About MTW

Musical Theater Workshop was founded by Vicki Chase and Julie Allison in 2004. They began with a summer camp for ages 7-17 and soon graduated to Drama Clubs and Musicals at East Side Elementary. Both women had previous experience assisting or directing shows at Walton, Dickerson and Dodgen.

Vicki’s passion for children, arts, and education inspired her to produce mini-operas when her children were East Side students. The productions involved children and school staff as well as professional opera singers. Elizabeth Mavity (school’s principal) invited her to create a program that could include any child interested in Drama. Soon Vicki and Julie began Drama Clubs followed by annual Musicals.

Knowing firsthand the positive effects of Drama Education, Vicki strives to provide every child involved in DRAMA CLUB the opportunity to explore and express through improv, stage movement, and acting lessons. The life skills that drama teaches are improved concentration, memorization, speaking in front of others, thinking on your feet, improved listening, and having fun. Our number one rule is try!

Through the MUSICALS, the cast members will become familiar with all aspects of staging a production, while being the best they can be on stage, and putting on a professional show.

Former MTW students have gone on to stages at performing arts schools, universities, and to audition on Broadway.

* Julie has since moved to Charlotte, NC where she has begun organizing new Drama Clubs at local schools.

Musicals

MTW offers their students the opportunity to showcase their talents by participating annually in a musical show; complete with lights, costumes, and sets.

The MUSICALS are fun, interactive and allow the children to develop skills such time management, memorization, role-playing, concentration, and team-work in addition to learning to sing, dance and act.

Whether your child is headed for a career on the stage or as an invaluable audience member, all the cast members will have a great experience learning all that is involved in a production. In casting the shows, we take into account the comfort level of each child and strive to give everyone their moment to shine. As rehearsals progress, when we see a child really coming out of her/his shell, we try to find even more for them to do on stage.

All MTW students participating in MUSICALS work hard to put on a great show, and they leave the stage with a newly gained sense of confidence and accomplishment.

*MUSICALS are not an activity of Drama Club.

For detailed information, please visit your school section on this website.

Drama Club

At Drama Club, the children let their creativity flow, learning to act through different techniques such as pantomime, story-telling, improvisation and theatre games. Children are taught stage vocabulary, projection, and stage presence. MTW expert teachers allow each child to participate in class at their own comfort level.

MTW offers a Drama Club at multiple locations in the East Cobb area. The classes are held at the schools’ facilities and are only available to the students of each particular school.

The dates and times of the classes vary at each location. Registration for Drama Club occurs once a year and the spaces available for the classes are limited. For detailed information about Drama Club at your school, please click on LOCATIONS and select your school.

Vicki Chase

OUR DIRECTOR

Vicki Chase is a graduate of the University of Tennessee with a degree in Voice Performance. She has performed as a soloist in operas, musicals, oratorios as well as churches throughout the southeast. She has commercial television and radio experience. She thoroughly enjoys working with children of all ages, and is thrilled to be a part of the Musical Productions and Drama Clubs for East Side, Timber Ridge and Tritt Elementary schools,as well as Dickerson and Dodgen Middle Schools.

In addition to directing musicals, Vicki has maintained a Voice and Piano Studio for almost 20 years. She is passionate about helping people of all ages find their own voice, and believes in teaching the student, not the subject. A mother of two grown sons, she and her husband live in Indian Hills with their dog.

Our Staff

Johnna B. Mitchell

Johnna is currently Resident Choreographer, guest director and founding member of Act3 Productions in Sandy Springs, Georgia. A veteran of local community theater, she began choreographing children 13 years ago in Cobb county, where she resides. In 2011, she received Metro Atlanta Theater awards for her choreography in Once on This Island, and for her Minor Supporting Actress role in The Diary of Anne Frank. In 2012, she was honored to direct Godspell, Jr., which received an Outstanding Acting award at the Junior Theater Festival. She is thrilled to return to her roots in the school system and work with her long-time friend, Vicki Chase.

Chrissie Huckaby

Chrissie Huckaby is a graduate of the University of Georgia with a degree in Early Childhood Education, and has a Master of Education from Kennesaw State University.

Chrissie taught second grade at East Side Elementary School for 11 years, but resigned her teaching position in 2014 to stay home with her 3 young children. As a teacher, she assisted MTW for 9 years, so she is very happy to still be involved with all the productions on the office end!

Anne Oberholtzer

Anne Oberholtzer is a Registered Nurse with a Bachelor’s degree from Brenau University along with many critical care and management certifications. A life-long love for sewing leading to creating costumes for theater productions has always been a dream.

