Drama program comes to Rolling Meadows

Local teacher and actress turned entrepreneur Dianne Wawrzyniak has launched Drama Kids of Northwest Cook County, part of the largest after-school drama program in the world, with more than 50,000 students currently enrolled at over 1,000 locations.

The program aims to build speech skills and confidence in students ages 5 through 12 with classes that meet once each week for one hour at locations in Rolling Meadows and Elgin. Drama Kids also offers summer camp and an in school program that brings its curriculum directly into the classroom. It differs significantly from traditional drama programs, with an emphasis on activities that focus on verbal dynamics, creative movement and dialogue development.

“At Drama Kids, children have fun learning important communication skills they will need to succeed in life, said Wawrzyniak. The skills they learn in our program gives them the confidence they need for basic activities required at school, such as giving a report to the class, reading aloud in a group setting or participating in classroom discussions.

During the school year in the Drama Kids program, students learn to improve skills in speech, verbal dynamics, creative movement, language development, and dialogue development. Using snippets, scene starters, structured improvisation and mini-scripts, students develop strong skill sets and present what they have learned at midyear presentations and at end-of-year productions. Achievement certificates and trophies are awarded to students as they complete each year of the program.

For information or to enroll, contact Dianne Wawrzyniak at (847) 253-8153 or visit DramaKids.com/IL.