Outstanding Theatre Education for Ages 5-18

REGISTER TODAY FOR Winter/Spring 2010 CLASSES!

Classes will be held at the Englert Theatre Downtown Iowa City

Theatre Arts Training at MSTS can change your child's life by nurturing in them the ability and desire to think critically and objectively, work collaboratively, build self-confidence, and become assertive and active members of society. Classes begin February 3rd for grades K-5 and February 7 for grades 6-12.

Teacher Bios

Saffron Henke has worked nonstop as a professional actor, director, and educator since receiving her M.F.A. from the University of Washington’s Professional Actor Training Program.  Traveling internationally, she has performed in over 60 professional productions, ranging from Taming of the Shrew to Tartuffe to the one person, 24 character show, The Syringa Tree. She is experienced in on camera work including commercials, industrials and film, has  been profiled in many publications, received rave reviews from critics and audiences alike, and is  the recipient of the 2005 Princess Grace Foundation Honorarium for Emerging Artists. As a director, her work has been produced at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the Sacramento Theatre Company (STC) the University of Southern California and the Los Angeles Theatre Ensemble.  As a teacher, she has taught age’s preschool through adult in a variety of subjects. Her teaching experiences include the Sacramento Theatre Company, where she served as director of  the Young Professional’s Conservatory, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, University of Iowa, University of Southern California, Center Theatre Group, A Noise Within Theatre,  Market Street Theatre School, and the Chicago High School of Performing Arts. She is a proud member of the Actor’s Equity Association.

Kristy Hartsgrove holds an M.F.A. from Illinois State University and has appeared in numerous productions with the Illinois Shakespeare Festival, the Iowa Summer Repertory, and Riverside Theatre (she was most recently seen as Mrs. Van Daan in Riverside's production of The Diary of Anne Frank). In addition to teaching with the Market Street Theatre School, she has introduced 8th graders to Shakespeare with Riverside Theatre's Will Power project, and is currently an adjunct professor of theatre at Coe College in Cedar Rapids.

Class Descriptions

Awesome Adventures and Be a Hero are taught by Kristy Hartsgrove

Awesome Adventures!
Grades K-2nd 

Wednesday 3:30 to 4:30   February 3 – April 14, no class March 17

Cost $80

Join us this fall as we journey to a world of imagination. Each week we will use our imaginations to go on an adventure we create together as a class. We will create crazy characters, solve problems, and work together as a team to decide what happens next in our story. Kids learn the basics of acting without even realizing it, as their voices, bodies, and imaginations expand on this tale of fantasy and adventure. We’ll have a final class sharing.

 Be a  Hero! Becoming Mythic and Super Heroes
Grade 3 – 5

Wednesday 4:45 to 5:45   February 3 – April 14, no class March 17

Cost $80

This class will focus on drama, art, and the process of turning great stories into great plays. We’ll revisit some of the great myths and stories of super heroes, and make up some new tales of our own.  Using improvisation and short scenes, students will learn to make strong character choices, work with objectives and relationships in the creation of original scenes in this fun creative acting class. We’ll have a final class sharing.

Advanced Acting 1 and 2 are lead by master teacher Saffron Henke

Acting 1

Grades 6 -8

Sunday 1:00 to 2:30, February 7 through April 25^th, no class on March 14 or April 4^th.

Cost $120

Grades 6-8

How do you turn yourself into someone else onstage? In this challenging class, we will work together as a collaborative ensemble to build our actor toolbox through movement and improvisation. We will tackle scripted work, including a group scene, two person scenes, and monologues. We’ll dissect the text, explore character creation, and create a unique ensemble. We’ll have a final class sharing

Acting 2

Grades 9 - 12
Sunday 2:30-4:00     February 7 through April 25^th, no class on March 14 or April 4^th.

Cost $120

We will begin  begin the year delving deeper into acting techniques and process. Creating a strong character is the building block of any strong show—and an important skill for a young actor. Participants will cultivate performance skills through voice, movement, improvisation, and characterization work. We will explore scripted work, including group scenes, two person scenes and monologues. as well as develop our own work. Students will gain skills and technique that allow them to inhabit characters using body, face, and voice.  We’ll have a final class sharing

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To Register

Mail Registration forms and fee to

Market St. Theatre School

Attn: Kitty Forsythe

4671 Running Deer Woods

Iowa City, IA 52240

Questions:  CALL KITTY FORSYTHE at  319-631-4099 or email her at    2msts@mchsi.com