Geordie Theatre School (GTS) is all about jumping in, having fun, working together and finding your voice!
Our multi-level workshops, after-school classes, and public classes provide children and teens with the opportunity to build a solid foundation in acting by learning the craft from passionate and caring professional educators and artists.
GTS offers a variety of ways for young people to experience the impact of theatre while encouraging strong skills in Confidence, Creativity and Craft.
Children and teens explore how to create fascinating characters, build exciting stories, and present them to an encouraging audience of family, friends and community supporters.
Each year GTS offers two sessions with classes being offered on Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Registration for the Fall Session begins in August with classes running from October to December with an in-class final presentation. Registration for the Winter begins in early-December with classes running from early-February to early-May with a final performance at Moyse Hall.
GTS Public classes take place at the Greene Centre (1090 Greene Avenue) which is easily accessible by car or public transit. In the instance that in-person classes cannot be accommodated due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all classes will move online.
GTS JUNIORS
Each session involves the creation of a final group performance that comes from the imaginations of the students which is presented to family, friends and community members.
We are returning to our regular 12-week format for the Winter 2022 Session! The session runs from February 12th to May 29th, 2022 and culminates in our end of year GTS Cabaret! Classes will be IN-PERSON with reduced class capacity and increased health & safety measures.
Regardless what Covid throws at us, the Winter Session at GTS promises to be full of creativity and fun!!
Join in on the FUN!!
Registration for the GTS Juniors is CLOSED for the Winter 2022 Session.
GTS JUNIORS
Ages 6 & 7
Saturdays 10:30am – 12:00pm
Cost $325/session (Early Bird $292.50)
Classes run from February 5th to May 7th, 2022
With a focus on encouraging creativity, working as an ensemble, exploring characters and playing with storytelling, students will learn how to share ideas and invent scenes through play and teamwork.
Maximum 8 students per class.
Ages 8 & 9
Saturdays 12:30pm – 2:00pm OR Sundays 11:30am – 1:00pm
Cost $325/session (Early Bird $292.50)
Classes run from February 5th/6th to May 7th/8th, 2022
Students will channel their imagination, work as an ensemble, and dive into character and story creation while sharing their ideas and inventing scenes together through play and guided improvisation.
Maximum 8 students per class.
Ages 10 to 12
Saturdays 2:30pm – 4:00pm OR Sundays 1:30pm – 3:00pm
Cost $325/session (Early Bird $292.50)
Classes run from February 5th/6th to May 7th/8th, 2022
While working on building and engaging the imagination, students will explore the importance of ensemble, the development of more complex characters, story-building, and a deeper understanding of working with their impulses.
Maximum 8 students per class.
REGISTER NOW (Sundays)
GTS TEENS – REGISTRATION STILL OPEN
Teens
Thursdays 6pm – 8pm
Thursdays 6:15pm – 8:15pm
Cost $375/session (Early Bird $337.50)
Classes run from February 10th to May 5th, 2022
While encouraging creativity and developing their acting abilities through a variety of theatre exercises, teens will explore character, body/voice awareness, ensemble, and improvisation.
Each session involves the creation of a performance to be presented to family, friends, and community supporters. The Fall Session culminates in an in-class presentation while the Winter Session ends with an end-of-year Cabaret Performance.
Maximum 8 teens per class.
Teen Ensemble = REGISTRATION CLOSED
Sundays 3:30pm – 5:30pm
Cost $825/year
Early Bird 10% off
The Teen Ensemble is a unique opportunity for teens who are interested in potentially pursuing acting and who want to grow as performers. The full-year program will bridge the gap between skill building and professional development providing teens with a more hands-on experience in performing for the theatre.
The program will include movement & vocal techniques, script & character analysis, audition techniques, regular guest artist teachers/speakers, and an outing to Montreal theatre.
The program will culminate in a final performance in front of family, friends, invited community members and agents.
A maximum of 8 teens will be accepted into the Teen Ensemble. Acceptance is limited to those teens who have done a teen class before, who have proven their commitment, and is subject to approval by the teacher and the GTS Director.
Please email the GTS Director, Jessica Abdallah, to express interest in the program.
