american childrens theatre


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About Us



American Childrens Theatre is a theater company for children. We offer classes during the school year, camps (stages) during some school vacations and in the summer, and occasional specialized workshops. We do a little singing, a little dancing, a little clowning, a little silliness, and have a lot of fun! We only use material that has positive values and messages. A highlight of our Fall and Spring sessions is performing in a professional theater here in Paris! The children get to experience the thrill of a real stage performance with lights, sound, effects, and a full audience. We can also bring our program into schools, birthday parties, and more!


Goals:

I. Teaching Children Confident Communication

A. Creating a supportive, positive environment to encourage confidence through performance of theater, music, comedy, and dance

B. Encouraging children to create and perform their own material, and facilitating its development

C. Allowing each child a "moment to shine" through individual lines


Examples of Materials to be used: Plays taken from children's stories that encourage positive values or important social issues on a level easy for children to understand Original shows created around known showtunes or motown, pop music with positive messages and values. Traditional Broadway and Musical Theater material, and even Pop music, as long as it fits the guidelines of promoting positive values.





Our Staff





Erin Colston
Founder and Artistic Director



Erin is a conservatory-trained musical theater actress from American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York with off- broadway and film credits, including such shows as "The Fantasticks", "The Gift of Love", "The Lady from Havana", "My Fair Lady" (concert version), "Eating Raoul", "You're a Grand Ole Flag", and more. Erin also has classical vocal training (from the age of 8) and experience in opera, classical, choral, jazz, and "cabaret"-style vocal performance as a solo performer and in chorales and 2 operas, as well as dance training in various styles from Broadway, to jazz, tap, classical, and other "flavors" such as Salsa, African, Swing, and more. She also trained at Broadway Dance Center and the prestigious Luigi Jazz Centre in New York City (where the likes of Susan Stroman, Ben Vereen, Liza Minelli, and more trained, sometimes alongside her!),. She completed Stage Combat training under Denise Hurd. She was formerly a teacher and co-director with the Childrens Theatre Company of New York for 2 years, and her enjoyment and experience there led her to start her own program here in Paris!



Rhian Nichol
Program Director



Rhian began working for ACT after arriving in Paris in 2012. Teaching the children and developing their love and skills in musical theatre is her passion and she is very proud to be part of the ACT family. After training in performing arts at Northumbria University, she worked professionally both in London and touring as an actress, singer and dancer. Her favourite acting job was touring the UK and performing a two woman musical comedy show for children. Since moving to Paris she has still trodden the boards regularly with the International Players. She was delighted to become full-time Program Director in 2017. She is thrilled to have the opportunity to share her love of musical theatre with the students.



Rachelle Flores
Assistant Director and Teacher



Lady Macbeth – this is the role that changed her life. Before this, she was a dancer, a cheerleader, an economist, a scholar. After a Bachelor’s in Humanities, Master’s in Industrial Economics, and her move to France, she finally realized she’s the happiest when she performs. She received training in Cours Florent, which she completed and now also works there as part of the staff for the Teen Acting Program. Her most recent works are THÉÂTRE by Marcus BORJA at the CNSAD, Jeune Théâtre National (Festival JT16), Théâtre National de la Colline (Festival Impatience 2016) and Théâtre de la Cité Internationale in April 2017 and a short film, JE SUIS SÛRE by Jean SOTELO, for the Nikon Film Festival 7th ed.



