Education & Outreach

CHANGING THE LIVES OF GENERATIONS

READ ABOUT VENICE THEATRE’S AMAZING EDUCATION & OUTREACH PROGRAMS

ROALD DAHL’S WILLY WONKA JR. SUMMER 2019

Venice Theatre is proud of its top-notch Education & Outreach Department where opportunities abound for children, teens and lifelong learners. Students of all ages can come to Venice Theatre to learn about acting, singing, dance, comedy, technical theatre, theatre history, and more.

Our team of professional instructors offers new classes and workshops each fall, spring and summer. Community interest in our classes just keeps growing and the only thing limiting what we can offer is space, which is why we can’t wait until the grand opening of our Arts Education Center in the Summer of 2022!

Check out the latest class schedule at VeniceTheatre. org/education or call our Education & Outreach office at 941.486.8679 to register for classes today.

MEET GRETCHEN

Gretchen Beaumier started taking classes at Venice Theatre at age 12. When she was old enough, she began working as a summer camp intern and for the last four summers has worked in the Education & Outreach Department as the Office Administrator. She graduated from UNC Greensboro in Spring of 2021 and returned to Venice year-round. Lucky for us, she’s getting even more involved at the theatre! Our young students are so excited that she’s teaching classes. Her level 2 middle school acting class filled up as soon as we offered it. Gretchen has a broad range of theatrical experience, from improvisation and directing, to stage management and technical theatre. When we were looking to hire a stage manager for this season’s Stage 2 production of The Mystery of Irma Vep - A Penny Dreadful, Gretchen stepped up to take the reins of this technically complicated and fast-paced comedy. We asked her what she enjoys most about VT and she said without hesitation, “The community. Ever since I first stepped foot in the building at age 12, VT has been a welcoming and comfortable space. I love that I get to help students discover their passion for the arts in the same place that I did. It is incredibly exciting to watch students grow and thrive because of the support they receive here.” After missing one summer at the theatre due to Covid-19, Gretchen was excited to come back. “We’ve all had a loss of social interaction to some degree over the last year and a half, no matter our age. It takes a minute to get used to being back, but I’ve found the theatre setting to be the perfect place for students to reconnect and regain confidence.” If meeting Gretchen has you thinking about how you can get involved at VT, check out classes and volunteer opportunities at VeniceTheatre.org.