What could be better than exploring all the fun theatre has to offer? Doing so in the comfort of your own school! With GTS After School students explore how to create fascinating characters, build exciting stories, and then present them to an encouraging audience of family, friends and community supporters.
GTS regularly offers after school classes during the Fall and Winter sessions at F.A.C.E. School in Downtown Montreal and Pierre Elliott Trudeau Elementary School in Rosemount-Petite-Patrie . These classes are reserved for current F.A.C.E. or P.E.T.S. students.
Is your child’s school not on our current list? Let us know and we’ll reach out to see about starting your very own GTS After School program!
NEW! A Spring Session of After School Classes will Start at F.A.C.E. School!
Each session involves the creation of a final group performance that comes from the imaginations of the students and is presented to family, friends, and community supporters.
For our first-ever Spring Session we will be offering a 5-week session focused on improv and theatre games! Classes will run from the week of May 16th until the week of June 13th. Classes will be IN-PERSON with reduced class capacity and increased health & safety measures as per F.A.C.E. Covid guidelines.
Join in on the FUN!!
Registration is now OPEN!
Grades 1 & 2Cost $130/5-week session
Tuesdays from 2:50pm – 4:20pm
Location: at F.A.C.E. School
With a focus on encouraging creativity, working as an ensemble, exploring characters and playing with storytelling, students will learn how to share ideas and invent scenes through play and teamwork.
Maximum 12 students per class.
Grades 3 & 4
Cost $130/5-week session
Wednesdays from 2:50pm – 4:20pm
Location: at F.A.C.E. School
Students will channel their imagination, work as an ensemble, and dive into character and story creation while sharing their ideas and inventing scenes together through play and guided improvisation.
Maximum 12 students per class.
Grades 5 & 6Cost $130/5-week session
Thursdays from 2:50pm – 4:20pm
Location: at F.A.C.E. School
While working on building and engaging the imagination, students will explore the importance of ensemble, the development of more complex characters, story-building, and a deeper understanding of working with their impulses.
Maximum 12 students per class.
Geordie Theatre School is committed to bringing everyone a memorable Fall 2021 Session and are in discussions with Pierre Elliott Trudeau School about how we can work together to safely bring back the GTS After School classes to the students at P.E.T.S!
If you’d like to be kept up-to-date on the program then please join our P.E.T.S. After School Mail List and we will contact you with updates!
GTS has partnered with the Dollard Centre for the Arts to offer GTS West – a new series of theatre classes for youth in the West Island! After very successful inaugural Fall & Winter Sessions, we are excited to return once more for the Spring Session and to remain IN-PERSON! Our unique GTS experience will run on Saturdays from April 23rd to June 11th, 2022. The classes are:
For more information, please visit the Dollard Centre for the Arts.
REGISTER TODAY!!
Have you ever wanted to bring a puppet to life? Act for the camera? Execute an epic stage battle? Sing and dance to your favourite musical? Perform a Shakespearean monologue? Audition with confidence? Then join us for one of our GTS Specialty Workshops!
Are you a school, community centre or day camp? GTS offers group specialty workshops to fit your needs, space and budget.
Can your child just not get enough GTS theatre training? Is your child eager to try theatre but can’t commit to a 12-week session? Are they excited to try something new and completely different? If yes, then one of our GTS Specialty Workshops might be just the right thing for them!
Musical Theatre Workshop (In-Person)
with Patrick Park
June 4th, 2022
10am to 5pm
$100/1-day intensive workshop
For ages 9 to 15
Maximum 12 participants
Stretch your triple threat muscles in an ensemble of fellow musical theatre lovers! Spend the day singing, dancing, and acting your way through a group number and exploring how these different skills uniquely contribute to storytelling in musical theatre. The goal of this workshop is not to produce a perfectly polished musical theatre performance. It is for every individual to find a piece of themselves in various aspects of musical theatre, no matter what amount of experience in singing, dancing, or acting you are coming to this workshop with!
On-Camera Workshop (June Edition)
with Julian Stamboulieh
June 11th & 12th, 2022
10am to 1pm
$175/in-person intensive plus footage
For ages 10 to 15.
