A WELCOME FROM ARTISTIC & MANAGING DIRECTOR - JOHN THOMAS
Welcome to the wonderful world of the Brampton Theatre School. Since our inception we have grown into a multi-faceted operation and have accumulated many wonderful accomplishments along the way. This school enables myself, my board and my staff to witness the power of theatre, particularly its healing powers on a day to day basis I have had the pleasure of watching students grow up with me and I am so proud of the fine young men and women they have become.
To increase the abilities of youth who crave to develop performance skills is a joyous part of our work. However, I must say that the greatest reward comes from the many broken or fragile souls who join our little world and who join our little world and who find a refuge to unearth growth and empowerment. For many of our students the theatre school is a place where they find great comfort and joy. They receive tremendous support and mentorship and make unbelievable discoveries. It is a place to belong, where you can just be and this has been our greatest accomplishment. The power of theatre is incredible and I have countless examples to support this thesis.
Our school community also consists of many wonderful parents who share my passion and serve to make all of what we accomplish possible. The cohesion between youth and adult and the working relationships that evolve are a joy to witness and certainly serve as learning opportunities for each group.
It certainly has been challenging to survive and there has been a great deal of sweat and tears that have gone into the theatre school and its evolution. This has been made possible by dedicated staff who have worked with me over the years. I must pay homage to the gifted teachers and mentors on whose shoulders the school has been built: •Ann Bettonvil •Alan Bartlett •Victoria Ingram • Darryn Desouza • Laura Caswell.
I invite all to join the BTS family and journey with us in fun and friendship. The possibilities are endless, the opportunities invaluable and the passion relentless!
For the love of theatre,
John Thomas
The Brampton Theatre School is a not for profit organization dedicated to enriching lives and developing skills. The school has been operating now since 1998 and has touched countless lives in this community through a multitude of classes, spectacular performances and the ongoing mentorship of our youth. BTS has been the labor of love of founder John Thomas. Mr. Thomas is a theatre professional and educator who has brought together an exceptional quality professional staff to deliver quality instruction and mentorship to all those who join us. Many of our students have had transformative experiences and some have gone on to pursue professional careers appearing in theatres around the world, television series and Academy Award nominated films. Our School is not only a haven for our many students but also a community within itself of fun-loving supportive families who share in creating our success.
The variety of classes we offer welcomes people from ages 5 to adult to explore acting, singing, musical theatre, comedy improvisation and a variety of other related activities. Our instructors are dedicated theatre and education professionals who reach out to empower our participants. We have provided the theatrical landscape of our community with amazing productions such as LES MISERABLES, JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOUR DREAMCOAT , BYE BYE BIRDIE, THE WIZARD OF OZ, WEST SIDE STORY, BLOOD BROTHERS and SEUSSICAL Junior. In our many classes we help students develop skills and then they have the opportunity to apply these skills in a continued learning environment with our young companies and other performance opportunities. Our programming is extensive so as to provide great opportunities for our students. We are also often used as a resource for television, film and theatre projects.
Some of our notable accomplishments include our 2008 Senior Young Company performing their smash-hit Les MisŽrables in Toronto's beautiful Winter Garden Theatre in June 2008. The performers were not only profoundly moved to have the opportunity to perform in one of the most beautiful theatres in the world but having Mr. Michael Burgess (who played Valjean in the original Toronto production) visit and then watch the performance was something that added to the amazement of the entire experience. Our rehearsal process also included a visit and workshop from Gordon McLaren who played Javert in the original Toronto Production. The tenacity that gave our students the opportunity to make their Toronto debut on the stage of a historic world class theatre is taking on a new challenge. Our 2009 Senior Young Company has taken their production of BLOOD BROTHERS on the road to launch our exciting summerstock season at the historic Academy Theatre in Lindsay. Our plan was to create a unique programming concept that focused on the incredible talents of youth and harnesses their energy and passion to ignite the stage with high quality theatre. The programming was complimented with training and enrichment programs that will be developed within the next few years to establish Lindsay as the home of youth theatre Ð not only productions but training.
- The Arts and Your Child
- A child with no inhibitions
- A child who understands team work
- A child with focus and determination
- A child not afraid to be in front of a crowd
- A child not restricted by the perception of others
- ….. benefits of Theatre Arts
THE ARTS IS NOT A LUXURY
Arts and culture is an investment in our future as a nation: a growing body of research indicates that involving young people in creative activities helps develop skills crucial to their future. They learn communication, problem-solving, a commitment to excellence, self discipline and gain a broader understanding of the world and themselves. Theatre arts training inspires a participant with a greater sense of presence which has the potential to be transferred to all aspects of a persons' life. This can result in a greater likelihood to be successful and realize all your goals - TO REACH YOUR ULTIMATE POTENTIAL!
