Children’s Theatre Classes

The Children’s Theatre of Western Springs, or CTWS, offers classes in Musical Theatre, Acting, Improv, Technical Theatre, Specialty Classes, and more for students in grades K-12. Classes at CTWS meet weekly for 1- to 2-hours, depending on the class and age group. Each week, students will work on learning age-appropriate theatre skills, ensemble building, group communication, problem solving, teamwork, and critical thinking with our wonderful teachers, directors, and faculty members. Studying theatre in this format encourages students to grow as young people in new ways, helps foster a strong community, and of course, gives students the ability to HAVE FUN together!

Each semester ends with an Observation Week where family members are invited to sit in on the final class day and watch what your students have been working on! Some classes may have a formal showcase at the end of the semester.

Enrolled students in a CTWS class are able to audition for or crew backstage for our full-scale productions each semester at no additional charge! Auditions take place at the beginning of each semester. Parents of cast members are expected to volunteer in various roles throughout our productions; it's always fun to see all of the hard work of our cast, crew, and families when the final shows come around each semester! Production information can be found by clicking on "Production Details" below.

Besides the skills that your student will learn, they also have the opportunity to see lots of theatre right here in our building! Every CTWS student can claim 1 free ticket to any production we do here, both at the Children's Theatre and the adult shows at the Theatre of Western Springs. And if you are a parent, you also get the benefit of seeing these shows! Each parent can claim 1 ticket at a 10%-off discount to see the adult shows at the Theatre of Western Springs. While some shows will be fun for the whole family, some will be great for a parent's night out, so we encourage all parents to take advantage of this offer!

  • 1-hour classes: $275
  • 2-hour classes: $385
  • Multi-Class Discount: additional $25 off (email ctws@theatrewesternsprings.com to apply this discount; discount available for one student taking multiple classes)
Spring Mainstage: James and the Giant Peach JRSpring High School Rep: The Odd Couple: Female Version

Directed by Joe Savino

Open to registered students in grades K-12

Auditions: Saturday, February 3 (callbacks February 4)

Performances: April 19-28

General Rehearsal Schedule: Mondays 6-9, Wednesdays 4-7, Saturdays 9-1

CLICK HERE to sign up for Auditions!

Directed by Sophie Imielski

Open to registered students in grades 8-12

The spring HSR show is open to 8th graders as well as high schoolers, to get our 8th graders involved in the high school program a little early! 8th graders must still register for a class for their age group, however. 

Auditions: Saturday, January 27 (callbacks January 28)

Performances: March 15-17

General Rehearsal Schedule: Tuesdays 7-10, Wednesdays 7-10, Sundays 5-8

CLICK HERE to sign up for Auditions!

We will work around your class schedule and extra-curriculars, so sign up for whatever class you want!

Regular attendance in class is expected. If a student is going to be absent on a particular day, please notify the office at 708-246-4043 or by emailing ctws@theatrewesternsprings.com. Extended absences should be notified early in order to be communicated to the teachers so they can best prepare their lesson plans. Regular attendance is also a requirement in order to participate in any of our semester productions, both with CTWS and HSR.

Payment is due at the time of registration in full. The Multi-Class Discount applies to multiple classes taken by the same student. Email ctws@theatrewesternsprings.com to take advantage of this discount.

$30 is non-refundable upon registration. The remainder can be refunded until 2 weeks before the semester begins. A 75% refund can be requested through the second week of classes. Registration is closed and no refunds will be given after the end of the second week of classes.

No refunds or credits will be given for missed or cancelled classes due to sickness, weather, or other uncontrollable events.

Students at CTWS can claim 1 free ticket for each CTWS and TWS performance during the semester they are enrolled. Parents can claim 1 ticket to each TWS performance at a 10% discount. To claim these tickets, please call or visit our Box Office.

Click Here to view our Financial Aid and Scholarship details.

Spring 2024 Semester Details

Class Dates: January 22 – April 25

Class Observations: April 22-25

No Class Dates: February 19 (Presidents' Day), March 25-28 (Spring Break), April 15-18 (James and the Giant Peach Tech Week),

Click Here to view a list of all Spring 2024 classes and their descriptions! CLICK HERE to Register!

Kindergarten thru 2nd Grade

Class TimeMonday ClassesTuesday ClassesWednesday ClassesThursday Classes
4-5pm Musical Theatre: Theatre Magic (SOLD OUT) Musical Theatre: Disney Classics Musical Theatre: Food Frenzy
5-6pm Acting: Storytime Classics Acting: Fairytale Fun
CLICK HERE to Register!

3rd Grade thru 5th Grade

Class TimeMonday ClassesTuesday ClassesThursday Classes
4-5pm Acting: Comedy Club (SOLD OUT) Musical Theatre: Disney Favorites Musical Theatre: Movie Musicals (SOLD OUT)
5-6pm Kids in the Spotlight (SOLD OUT) Acting: Story Creations: Medieval Edition
6-7pm 4th-7th Specialty: DIY Theatre

5th-8th Dance: Happy Dances from Broadway

CLICK HERE to Register!

6th Grade thru 8th Grade

Class TimeMonday ClassesTuesday ClassesThursday Classes
4-5pm JR High Improv (SOLD OUT)
5-6pm 6th-12th Directing (5pm-7pm) 6th-12th: Technical Theatre (SOLD OUT) (5pm-7pm)
6-7pm 4th-7th Specialty: DIY Theatre

5th-8th Dance: Happy Dances from Broadway

Musical Theatre: Modern Musicals

6th-12th Directing (5pm-7pm)

6th-12th: Technical Theatre (SOLD OUT) (5pm-7pm)
CLICK HERE to Register!

9th Grade thru 12th Grade (High School Rep)

Tuesday ClassesThursday Classes
Directing (5pm-7pm) Acting: Neil Simon Scenes (5pm-7pm)
  Technical Theatre (5pm-7pm)
Improv (5pm-7pm)

All High School students are invited to participate in our weekly HSR Power Hour on Thursdays from 7pm-8pm. Power Hours are a great opportunity to hang out with your fellow HSR students, plan ahead for tech and performance weeks, go hang posters, and more!

While 8th graders can audition for "The Odd Couple", they cannot take an HSR class until they are in 9th grade. 

CLICK HERE to Register!