Maximum 8 participants
In partnership with Beanduck Productions, this 6-hour intensive workshop will introduce participants to the differences between theatre and on-camera performing, what to expect from a film set, and will jump into on-camera acting with short and long scenes. At the end everyone will sit and watch the footage on TV!
GTS Online
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Geordie Theatre School created GTS Online which offered a wide range of online workshops as our way to make things just a bit easier, creative and playful for kids and their families. As we move into our 2021-22 season, GTS will continue to offer GTS Online options when we are not able to physically come together as a way to remain connected to our GTS family.
Audition Technique Workshop (in-person)
September 19th, 2021
10am to 5pm (with a 1hr lunch break)
$75/1-day in-person workshop
What exactly happens in an audition? What can an actor do to give themselves a better chance? This introductory workshop will take participants through everything they need to know about how to audition – from the moment they walk in to their last impression. Students will then get to try it out for themselves in their very own mock-audition in front of Montreal directors. For Ages 10 to 15.
Puppet Workshop
with Daniel
December 5th & 6th, 2020
$75/2-Day Workshop
A head. Two arms. A nose. A finger nail. IT’S ALL ALIVE!!!! In this workshop, we’re going to be using readily available and recycled materials to build a small human styled puppet. And then, we’re going to bring it to life!
Join Daniel for two days of puppet fun and walk away with your very own puppet! Sessions available for Ages 6 to 9 and 10 to 12.
At GTS, our classes are taught by some of Geordie’s favorite Montreal theatre professionals because we believe that kids deserve to learn from the best! Here are some of the talented people who are teaching for GTS this year.
Charity Adzie (she/her) is an actor and creator born and raised in Montreal. After graduating from the Professional Theatre Program at Dawson College in 2020, she participated in Black Theatre Workshop’s Artist Mentorship Program. Favourite credits include Holmes/Maeve Sullivan in Blue Stockings (Dome) and Voices From The Pandemic (Tableau D’Hote/Segal). She recently facilitated a Geordie/Desta Mental Health Workshop for 10 black youths alongside Dr. Lisa Ndejuru and Cindy Balan. Charity is passionate about participating in art that is accessible, challenging, joyful, and vulnerable. She is very excited to bring her love for the theatre and improvisation to her students.
Trevor Barrette is a Montreal based actor, director, playwright/composer and teacher. Upon graduating from JAC’s Professional Theatre program, he founded the award winning Kaleidoscope Theatre Montreal, for which he directed their 11 productions, including 4 original musicals. As an actor, he has performed on stage with the National Arts Centre, Centaur Theatre, Geordie Theatre, Repercussion Theatre, MainLine Theatre and Persephone Productions and in readings and workshops at the National Theatre School, Infinitheatre and Playwrights Workshop Montreal. He is a proud member of the Montreal English Theatre Awards Committee, the Montreal Clown Festival’s Board of Directors and the Quebec Drama Federation’s Board of Directors. Trevor currently teaches at the Segal Centre, Geordie Theatre School and Montreal Children’s Theatre. You can see him on stage this spring in Scapegoat Carnivale’s Yev.
Masha Bashmakova (she/her) is performer, creator, and arts educator, navigating the ways in which creative expression serves as a deep and necessary language. A graduate of Concordia’s Performance Creation program, Imago Theatre’s ARTISTA mentorship, and Mainline Theatre’s Propeller, her current practice spans visual and performing arts, with a specific focus in performance, theatre directing, and arts education. Born in Russia, raised in the United Arab Emirates, and currently based in Tio’tia:ke (Montreal), Masha is curious about the ways in which language, place and worldview impact the ways in which we tell stories. Having worked in many different kinds of learning spaces over the years, with students of all ages, Masha knows that in the theatre classroom anything – truly anything – is possible. Weaving acting exercises with approaches adopted from her training in movement, music, puppetry, and devised work, she believes in learning through play, curiosity, radical honesty, awkwardness, world-building, and imagination.
