Parker Theatre School
The Studio, 3605 South State Street, South Salt Lake, UT 84115
About
Parker Theatre School offers classes in Beginning Theatre, Acting, Musical Theatre, Improv, Improv - Advanced, Sketch Comedy, and a Home School Acting Class. Improv class is described as fun and noncompetitive, and many students take more than one class for well-rounded theatre training. Minimum class size is five, and Parker Theatre reserves the right to split, cancel, or combine classes based on enrollment.
• Ages: 3–17 years old
• Schedule: Homeschool Acting is offered on Fridays throughout the school year from 9:30–11:30
• Price: Adults $32 Children $23 (pricing for 17 and under)
First founded in 1984 by the Tom and Joanne Parker family, The Parker Theatre has been creating unique and original theatre for family for almost 40 years, and The Parker Theatre School has been an integral part of the organization since 1988. The mission of Parker Theatre School is described as a place for creativity, growth, and performance, with an emphasis on having fun, working hard, making friends, and developing skills, and it states dedication to the community, to children, and to the arts. The Director's Studio is a new offering at the Parker, and for 2026 the program will be producing three smaller scale productions that expand Parker storytelling and introduce and nurture new and seasoned directors, with productions performed at the Studio Black Box and described as director driven and possibly rarely seen or produced.
The leadership team includes Shawnda Moss, Roger Dunbar, and David Morgan. Shawnda is a director, actress, and theatre educator whose career path has led to specialization in teacher preparation and training in pedagogy and methodology, and she is the alternate licensing program director for Canyons School District. She has taught directing, acting, and theatre education for several Utah universities as well as in the public-school system, has been Artistic Director for the Hill Cumorah Pageant, and has directed Next to Normal for Utah Valley Theatre and A Christmas Carol for several years at HCTO. Shawnda has performed on stage in roles and productions including Marmee in Little Women (Lehi Arts), Blood Relations (Wandering Bark), Ragtime (The Ruth), Bright Star (SCERA), Into the Woods (OPPA), Fiddler on the Roof (HCT and The Ruth), Sweeney Todd (The Grand), and Titanic (HCT).
David Morgan received his undergraduate degree in Theatre Studies from Brigham Young University and graduated from the National Theatre Conservatory in Denver with a Master of Fine Arts in Acting, completing his internship with the Denver Center Theatre Co. He has completed nine seasons as Artistic Director/Manager of Gold Rush Productions and has worked with the Arvada Center for the Performing Arts, Commonwealth Theatre Co. in Minnesota, Tuacahn Theatre, Provo Theatre Company, Actors Repertory Theatre Ensemble, and the Hale Center Theatre. David has directed at the College of Eastern Utah and Utah Valley University and has taught with the Oswego Theatre Institute in New York, and he has been on the full-time faculty with the BYU Theater and Media Arts Department for 30 years. In 1998, he was selected from nearly 1,000 professors nominated by graduating seniors to receive the Student Award for Excellence in Teaching. He has taught all levels of acting courses, speech and diction, vocal production, and improvisational acting, and is also described as an expert in dance, yoga, and stage combat.
The Studio is described as dedicated to learning and training, and the BlackBox theatre is a 99-seat theatre where the program hosts camp classes as well as end-of-week recitals. Productions for The Director’s Studio are performed at the Studio Black Box, located to the north of the main theatre. The program notes that no outside food or drink is permitted, late arrivals may not be seated until a break or at intermission, and the age recommendation for attendance is 8 and older, with no babies or toddlers permitted.
Last updated February 24, 2026.
• Ages: 3–17 years old
• Schedule: Homeschool Acting is offered on Fridays throughout the school year from 9:30–11:30
• Price: Adults $32 Children $23 (pricing for 17 and under)
First founded in 1984 by the Tom and Joanne Parker family, The Parker Theatre has been creating unique and original theatre for family for almost 40 years, and The Parker Theatre School has been an integral part of the organization since 1988. The mission of Parker Theatre School is described as a place for creativity, growth, and performance, with an emphasis on having fun, working hard, making friends, and developing skills, and it states dedication to the community, to children, and to the arts. The Director's Studio is a new offering at the Parker, and for 2026 the program will be producing three smaller scale productions that expand Parker storytelling and introduce and nurture new and seasoned directors, with productions performed at the Studio Black Box and described as director driven and possibly rarely seen or produced.
The leadership team includes Shawnda Moss, Roger Dunbar, and David Morgan. Shawnda is a director, actress, and theatre educator whose career path has led to specialization in teacher preparation and training in pedagogy and methodology, and she is the alternate licensing program director for Canyons School District. She has taught directing, acting, and theatre education for several Utah universities as well as in the public-school system, has been Artistic Director for the Hill Cumorah Pageant, and has directed Next to Normal for Utah Valley Theatre and A Christmas Carol for several years at HCTO. Shawnda has performed on stage in roles and productions including Marmee in Little Women (Lehi Arts), Blood Relations (Wandering Bark), Ragtime (The Ruth), Bright Star (SCERA), Into the Woods (OPPA), Fiddler on the Roof (HCT and The Ruth), Sweeney Todd (The Grand), and Titanic (HCT).
David Morgan received his undergraduate degree in Theatre Studies from Brigham Young University and graduated from the National Theatre Conservatory in Denver with a Master of Fine Arts in Acting, completing his internship with the Denver Center Theatre Co. He has completed nine seasons as Artistic Director/Manager of Gold Rush Productions and has worked with the Arvada Center for the Performing Arts, Commonwealth Theatre Co. in Minnesota, Tuacahn Theatre, Provo Theatre Company, Actors Repertory Theatre Ensemble, and the Hale Center Theatre. David has directed at the College of Eastern Utah and Utah Valley University and has taught with the Oswego Theatre Institute in New York, and he has been on the full-time faculty with the BYU Theater and Media Arts Department for 30 years. In 1998, he was selected from nearly 1,000 professors nominated by graduating seniors to receive the Student Award for Excellence in Teaching. He has taught all levels of acting courses, speech and diction, vocal production, and improvisational acting, and is also described as an expert in dance, yoga, and stage combat.
The Studio is described as dedicated to learning and training, and the BlackBox theatre is a 99-seat theatre where the program hosts camp classes as well as end-of-week recitals. Productions for The Director’s Studio are performed at the Studio Black Box, located to the north of the main theatre. The program notes that no outside food or drink is permitted, late arrivals may not be seated until a break or at intermission, and the age recommendation for attendance is 8 and older, with no babies or toddlers permitted.
Last updated February 24, 2026.
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