Young Actors' Theatre Camp

Young Actors’ Theatre Camp offers a range of programs that include Summer Camp, Winter Film Camp, Overnight Camps, 1-day workshops, and themed weekend camps such as the Audition Intensive Weekend Camp, DRAG Weekend Camp, Dungeons & Dragons Weekend Camp, and Writers' Retreat Weekend Camp. The program also runs special experiences like YATC Goes to France and participation at the Cannes International Film Festival. 1-day workshops run on Saturdays and include 6 hours of instruction.

• Ages: 8–18 years old
• Schedule: 1-Day Workshops run Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; Winter Film Camp runs December 28, 2026–January 3, 2027; Summer Camp 2026 sessions include Session 1 (July 5–14), Session 2 (July 16–25), Session 3 (July 27–August 5), Session 4 (July 30–August 5), Session Awesome (July 5–25), Session Incredible (July 16–August 5), and Session WOW (July 5–August 5)

Young Actors’ Theatre Camp was founded in 2001, and its programs were developed by Shawn Ryan and John Ainsworth. The leadership team includes Co-Founding Director Shawn Ryan and Associate Directors Valerie Dohrer and AJ Hamilton. Classes are taught by working actors, singers, directors, dancers, casting directors, writers, designers, agents, managers, and producers, and examples of guest instructors include Sutton Foster, Heather Morris from Glee, and Darren Criss. The mission statement explains that the multi-award winning programs focus on discovering and developing each individual student’s talents in all areas of the performing arts, and the programs are described as multi-award winning.

Overnight camp students are grouped by age and gender into cabins of 11 students for every one counselor, and students can decorate their cabin and are suggested to bring comfy bedding from home to make their bunk more plush. Between 100–150 students are admitted to programs with anywhere between 30–50 full-time staff members, and all bunk requests are honored when students are in the same age group. There is an EARN YOUR WAY TO CAMP Program that allows many students to attend for free, and Young Actors’ Theatre Camp offers financial aid and payment plans tailored to a family’s needs, along with a referral program for students who spread the word.

AJ Hamilton is an actor and voice actor in Los Angeles who appears in TV, movies, video games, and commercials, and hosts multiple podcasts and interviews famous people on the red carpet. Through Young Actors’ Theatre Camp, Valerie Dohrer has gained experience in directing, producing, stage management, screenwriting, costume design, and becoming a stage mom to the YATC Mascot, Gazpacho. One testimonial from Shawn Ryan states that YATC is “part of the answer” for families wondering how to get a leg up in the professional world without prior experience and describes it as a “one stop shop for the ins and outs of showbiz” where children learn from working professionals in many areas of the arts. Another testimonial from Shawn Ryan says that YATC is the place he wished he had as a kid, notes that he has worked with over 5,000 students in almost 20 years, and shares that he aspires to inspire and be inspired by each student at Young Actors’ Theatre Camp.

Young Actors’ Theatre Camp is described as offering a “Famous Overnight YATC Experience” in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The program has a 25th Anniversary Gala scheduled for March 28, 2026, in Livermore, CA, and a Sunday Morning Film Festival on March 29, 2026, also in Livermore, CA.

Last updated July 7, 2026.