in email communication alongside their parents.
We are grateful to Janet Miller Haines and Heywood Alexander, Education Fund donors, and our entire family of supporters for making YES scholarships possible. If you would like to set up a payment plan or have questions about payment options, please email boxoffice@northernstage.