PAA’s Pre-Professional Shows
“The drive and focus of everyone involved brought this experience to another level” – PAA Student Catch Me If You Can
“Being pushed like no other made this experience great” – PAA Student Catch Me If You Can
“I learned a lot and grew a lot as a performer” – PAA Student Big Fish
“It taught me a lot about learning things quickly” – PAA Student Big Fish
These are just a few reasons why students are drawn to PAA’s pre-professional programs. At PAA, students experience camps, classes, and shows catered to varying levels of the performing arts.
While PAA’s pre-professional shows offer the same community-building and education-forward fun found in all of PAA’s programs, they take it up a notch by offering a real-world, elevated experience in an accelerated environment.
The pre-professional experience challenges students to deepen their craft through a rigorous rehearsal schedule and high performance expectations.
Pre-professional shows are open to incoming 9th-12th grade students (and sometimes early college students).
These students are well-versed in theatre and committed to taking their performing arts skills to the highest level. They are ready to discover creativity in a fast-paced room and are fully off-book (aka – memorized) by the first rehearsal.
Although these shows demand serious commitment, they offer a true preparatory experience geared toward students interested in the professional theatre scene or those wanting to elevate their skills.
Christopher Lengerich, PAA Resident Director for pre-professional shows, shares how similar the PAA pre-professional experiences are to professional shows.
“Dare I say, eerily? Perhaps even tougher? We are truly staging an entire show in less than 35 hours, with experienced professionals at the helm, desiring a product that could be produced at any theatre regionally.”
The success achieved from participating in a pre-professional show extends well beyond the stage. Many students claim that the incredible skills and training they received during this experience prepared them for real-world experiences, such as public speaking, working in teams, building a trusted community, and more.
“The shows provide a true real-world experience, not just professional theatrical experience,” Lengerich shares.
While growth, positivity, community, learning, and joy are at the forefront of the pre-professional experience, students ultimately encounter the realities of:
- Meeting high expectations
- Moving at a fast pace
- Confronting (and working through) difficult material and adult themes presented through the story
Is my student ready for a Pre-professional show?
Parents and students should start by researching the pre-professional show. Be sure to note and discuss the subject matter. A simple Google search will provide an overview of each show. Ensure that you both are willing to explore and discuss these themes.
Next, confirm your student is ready to embrace the significant time commitment and hard work necessary to create a production of exceptional quality.
Lengerich shares that his favorite part of pre-professional shows is “far and away” the students!
“It is so rewarding to offer students challenges of big roles, big shows, expert-level technique, and in return, see the amazing performances of which they are capable. Every single one comes out the other side with a different perspective on their own craft and their relationship to the realities of the professional life.”
Enroll in PAA’s next pre-professional show: Into the Woods.
