Acting Company for Excellence (ACE)

Acting Company for Excellence (ACE) is a North Texas Performing Arts youth membership program where students take part in acting, singing, dancing, and performing. Members can focus on performance or technical roles such as Stage Manager, Lighting Design, Set Design, and Costume Design, and they can also develop leadership skills. ACE members may serve as student interns for camp experiences, present curtain speeches, attend Collegiate Pursuits training, workshops and intensives, and participate in audition feedback sessions.

• Ages: 11–18 years old
• Schedule: Virtual ACE meetings are held quarterly; the 2023 annual ACE trip cruise is scheduled for June 25–July 2, 2023.
• Price: Annual membership dues: $129. Intern hours policy rate: $6/hour applied to seasonal camps only.

North Texas Performing Arts states that it is dedicated to developing the character of youth through performing arts education and family entertainment. ACE is a North Texas Performing Arts Youth Membership Program for 6–12th grade artists, with Junior ACE for 6–8th grade and ACE for 9–12th grade. The primary goal of ACE is to offer benefits to students who desire the pursuit of excellence on stage and off, and members are mentored to enhance leadership skills and hone the craft of performing.

Members are selected based on level of experience, talent via audition, and maturity. The audition and acceptance process includes an in-person audition, an online application form, two references, and payment of annual dues. Students in grades 6–12 can audition for ACE at any Pursuits audition or Conservatory audition call, and a Conservatory audition at NTPA Academy can also count as the ACE entry audition.

For ACE/JACE Performance Emphasis, the audition may include 1–2 musical theatre cuttings (16–32 bars) of contrasting styles and 1–2 monologues. ACE Tech Emphasis candidates prepare a 2–5 page sample portfolio and answer interview questions. ACE membership is listed in every youth theatre playbill.

Members have exclusive eligibility to earn tuition credit by serving as student interns for all camp experiences. Intern hours may be redeemed to cover up to 50% of production tuition. ACE students have no cap on maximum intern hours earned per year, while JACE students have a $500/year cap on maximum intern hours earned per year.

Members have exclusive student participation in presenting curtain speeches for NTPA youth theatre productions when an ACE is on-hand. They can receive free tickets for NTPA youth theatre productions (up to $15) with a unique ACE code on an as-available basis. Junior ACE students in grades 6–8 have exclusive access to Collegiate Pursuits training with Jr. ACE-only Pursuits workshops and intensives, and ACE students in grades 9–12 have exclusive access to early enrollment for Collegiate Pursuits workshops and intensives.

The program includes exclusive access to an annual ACE trip centered around performing arts related activities such as NYC, Disney World, Chicago, LA, or otherwise, and the 2023 ACE trip is a cruise out of Galveston. ACE/JACE gatherings and fun events are part of the program. Members must attend virtual ACE meetings held quarterly and must attend the annual induction ceremony every January. ACEs can receive free 1-on-1 audition feedback sessions after completing any Collegiate Pursuits audition, and ACEs can receive free feedback for auditions at any Collegiate Pursuits audition held four times a year.

Last updated January 28, 2026.