Drama School

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At Carousel Theatre for Young People, our drama school is a core part of our mission as we seek to provide experiences that inspire, educate and empower young people.

Participating in drama helps children in both life and learning. It increases their understanding of the world they live in, while it works to develop personal skills that will help them achieve success throughout their lives.
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Our drama school began in 1981; we are proud to have played a role in providing young people with a place to play, create and learn for so many years and look forward to many, many more!

Mini Drama Classes

Ages
3-4 & 5-6
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Junior Drama Classes

Ages
7-8 & 9-10
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PreTeen & Teen Classes

Ages
11-12 & 13-17
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Pro-D Day Camp

Ages
7-11
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Policies & Cancellations

Information about our registration, cancellation and other policies can be found here.

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Bursaries

Our bursary program is back! Click to learn more and support our CTYP students.

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Teaching Faculty

Mikenzie Page

Lead Instructor for Fall Saturday Drama Minis

Mikenzie Page (she/they) is an actor, singer, and educator based on the unceded and ancestral territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations . Mikenzie has performed across Alberta and BC with their original works being produced across the two provinces. Mikenzie is a recent graduate of Studio 58 and has been fortunate enough to collaborate, work, and learn from companies across Canada such as The Arts Club, Bard on the Beach, Blue Jeans Theatre, Handsome Alice Theatre/Vertigo Theatre, Swallow-A- Bicycle Theatre/ IGNITE! Festival, Out In Schools, and many more! Mikenzie’s artistic practice is based in silliness, imagination, play, trust, and community building. Her work is constantly growing, changing, and inspired by her phenomenal students. When not creating theatre, Mikenzie can be found singing, gardening, and making silly noises!

Monica Sisourath

Associate Instructor for Fall Saturday Drama Minis

Monica (she/they), dedicated to infusing every class with passion and joy. With a rich background in the arts, she has starred in 13 plays, including a musical. They have always loved working with children, they began by organising drama and arts classes for local kids in South East Asia. After moving to Vancouver to pursue Vancouver Film School she is now a graduate of their Acting for Film and Television program. They now channel their passion into the world of film. Committed to a safe and inclusive industry, she plans to pursue intimacy coordinator training to create secure and creative spaces on sets.

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Valeria Ascolese

Lead Instructor for Fall Drama Juniors

Valeria Ascolese is a Peruvian-Italian multidisciplinary artist and educator born in Lima, Peru. A graduate of Capilano University, she has collaborated with theatre companies like Western Canada Theatre, Axis Theatre, Electric Company Theatre, Bard on the Beach, Carousel Theatre for Young People, rice&beans theatre, Aluna Theatre, Ay! Caramba Theatre and Rumble Theatre, while simultaneously working in film, TV, commercials and voice-over. She is an arts administrator and works for numerous schools and theatre companies creating drama curricula for education and after-school programs. Valeria holds a TEFL-PP certificate.

Ashley Chodat

Associate Instructor for Fall Drama Juniors

Ashley (she/her) is a playwright, dramaturg, deviser and teaching artist. In these roles, she has been fortunate to work for companies like Bard on the Beach, Arts Club, The Cultch, Green Thumb, Arts Umbrella, Little Mountain Lion, Carousel Theatre for Young People (Vancouver) Theatre SKAM, Kaleidoscope (Victoria) She is passionate about stories that explore girlhood, science fiction and intergenerational relationships. Recent playwright credits include: June Bug (Vancouver Fringe winner of TYP Family Forward Award, UpintheAir’s rEvolver Festival, Victoria Fringe) FRANK (Impulse Theatre Peek Show 14/Intrepid Incoming Fest). Ashley holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Applied Theatre from Uvic and a diploma in Theatre Performance from Douglas College.

