Providing theatre education that inspires, creates, entertains, and advances our community in action.

Programs

Over the years, DLOC’s professional staff has guided over 1,000 students of all ages in the techniques of theatre, including character development, vocal stamina, dance-choreography, audition techniques, and theatrical production, as well as enhancing team building and leadership skills. Our exciting curriculum includes youth summer camps, summer workshops for teens, after school classes, and Saturday morning musicals. We here at DLOC are committed to the continued growth of our educational programs and invite you to visit us again soon to see what’s in the works!

Youth Summer Camps

Mixed Up Musical Mania!

What happens when the magic of Broadway meets the original wit of our zany new writers? You get mixed-up musical mania! Presenting Never Say Neverland, Again…and Kid of the Lunch Hour. In our half-day, three week sessions, students learn the theatrical basics, including improv, vocal training, choreography, props, costumes, and more! Students are involved in a professional rehearsal experience, and as always, each session ends with a full-scale production of one of our original shows. No experience is necessary and participation in the production is guaranteed.

Session I: June 16 – July 3
Session II: July 7 – July 25
Session III: July 28 – August 15

Times: 9am – noon, Monday – Friday
Ages: 7 – 12
Location: DLOC Firehouse, Oak Park Blvd, Pleasant Hill

Performance Dates: Third Thursday evening at 7pm, Venue TBA

Never Say Neverland, Again…

For as long as anybody can remember, life in Neverland has been a kid's paradise: no rules, bedtimes, or book reports. But when Peter Pan wakes up with a full goatee and discovers that all of his powers are gone,  Peter and Tinkerbell are instantly taken by Evil Captain Hook and his gnarly gang of Pirates. Suddenly the tables are turned in Neverland as Captain Hook forces the Lost Boyz and the Indigenous Girlz to go to pirate school seven days a week and do humiliating jobs aboard the pirate ship. Only by joining forces can the Lost Boyz and Indigenous Girlz take a stand, save Peter Pan, and restore chaos to Neverland!

Kid of the Lunch Hour…

In this spoof of Man of La Mancha, unpopular kid Sara Vantes and her best (only) friend Sanjaya Panza are cornered by the kids at their school who demand to know why they aren't like everybody else. Using their imaginations, Sara and Sanjaya enlist their tormentors to play the parts in a pop-culture mish-mash re-enactment of Don Quixote in the school basement. This is the REAL high school musical.

Every Student will receive:

• A Firehouse Rocks! At DLOC 2008 T-shirt
• An opportunity to perform on stage
• A special award
• Theatre Training/Individualized Attention

Download Brochure and Signup Form

Summer Workshops for Teens

Summerteen Extravaganza

These half-day, three-week session are specifically designed for the young actor who wants to begin building skills for high school theatre and beyond. Students can choose from classes specially tailored for the young adult including scene study, Hip-Hop, and playwriting. Each session will include the basics of performance and presentation, as well as continued development of the skills needed to reach a pre-professional level.

Session I: June 16 – July 3
Session II: July 7 – July 25
Session III: July 28 – August 15

Times: 1pm – 4pm, Monday – Friday
Ages: 13 - 18
Location: DLOC Firehouse, Oak Park Blvd, Pleasant Hill

Session I: Monologue Technique

This studio style class will focus on developing and strengthening the young actor’s monologue both for performance and audition. Skills learned will include character development, delivery and timing, and location of thought, amongst the instructed techniques. Students come to class prepared with a monologue of choice to be work-shopped amongst peers under the guidance of skilled director, Taron C. Hensley.

Session II: Crunksical

Crunk: noun; a unique experience, students will work closely with Hip Hop choreographers and Oakland DJ Brian Moss, developing an original Hip Hop musical. With a strong focus in Hip Hop dance, this class will also include elements of plot structure/playwriting, harmony and verse, as well as character development. This class will end in a final performance, location TBA.

Session III: Children’s Theatre Lab

In this skill building class for the innovative and educationally minded young adult, students will identify the social issues of a target audience (7 – 12 year olds) and script original dialogues to address the unique challenges that every kid faces, such as homework, bullying, and the monster hiding under the bed.

Every Student will receive:

• A Firehouse Rocks! At DLOC 2008 T-shirt
• Theatre Training
• Individualized Attention

Download Brochure and Signup Form

After School Classes

Coming Soon!

Saturday Morning Musicals

Coming Soon!

History of DLOC Educational Programming

On June 26, 1959, a group of ten East Bay theatre enthusiasts met in Danville, California, intent on finding a way to fulfill their vision of bringing musical theatre excellence to the Bay Area. Now, 49 years later, the mission of these men and women “to enrich the community by producing quality theatre and providing educational opportunities in the arts” has grown into one of the premier theatre companies in the region. DLOC continues to have a strong commitment to arts education and introducing children to the magic of musical theatre.

Former Productions

The Emperors Gnu Clothes is a fresh take on the Hans Christian Anderson Classic. Set in 18th Century France just a few weeks prior to The Revolution, it follows the story of vain King Louis and some shifty “Tailors” who design for him an outfit of rarest Gnu fur. So rare, in fact, that only those with exquisite taste and breeding can even see the Gnu costume. The Tailors hoodwink Louis, his wife Marie, the entire Royal Court and even the town until one boy has the courage to tell the Truth. With toe-tapping songs, beautiful costumes, big powdered wigs, waltzes and minuets, and a moral “Be True To Yourself” The Emperors Gnu Clothes is an original musical that promise to be fun for the entire family!

Johnny Rocket: Space Cadet is a spoof of all those wonderful 1950’s black and white B movies. Set in the future in the year 2707, in a galaxy far, far, away, it follows the adventures of Johnny Rocket: Space Cadet, who (while on a training mission for the InterGalaxian Space Academy) crash lands his spaceship on the Planet Zorkblatt. Aided by his trusty robot, he uncovers a plot by the Evil Lord Mung to replace the beautiful Princess Xenobia with a look-alike android. Lord Mung’s nefarious plans are to take over the planet, and after securing a foothold in the Snickers Galaxy (like the Milky Way, but better) the Universe! With lots of great songs, a smart-aleck robot, and an army of silver space suits, Johnny Rocket: Space Cadet is a theatrical adventure that is out-of-this-world!

The People Behind Firehouse Rocks! at DLOC

Ken Ferrigni (playwright)

Ken Ferrigni is a playwright and actor living in New York. Previous plays include 2007 New York Fringe Festival's angel/buddy, several plays for tax deductible theatre's Dare Project, and any number of short plays for the Asolo Late Nite series in Sarasota, Florida. As an actor he has appeared in plays in Los Angeles, New York, and Sarasota, Florida as well as in Spike Lee's film, Inside Man.

Myles Nye (playwright)

Myles Nye was born and raised in Oakland, moved to Los Angeles to begin UCLA and stayed (in the city, not the college, that he graduated with a BA in theater in 2003). Since then, his plays have been performed not only at Contra Costa Civic Theater, but in Los Angeles, Orange County, New York, and Chicago. He is the writer of three original musicals including Survivor: The Musical and is a company member in ComedySportz Los Angeles, the longest running show in LA. Current projects include an adaptation of Elektra for the Rogue Artists Ensemble, and 2 more original musicals. When he is not writing plays, Myles makes his living putting on scavenger hunts with The Go Game and creates challenges for CBS's hit series Survivor (his favorite show). He would like people to stop bagging on Erik Reichenbach. Myles's next big project is his wedding in December.

Past Productions