Christine Ryndak
Assistant Director and Teacher



Christine received training from Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago, Point Park University’s Conservatory of Performing Arts in Pennsylvania, and various private studios in New York City. She has worked in film and theater in NYC and regionally across the US. A highlight of her time in NYC was performing with Sam Rockwell in a reading of Goose and TomTom at the Atlantic Theater Company. In 2012, after finishing her studies at Ecole Jacques Lecoq in Paris, she went on to form the all-female physical theatre company RemoteControl and premiered their award-winning piece La Donna è Mobile and Project HaHaat the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. They received a Total Theatre award nomination for Best Emerging company and toured their work internationally. Her film credits include Surviving Me with Vincent Piazza and Jalil Lespert’s upcoming Le Dindon with Guillaume Gallienne. She is one of the producers of the Paris Fringe Festival, now in its third year. 



credits





Other staff and assistants :



Raluca Nechita: Raluca joined ACT in 2015. She has attended the Acting in English programs at the Cours Florent and KEYS Acting Studio and has performed professionally in Paris both in English ("Gonzo", "The Married Widow", "9 Parts of Desire") and French ("CUT", "Electronic City"). She now teaches at Cours Florent as well as with ACT. She loves the enthusiasm and freshness that children bring to any show and their contagious joy. She absolutely loves jazz and her favorite musicals are "Cabaret" and "Chicago"


Lisa Bidnall - Dance teacher


Pamela Silverthorn - Teaching Assistant and Satellite Program Director


Neil Sinclair - Teacher and Workshop director



Musicians/ Support:



Sheldon Forrest, Musical Director, is a classically-trained jazz and cabaret pianist from Los Angeles, California, who has been working in musical theater for the last 20 years in San Francisco, New York, and Paris. Credits include Sondheim's "Assassins," Weill's "Threepenny Opera," and "Falling Through A Hole In the Air" (a musical about the life of scientist Stephen Hawking) with City College of San Francisco, "A Day In Hollywood/A Night In the Ukraine" with the Masquers Playhouse in Point Richmond, CA, "Into the Woods" and "Guys and Dolls" with the Joe Sent Me Club (dinner theater, in San Francisco), the first Manhattan revival of "The Fantasticks" at the 45th Street Theater in New York, "A Chorus Line" at City College of New York, "You're A Good Man Charlie Brown" and "High School Musical" with the West Milford Players in New Jersey, "Nineteen Secrets" (a gospel musical about the life of Harriet Tubman) at the Hudson Opera House, "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," "Aladdin," and "Willy Wonka" with Linda's Musical Theater Group for Kids in San Francisco. Sheldon also played for musical theater classes at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. This is his third year as musical director with American Childrens Theater of Paris.


Anastasia Slojneva, pianist, took part at the International Festival of Music, Montreux-Vevey, in 1997. She gave multiple concerts in numerous venues in Brussels and at the European Commission, and now works as a piano accompanist for various music conservatories in Paris. She continues to study with renowned artists as Georg Steinschaden (Austria), Jeff Cohen (France) and Martin Katz (USA). She gives chamber music concerts in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, and accompanies singers and choirs.


Pierre- Etienne Malefond - Guitar


Doug Stanley - various instruments! and musical transposition/arrangement


​ Nicolas Martinez - drums 



Previous Guest/Special workshop Teachers:



Justin Micheal Wilcox - Ovation Award Nominee, Successful West Coast and LA actor with credits such as "cosmo" in "Singing in the Rain", "DeLuca" in "A Chorus Line" at the Hollywood Bowl, "Action" in West Side Story, and much more!


Chryssie Whitehead - Broadway, TV, and film actress with credits such as: A Chorus Line and Chicago on Broadway, appearances on Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, and ABC Family movie Revenge of the Bridesmaids, and in films such as The Producers, Save the Last Dance, and Lucky Stiff.


... AND MORE! We bring our professional friends in to give guest workshops whenever possible!



Past Staff (Still well-loved!Some return for guest teaching!)



Maria Restivo, Teacher


Allison Wheeler, Assistant Director


Sarah Mahoney, Assistant Teacher and Vocal Coach Kyle


Trenton-Stewart - Stage Manager


Ali Krasner, Teacher


Debra Mourad, Director of Communications


Amanda Bestor-Siegal, Lighting Design and Tech



American Childrens Theatre Paris


+33 6 58 54 13 48
act.paris@yahoo.com



+33 6 58 54 13 48

act.paris@yahoo.com



Don't just sit there when you can SHINE!