Ivana Franz

Lead Instructor for Fall Sunday Drama Minis

Ivana Franz [she/her] is a Surrey-based actor/performer. She is proud and passionate to be an arts educator, having completed her studies in Early Childhood Education and then continuing her education at VFS (Vancouver Film School) in their acting program. She loves being able to merge her passion for arts and teaching at Arts Umbrella in a fulfilling career. She is privileged to be able to live, work and create on the traditional and unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Wautuh Nations.

Angeles Paz Latapi

Associate Instructor for Fall Sunday Drama Minis

Angeles Paz Latapi is an emerging artist currently residing in Vancouver, originally from Mexico City. She has been involved with all aspects of theatre throughout her time at Langley Fine Arts School and beyond, recently graduating from Capilano University’s Acting For Stage & Screen program. Angeles continues to happily pursue performances of all shapes and sizes. Recent acting credits include The Penelopiad (CapU Theatre) and Opening Night (Western Gold Theatre), as well as acting as a tour guide at the Vancouver Orpheum theatre. She can often be found taking long walks downtown or at home making yummy Mexican food.

Marcie Nestman

Lead Instructor for Fall PreTeen Drama, Teen Drama, and Halloween Pro-D Day Camp

Marcie Nestman is an actor, playwright, and theatre instructor. After graduating with a Theatre Arts Diploma at MRU in Calgary, Marcie continued her studies at The Neighborhood Playhouse in NYC. Marcie has appeared in numerous TV commercials, Film, TV, and theatre productions. Marcie was the assistant director in the production of Dot & Ziggy, and co-wrote and starred in the play On My Walk for CTYP. Theatre credits include Ann in Ruby Slippers Theatre's production of Communion, Patsy in Carousel Theatre's The Secret World of Og, and Bobby for 168 performances in the BC children’s tour of The Big League. In addition to teaching at CTYP, Marcie has taught at numerous theatre and writing camps, including the Mount Royal University Summer Camp, CWC Wizards Camp in Korea, the Write It, Read It camp for the Whistler Public Library, and as artist-in-residence in Thailand.

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Laura Jaye

Associate Instructor for Fall Teen Drama

Laura Jaye(she/her) is a Vancouver-based actress and instructor with 25 years of experience in arts education. This time last year, she was working with Theatre Northwest in Always, Patsy Cline. Her theatre credits include, Flare Path and A Doll's House with Slamming Door Collective. For CTYP,  their productions of Munscha Mia, The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood and Munsch Alley. Also in BC, Gateway Theatre (Brigadoon), Chemainus Theatre Festival (The Wizard of Oz and James and the Giant Peach), and Mad Duck (The Tempest and Titus Andronicus). In film and television, she has worked on Snowpiercer,  Calvin and Jerzy, Hey Sister, The Story of Us,  The Flash, That Bind, Flowers in the Attic, Witches of East End, The Haunting Hour, Alcatraz, Supernatural, Reaper, Secrets of Comfort House, the Chris Isaak Show, and various commercials. She plays the ukulele in her spare time and is often in the company of Max the Sheltie, her best puppy friend.

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Sydney Booker

Associate Instructor for Fall PreTeen Drama

Sydney (they/them) has lived their whole life in Vancouver (K’emk’emeláy) and graduated Lord Byng Secondary with a double honours in Drama and Media Arts. They are now attending Langara College. They spend their time writing, drawing, editing and drinking copious amounts of tea. Sydney has contributed their skills to Carousel in working with young people, script writing, improvisation, and “Macgyvering” Solutions.

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Rosemary Morrison

Associate Instructor for Halloween Pro-D Day Camp

Rosemary Morrison (she/her) is an emerging theatre artist living and working, on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səl̓ilwətaɁɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) nations. Originally from Calgary, in Treaty 7 territory, she moved out west to pursue a BFA in Theatre Performance at Simon Fraser University. Alongside her studies, Rosemary is the Improv for Wellness Coordinator at Tightrope Impro Theatre. She loves teaching with CTYP, and is delighted to be returning this fall!