Samantha Bitonti (she/her) is a Tiohtià:ke/Montréal-based actor and creator. Since earning her BFA in Theatre Performance from Concordia University, she has actively pursued various areas of performance including: clown, voice, film, and stage combat (AAC with FDC). She is thrilled to be an Artistic Associate at Repercussion Theatre for the fall of 2020. Samantha is a proud alumna of Imago Theatre’s ARTISTA program; as well as current teacher at Geordie Theatre School, cultivating creativity for young people. Select credits include: Measure for Measure* (Repercussion), Reaching for Starlight* (Geordie), The Trophy Hunt (Rabbit in a Hat), Enough Already (Alien Gaze); Maggie & Bianca Fashion Friends (voice); The Lower Plateau (Dépanneur Films). *Nominated for Outstanding Emerging Artist, Performance – METAs 2019. Samantha is a critical thinker, a lover of art, an advocate for community, and a keen observer of the power of storytelling.
Jake Cohen (he/him) is a Montreal-born and based performer, and graduate of the theatre program at Dawson College. His favourite roles there included John Cabot in Concord Floral, Hamlet in The Bad Hamlet, and the Mock Turtle & Executioner in Alice in Wonderland. He received the Bertrand A. Henry Memorial Award upon his graduation. Outside of school, his performance credits include Spring Awakening (AUTS), The Space Between (Phantom Limb/Fringe), and various roles in the Segal Centre/Tableau D’Hote Theatre’s Voices From The Pandemic series. Jake was a cohort member of Mainline Theatre’s Propeller Program this spring for emerging theatre creators.
You can also find Jake teaching theatre at various schools across the city, including Montreal Children’s Theatre, Geordie Theatre School, and Segal Academy. He is deeply passionate about theatre education as a way of encouraging self-expression among young people, and allowing them to discover their capacity for teamwork, empathy and play!
Debbie is a director-choreographer and proud co-founder of Contact Theatre. She is also an alumnus of Black Theatre Workshop’s Artist Mentorship Program and the Jewish Arts Mentorship Program with the Segal Centre for Performing Arts. Debbie chose to pursue work in theatre and education after completing a master’s in education and society. She also works at the Segal Centre for performing arts as a part of the communications team and as one of the Academy Instructors. Her most recent projects include Director-Choreographer for “Bonnie and Clyde” (Contact), “Chicago” (AUTS), and “The Addams Family” (WISTA). Debbie was also honored to work with Amy Blackmore as Assistant Director and Choreographer for “The Rocky Horror Show” (Mainline Theatre). She is thrilled to be working with Geordie Theatre School and sharing her passion for theatre with the next generation of creators!
Olivia Hawkes is a theatre teacher whose background includes teaching in Montreal and abroad in Rome, Italy. In Rome, Olivia led children’s theatre workshops and a theatre summer camp. Her theatre degree from Concordia University (2019) specializes in Shakespearean studies, where she also dabbled in playwriting and theatre performance. Olivia has acted as Christine, in The Phantom of the Opera and Sandra in A Beautiful Thing, by British playright Jonathan Harvey. In 2013 she performed as part of the Cambridge University corpus christi ensemble and that year she took a workshop series at the Royal Welsh Academy of Music and Drama. In Olivia’s approach to teaching theatre her emphasis is on inspiring her students to act as autonomous creative beings enabling them to experience the magic of creating stories. Olivia is also a soprano and a member of two Montreal based choirs, including the OPCM.
Daniel is a theatre creator, animator, teacher, learner and aspiring everything.
Daniel is the great grandchild of a cinema owner and an apple farmer. The grandchild of nurses and quilt makers. The child of teachers and talkers. The sibling of brilliant hearted adults. And the parent of a joy ball.
Daniel’s family left Ireland and France many years ago to find the great southern land, Gadigal Land, Wiradujuri land. Daniel grew up on the land of the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation (Sydney, Australia), surrounded by sun stroked skin, salt water and big Christmas feasts. Daniel completed a Bachelor’s Degree in Theatre making at the Australian Institute of Music, but inherited big boisterous storytelling from his community.
Daniel moved to unceded Kanien’kehá:ka land, Tio’tia:ke (Montréal) for love. Since arriving here, Daniel has worked with young people to make theatre, teach theatre, perform theatre and more. Daniel has worked in this capacity with the Segal Centre, Geordie Theatre, the ELAN Artists Inspire Project, the LEARN I Belong Project, The Montreal Children’s Theatre, The Vancouver International Children’s Festival and others.
