Our rehearsal studio and office is located at 45898 Victoria Avenue, Chilliwack

Theatre Production for Young Adults – 18-24 years old (CANCELLED, NO lONGER RUNNING THIS SEASON)

$650 for term

CSOPA’s First adult only class, TYA is designed to meet the needs of those students who want to explore backstage opportunities and show building, as well as those wanting to try something new. This class focuses on both  technical theatre design and performance. This class will run December to June with 2 Performances in May and 1 in July. 

In December class members will choose backstage skills they wish to learn and in January they will physically learn those skills backstage on our full-scale Mainstage production. Students will not pay for January, as their work backstage will be serving the studio and the show.

From February to April the class will build their own show and perform it at CSOPA’s Spring Festival as well as have the option to perform at the Harrison Festival of the Arts in July.  Students will be responsible for all design elements of their production including set, lights, costumes, props, and stage management as well as advertising and publicity.  This course deals with mature subject matter!

 

Senior Stage  |  Ages 13 – 19 years old  

February 2024-May 2024, $500 for term

Calling our teenage theatre enthusiasts! Senior stage is a spring term skills and learning class. This workshop style class invites experts from all different fields to lecture and facilitate hands-on demonstrations and activities in all aspects of theatre.
Senior Stage offers an array of weekly workshops in Dance stylings, Theatre Technology, Acting history and textwork, Costuming and Makeup, and more! This class is about exploring all the branches of theatre as a craft beyond just performance
During CSOPA’s annual Spring Festival, Senior Stage students will work backstage enabling other classes in the school to show off their amazing shows. Students are given the opportunity for hands-on learning of sound and lighting, moving sets, props, headsets, and makeup and costumes. We believe that understanding all the time and effort that happens behind the curtain is vital to cultivating a deeper respect for all aspects of theatre as an art.

 

Mainstage Production – 13-19 years old By Audition Only for current students

Sept 2023–May 2024 by audition only, $1580 per year    Auditions will be held June 17th 2023.

Lovingly compared as “the rep hockey of youth theatre programs,” by some of our previous students, the MainStage program is a high intensity, pre-professional musical theatre program by audition only. This class is a performance/educational hybrid designed with both Theatre career and life launching skills in mind.
Each year CSOPA mounts a professional musical theatre production giving focus and real life training to our senior students ages 13-19. Prerequisite to auditions, students must have taken a performance-based class at CSOPA within the past year.
Students learn all aspects of performing in a professional theatrical production on a professional stage. The students rehearse and prepare the acting, choreography and vocal components of the show for five months with our professional artistic director, music director and choreographer. CSOPA also brings in Industry professional designers for our set, lighting, sound and costumes.
The MainStage program promotes excellence in performance as well as teaches teamwork, confidence and a commitment to work ethics. Students in Grade 10 to 12 may apply to their high school for credits in performing arts.
Rehearsals for the Main Stage cast start in September. The students must commit to 12 – 20 hours per week in the fall to rehearsals. Students must be available Mondays and Fridays from 4-8 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. as well as most Sundays and holidays in November, December and January. There are a few days of school in January students must be prepared to miss.
It is also noted that for our highschool students, our rehearsal and show schedule often runs directly through exam dates. Speaking to your teachers in advance about alternative exam arrangements is recommended.

After a short break in February, MainStage students can continue to work on their musical theatre skills during the Senior Stage program. There is a lot to theatre we don’t always get the chance to teach about during our busy 5 mainstage months. The Senior Stage class offers an array of weekly workshops in Dance stylings, Theatre Technology, Acting history and textwork, Costuming and Makeup and more! This class is about exploring all the branches of theatre as a craft beyond just performance. (More information about Senior stage can be found above)

Our MainStage productions have a reputation of excellence in theatre. In 2020 CSOPA’s annual MainStage production ran for 11 public performances at the Chilliwack Cultural Centre (a 575 seat theatre) and over 4700 people attended the performances. Over 50 community volunteers, parents and work experience students provide the work force to build the set, props, costumes and work the show as crew.
The program fees include all costumes, script, music and a show t-shirt. Students will need to purchase specific undergarments, their own basic stage makeup kit and dance slippers or dance shoes.