After a long and gratifying Nursing career, she feels privileged to create costumes for children with MTW. She loves the contagious energy of theatre and working with the kids. Anne has 2 sons and adores having 3 grandchildren living close-by.

Cassie Shores

Cassie is a graduate of the performing arts magnet at Pebblebrook, CCCEPA. They are passionate about musical theater and drama and all things performing arts.

Jason Evans

Jason has been facilitating Improv for decades, performing with Whole World Theatre, Quantum Theatre and is the Lead Programs Director for Autism Improvised. He loves the stage and Improv especially because it’s the most exhilarating and spontaneous form of theatre and is created entirely on the spot by the actors and the audience.

Stephen DeVillers

Stephen DeVillers is a local actor as well as a teacher of all things theater. He attended Gulf Coast State College in Florida where he studied Theater, Musical Theater and Voice. He is an extraordinarily gifted singer and actor, and loves sharing his craft with children and adults alike.

Sophie Dukes

Sophie Dukes is currently enrolled at Kennesaw State University working toward a degree in Elementary Education. She has been working in theater for the past four years, and has a love for teaching young performers the skills to make them stars!

Lily Smith

Lily Smith is a current junior in college. She has worked on the direction team for more than 7 productions and is an award-winning actress and singer at the educational and professional level. She loves to work with all ages of theater lovers and her favorite thing in the world is to share her passion for Musical Theater with students. She considers herself blessed to work with such an encouraging and amazing team!

Events

Camps

Locations

EAST SIDE ELEMENTARY

TIMBER RIDGE ELEMENTARY

DICKERSON MIDDLE SCHOOL

DODGEN MIDDLE SCHOOL

TRITT ELEMENTARY

Policies

General Policies

  • No payment refunds will be issued after date specified on the MTW applications.
  • Children will be expected to abide by all Cobb County School rules. Any child breaking the rules is subject to removal from the program with no refund. Consistently misbehaving children may be sent to ASP at the parents’ expense.
  • Children not picked up from carpool within 10 minutes of end of class will be taken to ASP.

Payments

  • A child is fully enrolled in the program when payment and application are received.
  • Payments are not refundable after date specified on MTW’s applications.
  • Payments (check, cash, or Venmo @Vicki-Chase) may be dropped off at designated spot in each school or mailed to: Vicki Chase 3546 Clubland Dr. Marietta, GA 30068.

Class

  • After School classes will begin with a snack time. Please send a healthy, neatly-packaged, non-peanut snack with your child.
  • Please label your child’s belongings with his/her name.
  • Each child is responsible for his/hers own belongings such as backpacks, lunch bags, sweaters, electronics, etc.
  • Children are expected to follow all Cobb County school rules in addition to being respectful and kind to fellow performers. Children who consistently misbehave will be sent to ASP at parent expense.
  • No electronic device use will be allowed during class or rehearsals.
  • If you need your child to be dismissed before the end of the class, you should notify in advance to MTW staff, and pick up the child at the place where the class or rehearsal is being held.

Rehearsals

  • Rehearsals will be at the school until the Technical and Dress rehearsals start. Student and parents may check MTW communications or MTWdrama.com rehearsal specifics.
  • Please send a neat non-peanut snack with your child if you know they will need one.
  • No electronic device use will be allowed during rehearsals.
  • Children are expected to follow all Cobb County rules and guidelines in addition to being kind and supportive to fellow performers.
  • All children will be bored at some point during rehearsals when they are not working on stage. Please help them to understand that is normal; as a result, please have productive activities available, e.g. homework, books, etc.

Shows

  • The week prior to a show is demanding. The children will have 4 rehearsals. 2 at their regularly scheduled time and place and 2 others: Technical rehearsal and Dress rehearsal. Those two will be 4 hours long on the performance stage in full costume, make-up, with props, sets, etc. For the Technical rehearsal the children will need to bring their dinner. For the Dress rehearsal a pizza (Little Caesers) / water / cookie dinner will be provided. If your child can’t eat pizza or cookies, please send them with a meal.
  • We ask that only parents volunteering attend rehearsals.
  • No flash photography is allowed during shows as it is very distracting to the actors.
  • Please turn off all cell phones during performances.
  • “Fan-o-grams” will be sold for 50 cents during intermission.
  • All families will be asked to donate an item to be sold at concessions during intermission (case of water, brownies, chips, etc.)

Purchase tickets online!

Tickets

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