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.



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. 



angela barlow
act administrator



Having lived here for ten years, Angela now calls Paris home. After finishing the 4th year of Harpe Diplôme d'enseignement at École Normale de musique de Paris, Angela joined the ACT family. She began her ACT journey as a classroom assistant and last year joined Erin, Rhian, and Christine as part of the director team. She enjoys working with all the facets of administration, and likes getting to know all the parents and kids in the program. Angela also teaches private music lessons in Paris.



Our Staff





benjamin hart
Glitteratti Teacher



Benjamin Hart hails originally from Dallas, Texas where he was at home on the stage since childhood. After a decade of theatrical life adventures in Los Angeles and New York, Benjamin now makes his home in Paris, France as a theater teacher in bilingual schools and private yoga instructor for families, groups, and nature retreats.



ellie whittaker
teacher



Ellie came to Paris to study at the Ecole Internationale de Theatre Jacques Lecoq. She joined ACT in January this year and has loved getting to know the ACT Family. Alongside her work with ACT she creates and performs theatre with her company Sio, and international troupe of performers. Before coming to Paris, Ellie studied Drama at the University of East Anglia, then went on to work and perform with companies in the UK including Leeds Playhouse, Third Angel, Under-belly Festival amongst others.



under construction



Under Construction



under construction



Under Construction



other staff and past staff





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"


Pamela Silverthorn - Teaching Assistant and Satellite Program Director





Musicians/ Support:



Barbara Arnould - Pianist


​​ 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


Rachelle Flores,
Assistant Director and Teacher


Sarah Mahoney, Assistant Teacher and Vocal Coach Kyle


Neil Sinclair - Teacher and Workshop director


Nóra Tóth-Fekete = Pianist


Trenton-Stewart - Stage Manager


Ali Krasner, Teacher


Lisa Bidnall,

Dance 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!