Kismet Theatre Academy
112-55 Victoria Rd. V9R 2S5 Nanaimo, BC, Canada

Well We are off and to the races so far in 2019 with MANY exciting things coming up in this our SEVENTH YEAR! While our Teen Company Class is nearly full (we have ONE SPOT LEFT!!!) and our Junior/Senior Musical Theatre classes are full and getting ready for their performance of Peter Pan March 15-17th, and their original musical later this year (date TBA)....We have a few new classes/workshops to offer. Beginning in February, the wonderful Eddy Martin Graham will be offerin...g an exploration of teens and self through visual art. Using all kinds of different mediums, he will guide students to express themselves and all their emotions. These students will also get to assist in the creation of our set for Peter Pan. Class runs Thursdays from 6:30-8:30 for ages 12-18. Cost is 100$/month for new students, and 50$/month for Teen company or Musical Theatre Students (an extra materials fee may apply) Course begins February 7th and runs until the end of June with an art showcase that coincides with our teen company class original one act plays. NEXT UP FOR THE YOUNGER GENERATION Musical Theatre Pro's Bonnie Catterson and Wren Beckley will be offering an Intro to Musical Theatre for 6-9 yr olds beginning Monday, April 1st 3:15-4:15. This is the perfect introduction to all things Musical Theatre, and a great prep course for our company class in the Fall. Acting, voice, dance, and improv are some of the many skills we will be working on. Cost 85$/month. Runs until the end of June with an in class performance for family and friends. In March, both stand up Comedian Peter Hudson and Vancouver Professional Actor Daniel Bacon will be hosting workshops for teens and adults. We are just solidifying the details, so we will keep you posted. Stay tuned because space in these courses is limited, and interest is high. And FINALLY in April, Director Bonnie Catterson will be returning to teach Adult Scene Study. This is a professional level course, though you do not have to be a pro to join. We do however require an interview and audit for new students. This course is a training ground for our company Kismet Theatre Collective, and many of our students also get cast by local companies such as the wonderful Western Edge Theatre. Space in this course is limited to 12 students. It runs Wednesday nights 7-10 pm, beginning April 3rd. A series of One Act Plays will be showcased beginning in July. Cost is 175$/Month. Kismet is not just a theatre school, it is a family like supportive environment that fosters creativity and confidence. Here we build connections to last a lifetime. Join us!!! For more info please email contactkismettheatre@gmail,com To register visit www.kismettheatreacademy.com

Dear Kismet family, friends, and community. It is with a very heavy heart that I announce that due to Covid 19 and my personal health crisis, Kismet will be closing the doors of its physical space this weekend. This has been a brutal decision, and we are all very sad. Since September 2012 we have produced 24 original plays, 2 original musicals, Annie, Fame, Rock of Ages, Peter Pan. 11 short films. Too many cool workshops and events to list. Kismet family, you have been amazin...g and I want you to know this is not the end! Kismet is something that lives inside all of us, and we will do the work again together when it is time. Until then, continue to learn, to create, to grow. You are all stars. A special thank you to teachers @tarah_sullivan_ and @wrenbeckley who kept the fires burning and gave such amazing instruction to all. We love you and are so grateful for you. Tomorrow we strike the stage and the theatre goes dark. But we will shine again. Thank you all so much. Our community our family our friends. If you want to say goodbye we will be at Kismet 1-4 on Saturday. Xoxo Bonnie #kismetforever @ Kismet Theatre Academy See more