In 2019, Daniel co-founded a theatre collective, Young Hearts Theatre, which looks to tell stories for the young and young at heart. We follow a story to where it needs to go. Outside. Into a cave. Using puppets. Singing loud.
Daniel brings the full weight of past story telling with him and loves SO MUCH to hear about others too – so if you have anything to share, let me know!
Patrick Park is a Montréal based artist and graduate of Concordia University’s Theatre Performance program. Featured performer credits include: Mythic, Prom Queen, Fancy Nancy: The Musical (Segal Centre), Hairspray (CSLDS/Centaur), Punk Rock (BCT/Centaur), and Attempts in Flight (Dai Bao/MTLFringe). He is also a member of the dance group, East2West, performing on stages across Canada and the US as well as on YouTube for an audience of over one million subscribers. Outside of performing, Patrick has worked as a teacher/choreographer with notable drama education programs such as Geordie Theatre School, Segal Academy, and Montréal Children’s Theatre.
Murdoch Schon is a nonbinary director, puppeteer and educator. Born and raised in Treaty One Territory (Winnipeg), they have been involved in the Tiohtià:ke (Montreal) English theatre scene for almost a decade. They believe that theatre is a necessary space to practice community, risk-taking and imagination. Murdoch’s work has been seen recently at FOLDA, Theatre Direct, and Centaur Theatre. They have been teaching theatre at summer camps, and schools for the past five years. Murdoch is a graduate of the National Theatre School directing program and has a BFA, Specialization in Theatre and Development, from Concordia University.
Jen Viens is a director, actor, teacher and producer originally hailing from BC. While there, she studied theatre at UBC, and trained with Matthew Harrison at the Actor’s Foundry in Vancouver. Jen relocated to Montreal five years ago and has been an active member in the arts community since. She has been teaching theatre to children of all ages for over twelve years and is thrilled to be part of the Geordie team!
Directing credits include: SEVEN – a Documentary Play, Unicorn Included (web series), Party Princess (web series), Subtraction (Uncanny Theatre Co.)
Performance credits include: What Happened After Nora Left Her Husband (Imago Theatre) Helix, Stunt Double on Twilight, Gwendolyn in The Importance of Being Earnest, The Passage (Winner of Best Solo Production at the Montreal Fringe), and ‘Jen’ in the acclaimed web series Battle Jar; Resolving Arguments Since the Dawn of Time.
Dakota Jamal Wellman is a performer and creator currently based in Montreal. Originally from Port Hope, ON, Dakota completed his post-secondary studies in theatre at Bishop’s University in Sherbrooke, Quebec. Upon graduation, Dakota relocated to Montreal to participate in the Artist Mentorship Program at Black Theatre Workshop, and has been fortunate to call Montreal home ever since. Dakota is happy to be working with GTS for a third year and to be surrounded by all the great people that make Geordie a family. Winner of the 2017 META for Outstanding Emerging Artist – Performance, notable credits include: Eva In Rio (Playground Productions), Reaching For Starlight (Geordie Theatre), Blackout (Tableau D’Hote Theatre), Don’t Read The Comments (Sermo Scomber Theatre), The Revolutions (SpiderWebShow), Much Ado About Nothing (Repercussion Theatre). Film/TV: Futureman, Matthias & Maxime, The Walk-In Closet, The Bold Type, The Death And Life of John F. Donovan.
The GTS Bursary Fund offers full and partial scholarships to benefit youth from families in lower economic backgrounds, allowing access to engage in the performing arts with passionate and caring professional educators and artists.
Since 2017, over 50 young people have benefitted from this program that encourages potential through a dynamic exploration of theatre.
Applications are accepted throughout the year with decisions being made 2 weeks prior to the start of each session.
How to Apply
The GTS Bursary is easy to apply for! Simply fill in our GTS Bursary Application Form and return to GTS Director, Jessica Abdallah.
