Blue Pearl Theatrics began its fall semester of weekly tuition-free Performing Arts Conservatory on Saturday, Sept. 26, at the Bronx River Art Center, located at 1087 E. Tremont Ave.
This semester comes after Blue Pearl Theatrics held a successful summer pilot program that gave local young performers access to serious artistic training while avoiding the barrier of tuition.
Dividing students into 7-10 and 11-14 age groups, the Performing Arts Conservatory provides kids from the Bronx and surrounding areas with an environment in which dynamic performers can be cultivated. The program’s curriculum includes acting fundamentals, foundational acting technique, movement for the actor, scene study, character development, improvisation, ensemble work, audition and performance preparation.
Throughout the training, acting games and exploratory exercises are woven in to tap into the children’s natural ability to learn through play while strengthening concentration, listening, physical awareness and imagination, while also improving their ability to connect as an ensemble.
At the end of the semester, the students will perform in a fully staged theatrical production, allowing them to exercise their skill sets as actors and emerging performers.
“We want young artists to discover the power of their voice and imagination,” Blue Pearl Theatrics Founder and Artistic Director Janelle Alexandria said.
“They learn to listen, take risks by making bold acting choices and collaborate as an ensemble. As a child raised in the South Bronx by a single mother, this is the type of program that would have been wonderful to have access to. It is extremely important that children and adolescents be able to express and exercise their creative gifts and work towards their dreams and passions despite their family’s financial circumstances. Removing that barrier and providing an artistic haven to nurture the upcoming generation of performers is my way of giving back.”
Designed to meet students at different stages of experience, the Conservatory provides a structured introduction to acting for youths encountering the craft for the first time. Additionally, the students with prior experience are challenged to deepen their technique, strengthen their rehearsal discipline and continue developing the foundation necessary for increasingly advanced artistic study.
This program provides valuable early exposure to the expectations and processes of sustained training for those considering specialized performing arts high schools, college theater programs, conservatories or professional careers in acting and the performing arts.
A group of arts and production partners have been brought together by Blue Pearl Theatrics to help extend the experiences for students beyond the classroom and into the larger collaborative process of creating theater.
Established in 1987, the Bronx River Art Center has long been creating opportunities for artists, youth and the surrounding community via education, exhibitions, artist studios and performing arts programming.
Blue Pearl Theatrics was founded in 2014 to develop and produce original theatrical work on Manhattan stages within the theater district. Its summer 2026 pilot program introduced young artists to its approach to training. The fall semester will deepen this work, as it is intended to build a pathway that can begin with a child’s first acting exercise and continue toward advanced training, collegiate study and professional artistic pursuits.
Scenic elements for the Conservatory’s theatrical production are provided by Tom Carroll Scenery. The costume partner is Beyond Costumes. Additionally, Phinazee Photography will be documenting the artistic journey through rehearsal imagery, student portraiture and visual storytelling as a photography partner.
Thanks to Blue Pearl Theatrics’ partnership with Pregones Theater, the students will be able to move from the classroom to the theater. Pregones Theater is providing its theater space to the Conservatory for its spring performance.
The Conservatory represents an investment by Blue Pearl Theatrics into young artists who are not only equipped to perform, but also to enter creative careers with a stronger ability to navigate their innate power as actors, storytellers and artists.