September 2012-June 2020. Kismet Theatre Academy. It is with a very heavy heart that I announce that due to Covid 19 and my personal ongoing health crisis, Kis...met will be closing its doors this weekend. The past 8 years serving this community have been the best years of my life. I returned to Nanaimo with the desire to create a space for anyone who wanted to be heard, to be heard. For creativity. Confidence. Growth. To get through the REALLY tough years between 11-18 with as much love, support, and freedom of expression as possible. To teach the craft of acting and the joys of live theatre. To teach the tools necessary for a career in the arts. We did a lot of work these past 8 years. 24 original plays. 2 original musicals. 11 short films. Many, many incredible social justice projects. Adult scene study. Co-pros with local theatre companies. Fringe Festivals. World class film workshops. Pride festivals. Fundraising for the Nanaimo Women's Centre, Haven Society, and Hospice. I want this community to know how grateful I am. To the teachers who stepped up, the amazing artists and designers that devoted their time and energy (even when they'd NEVER worked with kids before!) The greatest honour has been watching the kids grow up into amazing, strong, brave, vocal humans- I have every confidence in the world that they will lead us into a more beautiful future. Thank you for letting me be a part of your lives. You taught me more than I could possibly express. Please know I will ALWAYS be here for you. I will ALWAYS be here for this community. I need to rest now. Listen to my body. Listen to what is happening in the world and dream about what I am going to do next. Kismet is my heart, and it is in everyone who came through those doors to do the work. We will do the work together again, this I can promise. I can't really say more right now. But if you'd like to say goodbye we are tearing down this weekend. We have A LOT of stuff and will be getting rid of most of it. Artists I will be messaging you about your work. Kismet family you are so loved. So message me if you'd like to say goodbye to our Kismet. Again, thank you SO much everyone from the bottom of my heart. Here is a look back at our beautiful journey in pictures. Photo Cred Vital Imagery. Parents, students, please feel free to tag yourselves. xoxo Bonnie

This is a bit of a sad day at Kismet. Today would have been opening night of our musical Kamp Kismet. We began writing this musical with our musical director @wrenbeckley and director @bonniecatterson 2 years ago. The actors were given full freedom to create their own characters. It is an amazing show performed by our teen company class, and we believe some day an audience will get to see it and be blown away. In the meantime, we wanted to thank our community for all of their... love and support these past 8 years. We are humbled. We hope to return one day, stronger than ever, but for now- the theatre will remain dark for everyone’s safety. Until then- we love you, we miss you, we can’t wait to show you what we’ve got when the time is right. #kismetforever @linkyn_smith @11l.martin11 @_colton.harris_ @car.leigh06 @cameron.lofeudo @talia_balatti @slugman82 @ Kismet Theatre Academy See more

Kismet crew! We miss your faces! We will be starting weekly zoom check ins soon, as well as a FREE scriptwriting/solo filmmaking course (stay tuned) but for now...Quarantine selfie challenge! Super easy. Take a selfie and tag us so we can give you all the loooooovvvvveeeeee #kismetselfie #togetherapart #letsstayconnected #kismetforever @_colton.harris_ @car.leigh06 @cameron.lofeudo @linkyn_smith @talia_balatti @11l.martin11 @slugman82 @wrenbeckley

NEW FREE ONLINE CLASS AT KISMET!!

The theatre may be dark and empty right now but that does not mean we can’t be together and create! News for Kismet family in stories! Check check it out. #stayhomestaysafe #freeartsclassescomingsoon

Here are some photos from Kismet’s last rehearsal before the pandemic hit here. Today is #worldtheatreday and for the first time in my lifetime, every theatre across the world is dark. Do not mistake this for curtains permanently. Sometimes everything has to burn before we can rise from the ash. And when the world arises anew, the theatres will still stand to tell the stories that humanity needs to remember. Needs to laugh. Needs to cry. Needs to be transported or returned. A...nd the actors, directors, designers, techs, and stage managers will be ready. And the audiences will rejoice! Sending so much love out to our fellow theatre community from all of us at Kismet. We love you!!! We will get through this!!! #theshowmustgoon @western_edge_theatre @theatredarkmatter @schmoozepro @viutheatre @theatreonenanaimo @nanaimofringefestival @porttheatrenanaimo See more

It’s all quiet as we jump feet first into writing characters for the Teen Companies Class play coming up end of May! Really excited for this- all girl cast working hard to shine the light social classes and why the shouldn’t exist. It’s hard being a girl but man- IT Rocks! #kismettheatreacademy #kismettheatre #girlsrule #fightlikeagirl #weareallone

