Acting Classes for Teenagers in Auckland

A Class Designed for Young Actors

The teen class at Elena Stejko Actors Studio gives students aged 12 to 16 a supportive place to explore screen acting and stage acting with the same method the adult classes use. It runs on Thursday afternoons from 4pm to 5.30pm, straight after school, for the seven weeks of each term.

The class is an introduction, so no experience is needed. The Michael Chekhov Association describes the technique as a psycho-physical approach that uses movement and imagination to foster transformation, which makes it a natural fit for young people: it starts with play, the body and the imagination rather than with theory.

What the Programme Covers

The programme has four strands.

• Body and voice. Using a series of body and voice releasing exercises, students learn to open up, increase their awareness and deepen their perceptual skills.
• Attention and imagination. A series of exercises that build attention and imagination opens students to the creative process.
• Script work. Scripts are used to deepen each student's understanding of the written word from within and to show them the power of the spoken word. Working with a script is also how they learn the steps of creating a character.
• Improvisation. Improvisational techniques build self confidence. Students learn to create deliberately and to be in the moment.

These are the foundations of the technique taught throughout the studio. If you would like to understand the method itself, our page on the Michael Chekhov technique explains it in plain language.

A Safe and Nurturing Atmosphere

All classes provide a safe and nurturing atmosphere in which teenagers can explore their individual talents, express themselves and discover the real fun of the creative process. Acting asks young people to take risks in front of each other, and that only works in a room where nobody is laughed at for trying. Adult students describe the studio the same way: one calls it an emotional and artistic safe haven, another says the atmosphere in class always feels inclusive, encouraging and challenging.

What Young People Gain From Acting

The skills practised in an acting class are useful well beyond a stage or a set. Speaking clearly in front of a group, listening properly to a scene partner, reading a text closely and working as part of an ensemble are the same abilities school asks for in speeches, presentations and group work. A weekly class outside school gives a student who enjoys drama more time on their feet, and more time with a single method, than a busy school timetable usually allows.

Where the Teen Class Leads

The studio's adult programme begins with the Monday beginners class and continues through intermediate and advanced levels, with separate classes for self tape auditions and short film. A teenager who has grown out of this class has a clear next step on the full list of acting classes. For a young actor with an audition coming up, one to one coaching is available for actors of any age.

Dates, Fee and Booking

The teen class runs on Thursdays from 4pm to 5.30pm for the seven weeks of the term, in person at Studio 3.2, 1 Cleveland Road, Parnell, Auckland, with no more than 12 students in the class. The fee is $375 per term including GST. Term 5 2026 starts on 19 October 2026. Places are limited. A parent or caregiver makes the booking, giving the young person's name and age, and the studio confirms the place by email.