Think Fast, Act True:
Using Improv in Acting & Performance

Discover the power of spontaneity and connection! Through interactive exercises, you’ll sharpen your ability to listen, respond authentically, and stay present in the moment. Whether you’re a seasoned performer or just starting out, this workshop will help you create more truthful, compelling scenes while building confidence and creativity.

Instructor: Ryan Watts
Wednesday, June 25 from 2:30pm to 5:30pm

Ryan Watts is a Boston based theatre educator, director, and playwright from San Diego, CA. Since graduating from Emerson College with a BFA in Theatre Performance and Education in 2023, Ryan has taught at a non-profit organization in Costa Rica, an international peace camp in Maine, public elementary schools in Wayland as a substitute teacher, and finally Wayland high school as a guest director. He fell in love with education as a teenager coaching baseball in Hungary, and continued to develop these skills as the captain of a short-form improv group in highschool. Improvisation has been at the root of Ryan’s pedagogy from the start, and he is stoked to share what he has learned at Weston Drama this summer.

Dance, Discipline, Deliver:
Musical Theatre Techniques for Success

You’ve taken dance classes since you could walk. This workshop will not only delve into the different styles of musical theatre dance and choreography, but will also give you the foundation to have the skills of a dance captain in a high-level musical production.

Instructor: Meghan Rose
Wednesday, July 2 from 2:30pm to 5:30pm

Meghan Rose is a seasoned performer, choreographer and mentor. On the Broadway National Tour of Annie, she performed more than 300 shows in the roles of Lily St. Regis and Star-To-Be. A proud holder of a BFA in Musical Theatre, Meghan has shared her expertise as a teacher with Broadway Connection, leading Musical Theatre Dance masterclasses in over 30 cities in America. She has taught a variety of musical theatre material at schools in Brookline, Concord, Framingham, Newton, Wayland, and Weston. Her regional theatre credits include performances as Fanny Brice in Funny Girl, Roxie in Chicago, Cosette in Les Misérables, Maggie in A Chorus Line, Amy in Company, and Cinderella in Into the Woods, among others. On screen, she has appeared in Law & Order: SVU, Hulu’s The Path, and CBS’s Elementary. As a proud alumna of Weston Drama Workshop where she performed for ten summers, Meghan brings energy, discipline, and sparkle to every space she can. Born with one hand, Meghan is also a passionate advocate for inclusion in the arts. She is a guest speaker for Helping Hands, where she empowers differently-abled individuals to pursue their dreams unapologetically. She is also certified Zumba teacher and ACE Group Fitness Instructor because she loves big group energy. Above all, Meghan is a mom to three spirited boys (ages 6, 4, and 1), and she brings that same heart, humor, and hustle to everything she does. She can’t wait to meet you.

Screen Ready: Acting for Film

This workshop offers actors hands-on training in on-camera performance, focusing on the unique techniques required for acting in film. Participants will also learn essential audition skills, including how to prepare for and perform in film auditions with confidence and authenticity. Whether you’re new to screen acting or looking to refine your craft, this workshop provides practical tools to elevate performance and land the role.

Instructor: Laurel Kulow
Tuesday, July 8 from 2:30pm to 5:30pm

Laurel is a director, writer, and producer. She has produced content for Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, BET and Vice Media. Her film All You Want To Know was selected for the Portland Film Festival, Massachusetts Independent Film Festival, and Austin Indie Fest where she won Best Director and the film was nominated for Best Short Film. The script for All You Want To Know was a finalist for the Atlanta Film Festival and the Blue Cat Screenplay Competition. Her sketch comedy work has been featured on Funny or Die and Whohaha. She has produced over a dozen short films that have been shown at film festivals all over the country. She graduated with a B.A. in Film and Television Production from the University of Southern California.

Brave Creative School Spaces

Your peers and teachers identify you as a leader in you school theatre community. Learn how you can bring the principles of EDI (Equity, Diversity & Inclusion). “‘Brave spaces’ acknowledge the unique, and often thrilling, challenges (like discussing topics of race, power, and privilege) we have when creating art.” Help build a culture of inclusion.