This epic #wbw brought to you by our last brand new class of the season. We have an exciting junior musical theatre class for little stars age 5-8. Taught by owner/director @bonniecatterson and vocal director @wrenbeckley these kids will learn all the joys of being a triple threat, plus help in creating a story and characters of their very own. At Kismet we promote creativity and ownership in all of our students. If you know a young one who loves to express and entertain, then this is the course for them. It is also the course for the shy kid, the quiet kid, the kid that just wants to be a part of something FUN! Course runs March 2-June 22. All info on website at link in bio! #musicaltheatrekids #nanaimoactingclasses #artsclassesforchildren #triplethreat #kismetforever

#aboutlastnight At Kismet we have a mandate of creating original relevant content with our teen students. For the past two years @wrenbeckley musical director and @bonniecatterson writer/director have been working with these talented teens to create an original musical about all the messiness of being a teen in this new decade and searching for your place of belonging. We are in the final stretch, show goes up May 6-10 2020 @Harbourcitytheatre and we could not be more proud and excited to share with our community. *watch this space* starring @siggygirl06 @_colton.harris_ @cameron.lofeudo @11l.martin11 @talia_balatti @linkyn_smith @ Kismet Theatre Academy

Snow Day today at Kismet! Stay safe and warm and have some fun while it lasts #snowday

Hey Kismet Fam snow day in effect as roads are bad and they are calling for more snow. Stay warm and safe Hey Kismet Fam snow day in effect as roads are bad and they are calling for more snow. Stay warm and safe

First writing session in the pocket. Wow already so brave!! More to cone sooooo inspired! #kismettheatreacademy #kismetforever #girlsempoweringgirls

Spring Semester of the Teen Company Class kicks off tonight!! So excited for my ALL GIRL cast. We are writing a hard hitting super real play about being a teenaged girl. It’s gonna be a raw social justice piece - let’s change the narrative! Girls need to support girls!! Can you tell I’m excited!! Still taking registration! Hit up our website now! #kismet #kismettheatreacademy #girlpower #bethechange #registernow!

Christmas is coming!!! Check out these engaged and excited students! What about giving THAT for Christmas instead of just more stuff? The skills these kids learn, the confidence they gain, and the friends they make are priceless. We have Gift certificates! And a whole new bunch of classes beginning in the New Year from Musical Theatre to creating a play from scratch! For info email us @[email protected] #sustainablechristmasgifts #youngactorsproject #confidentkids #kismetforever @ Kismet Theatre Academy

Tonight In Senior Musical Theatre improv and script development. These talented teens are killing it #musicaltheatre #actingclass #talentedteens #kismetforever @linkyn_smith @cameron.lofeudo @siggygirl06 @talia_balatti @ Kismet Theatre Academy

We have another new and exciting class announcement for this fall!! Check it out on our website here, and register soon to secure your spot! http://www.kismettheatreacademy.com/classes

Supporting Characters are more free to be controversial. They are far less defined by archetypes and therefore often used as a writing convention to keep storylines on trend and viewers on the edge of their seats. Who will be, leading lady or wild child? #kismetforever #teencompanyclass #registernow #teenactors

What’s the deal with side kicks? You can’t be a queen without a subject. But what is their role. Do these characters drive the storyline or just support it? #registernow #kismetforever #teenactors #teencompanyclass #kismettheatreacademy

Hanna Marin another character that has heavy themes attached to her character arc. She tackles, bulimia, popularity and PTSD. She’s also the ruthless queen of the school... or is she??? Let’s find out!! Register now! http://www.kismettheatreacademy.com #teencompanyclass #kismetforever #prettylittleliars #hannamarin #registernow

Kelly’s character opened the doors to some major themes. Challenging storylines that included, date rape, eating disorders, drug abuse and a diagnosis of endometriosis. She proved to everyone that beautiful blondes also have beautiful brains. So I ask? Who’s Kelly this semester! Register now to get your spot in class!!! http://www.kismettheatreacademy.com/ #kismet #kismetforever #teencompanyclass #kellytaylor #90210 #actorslife #teenscanact #canadiantheatre