Why Donate
Each donation to the GTS Bursary Fund helps us to continue inspiring the next generation of theatre makers. A full scholarship covers the registration fee, GTS t-shirt, and tickets to all Geordie Theatre programming.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Geordie Theatre School created GTS Online which has offered a wide range of online activities throughout the pandemic and has been our way of making things just a bit easier, creative and playful for kids and their families. As we return to in-person classes for the Fall 2021 sessions, we will be reducing class capacity and increasing health & safety measures based on current guidelines. We will also be prepared for all of our classes and workshops to move online, in the event that the situation changes and we can no longer physically come together.
All Public Classes take place at the Greene Centre (1090 Greene Ave). The Greene Centre is easily accessible by public transit and is a short walking distance from both the Atwater and Lionel-Groulx metros. If coming by car there is a designated drop off zone, as well as several options for free street parking. The Greene Centre has a seating area on the main floor where you can wait while your child is in class – or you can walk up Greene to any number of nearby cafes or restaurants.
Parents/caregivers are not allowed to attend the classes as we believe in the importance of encouraging children to participate in class independently from parents/caregivers so that they can have the time and space to develop their own relationships with their peers. We believe this allows them to gain more confidence and further develop their ability to create and express amongst an ensemble.
At the time of registration, you will be asked to pay either the full amount or a $100 deposit. If you choose to pay the deposit then the balance will be due during the first week of classes. Alternative payment plans are available and can be discussed with the GTS Director, Jessica Abdallah.
Yes, GTS is proud to offer full or partial bursaries to all our classes and workshops through the GTS Bursary Fund. For more information and to apply, please visit our GTS Bursary Fund section.
Unfortunately, we do not offer trial classes as we believe it is important for our teachers to know the number of students registered prior to the start of class. However, we do have a very reasonable cancellation policy in the rare instance that a child wants to quit the session after the first class.
We understand that sometimes children change their minds and so we offer the following Cancellation Policy:
FOR GTS WORKSHOPS: Cancellation in writing at least 2 weeks prior to the workshop – Refund minus $15 processing fee.
FOR GTS WORKSHOPS: Cancellation less the 2 weeks prior to the workshop – No Refund.
GTS is not a talent agency and does not seek out auditions for our students. However, whenever we receive audition calls from members of the Montreal theatre, film or voice communities, we are more than happy to pass them on to our students.
Our teachers are all professional artists, creators and theatre innovators from the vibrant Montreal theatre scene who have a passion for teaching the next generation. They all have extensive experience teaching children and youth and, whenever possible, will be accompanied by an intern. To learn more about our individual teachers you can visit our Meet Our Teachers section.
You can support Geordie Theatre School in a number of ways.
At the moment, GTS does not offer a regular summer camp. However, we do offer a variety of Specialty Workshops throughout the summer.
Yes! At the end of our Winter Session students will have the opportunity to perform in our Final Cabaret at Moyse Hall to an audience of family, friends and community supporters. The Fall Session ends with a smaller in-class presentation.
Yes, we accept new students into each class up until the third week of each Fall and Winter Session (pending availability).
We do not allow students to register in classes outside their grade. We believe students benefit from working with their immediate peers. This enables students to connect through common concerns and issues, which is especially important in the collective creation process, whereby they collaborate on stories they will tell through theatre.
At Geordie Theatre we believe in creating an environment where everyone of diverse abilities to feel welcome and comfortable. Please learn more about Geordie Theatre’s commitment to Accessibility. Our school encourages integrated classes where kids from a variety of needs are able to engage in theatre together. If your child would benefit from a particular support in an educational setting, we encourage you to reach out to the GTS Director, Jessica Abdallah, to discuss how best we can create a happy and successful experience for them.
For more information,
contact our GTS Coordinator
at gts@geordie.ca
Geordie Theatre is located on the unceded Indigenous lands of the Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk) nation of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. Tiotià:ke (known as Montréal) has existed as a meeting place of many First Nation peoples, including but not limited to the Abenaki, Anishinaabeg (Algonquin), and the Huron-Wendat. We extend our deepest respect to the elders of these communities and to all Indigenous peoples who carry the history of this island’s land and waters – caring for it and calling it home. We are honoured and privileged to share stories on this land.
We wish to also acknowledge that we are grateful to those seeking sustainable solutions to our global climate crisis, so that we may continue to inspire and challenge our audiences near and far.
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