Instructor: Kira Troilo
Thursday, July 10 from 2:30pm to 5:30pm

Kira Troilo (she/her) is a Boston-based creative who has been doing the work of EDI consulting, without the title, for decades. In 2021, after serving for 12 years as the Managing Editor of an online media company, she received formal training — earning her certificate in Diversity & Inclusion in the Workplace and anti-racism training. She is on track to earn her HR Essentials certificate from eCornell in August 2023. She strives to serve as an open door and bridge builder through her blog (biracialmom.com), writing frequently about her experiences as a Black, biracial woman, creative professional and mother. Her article about Black maternal health has received national attention, and her articles about diversity and theater have been published in such outlets as BroadwayWorld and StageSource. Her groundbreaking EDI work was recently featured in American Theatre Magazine.
Kira has advised, consulted and mediated for many Boston arts organizations, as well as touring organizations who come through the city. She currently, regularly consults for Goodspeed Musicals, SpeakEasy Stage Company, Reagle Music Theatre, The Umbrella Stage Company and Greater Boston Stage Company. Kira has also crafted and shared her own, fully-tailored EDI training and development sessions with adjudicators, arts educators, theater ushers and volunteers, and boards of directors. She also serves as a board member for the Theatre Community Benevolent Fund (TCBF). Kira takes an empathetic approach to her work and believes that mindfulness is the key to growth, change and genuine connection.

Broadway, Here You Come!

Part talkback. Part on your feet. Work with a Broadway professional to understand how a rehearsal room in NYC differs from your school program. Learn the ins and outs of Broadway and experience first hand the expectations and excitement of working a musical theatre moment on Broadway.

Instructor: Tom Caruso
Wednesday, July 16 from 2:30pm to 5:30pm

Thomas is an award-winning Broadway theatre director who has worked on over a dozen Broadway shows including Matilda, Groundhog Day, A Christmas Carol, Ghost, Mamma Mia!, Bombay Dreams, Follies and Master Class. He has directed the National Tours of Matilda, Ghost, Master Class, A Christmas Carol and Emojiland. Select Off-Broadway credits include the musical, Emojiland (NY Times Critics Pick, 4 Drama Desk Award Nominations, and an Off-Broadway Alliance Award Nomination: Best Musical), he also directed and co-conceived the musical Southern Comfort (The Public Theatre, NY Times Critics Pick, TimeOut NY Critics Pick, 3 Lucille Lortel Award and 2 OCC Award nominations including: Best New Musical). www.ThomasCaruso.com

The Art of Atmosphere:
Lighting and Scenic for the Stage

The show is teched and in performance-mode. How did the lights and scenic elements come together to create this magic? Spend an afternoon with our Lighting Designer/Scenic Designer as they take you through our performance space – on stage, backstage, in the catwalk, and beyond to understand how lighting systems and set designs work collaboratively to elevate a high-level production. This workshop is for both technicians and performers!

Instructor: Kyle Stamm
Monday, July 21: 2:30pm-5:30pm

Kyle Stamm is a theatrical lighting designer based in NYC and Massachusetts. Selected lighting design credits include Ariodante (Boston Baroque); the world premier of Falcon Girls (Yale Repertory Theatre); What in the F**k?!, Cactus Queen, Ruzante, Uncle Vanya, Julius Caesar (Yale Drama); Dance Nation, Arlington, The Royale, The Betrayal Project (Yale Cabaret); What in the F**k?!, for the honey, you gotta say when (Frances Black Projects hosted by NYTW); Phantom of the Opera, Bat Boy, Something Rotten, Six Characters, Indecent, Metamorphoses (Weston Drama Workshop); Grease, The Wizard of Oz, In the Heights, High School Musical (Framingham HS Drama Company). Kyle was recently the co-artistic director of Yale Cabaret for their 56th season titled Sandbox. He is originally from Framingham, Massachusetts. Kyle is a 2025 MFA Lighting Design candidate from the School of Drama at Yale and has a BFA in Theatre Production and Design from Ithaca College. kylestammdesign.com | @kylestammdesign