Young Actors Conservatory and Acting Classes

Young Actors Conservatory and Acting Classes focuses on acting, movement, and voice. The program includes premier training programs for aspiring artists and offers acting classes for kids and adults. The intensive summer conservatory includes work alongside professional directors and actors and ends with a public showcase on The New Vic stage.

• Ages: 14–18 years old

Acting classes are taught by award-winning actor and director Brian McDonald. The leadership team includes Scott DeVine (Executive Artistic Director), Brian McDonald (Artistic Associate / Director of Education), Elena Cruz (General Manager), Christina Davis (Director of Development), Jaime Davison (Comptroller), Ward LeHardy (Ticket Office Manager), Anthony Colombo (Director of Production), David Bonilla (Assistant Production Manager / Rentals and Facilities Manager), Nikki Stark (Development Associate), Shawn Rodriguez (Lighting and A/V Supervisor), and Erica Mings (Wardrobe Supervisor). Ensemble Theatre Company of Santa Barbara is Santa Barbara’s sole professional Equity theater company. The program takes place within a supportive and creative environment for acting students. Ensemble depends on gifts from the community all year long to help subsidize ticket prices, fund education outreach programs, and support artistic freedom. In its inception in 1978, ETC was the Ensemble Theatre Project and called Trinity Episcopal Church its home. The mission of Ensemble Theatre Company of Santa Barbara is to entertain, educate, provoke thought, ignite imagination, and encourage conversation. A testimonial describes one production as “A little masterpiece of a show... a journey that is as harrowing as it is hilarious.”

Last updated June 28, 2026.