Junior Development Program

Our Junior Development Program is designed to introduce young performers to the excitement, creativity, and fun of theatre. Through games, drama activities, rehearsal, and storytelling, students build confidence, make new friends, and discover the joy of performing as part of a team.

Designed for students in Grades 3–6, this program creates a supportive and playful environment where students can explore their imaginations, try new things, and develop their theatre skills while working together toward a fully staged production.

Program Overview

Students will spend 10 weeks rehearsing our selected Fall 2026 play, A Mixed-Up Fairytale, while participating in drama activities and exercises designed to develop their foundational performance skills.

The program culminates in a December Showcase, where students will perform both the full short play and an individual solo piece for family and friends.

Students will work on:

Performance: Students will rehearse and perform a complete 20-minute play, gaining practical experience working as part of an ensemble.
Imagination & Creativity: Through theatre games, storytelling, and character work, students will use their imaginations and discover new ways to express themselves.
Theatre Skills: Students will be introduced to foundational skills including projection, characterization, movement, stage presence, and working as an ensemble.
Confidence: A supportive and encouraging environment helps students become more comfortable performing, speaking up, and trying new things.
Teamwork: Students will learn how to listen, collaborate, support their castmates, and work together toward a shared goal.
FUN! Most importantly, students will have the opportunity to play, laugh, create, and experience the excitement of being part of a theatre production.

Fall 2026 Production

A Mixed-Up Fairytale - A Delightfully Chaotic Fairytale Adventure

In Mixed-Up Fairytale, classic storybook characters find themselves hilariously out of place when their familiar tales get scrambled. With unexpected characters, silly situations, and plenty of surprises, everyone must figure out how to get their stories back on track.

Mixed-Up Fairytale is a fun and energetic fairy tale adventure that gives young performers the opportunity to explore character, comedy, imagination, ensemble performance, and storytelling.

A preview of the script and characters can be found here: A Mixed-Up Fairytale Script Sample →

Program Schedule & Location

For Fall 2026, Storytime Theatre is offering two sections of the Junior Development Program. Both sections follow the same 10-week program, rehearse the same production, and culminate in the same December Showcase.

Saturday Section

Time TBC
September 26 – December 12, 2026
Showcases: Saturday December 19, 2026
No rehearsal on Saturday, October 10 or Saturday, October 31.

Sunday Section

Time TBC
September 27 – December 13, 2026
Showcases: Sunday December 20, 2026
No rehearsal on Sunday, October 11 or Sunday, November 1.

Location

All Storytime Theatre rehearsals will take place downtown at Academic Hall, 135 Séraphin-Marion Private, Ottawa, ON K1N 1A2. Paid parking is available next to the building and in several nearby lots and garages.

Program Fee

The total Fall 2026 program fee is $300.00 per student.

Payment Schedule

$150.00 due upon registration, refundable until September 30.
$150.00 due October 30.

We believe financial circumstances should never be a barrier to participation. Financial assistance and bursaries are available to families upon request. A number of $100 bursaries are available for the Fall 2026 program.

Program Registration

Entry to the Junior Development Program does not require an audition. Registration opens in early September.