Theatre programs for high school students provide structured training in performance, storytelling, and production. In an online theatre program, you might study acting techniques, analyze scripts, rehearse scenes, or experiment with voice and movement exercises. Some courses focus on stage performance, while others emphasize on-camera acting, improvisation, or playwriting. Academic offerings may also explore theatre history, dramatic literature, or performance theory.
Why should you choose an online program?
An online theatre program allows you to access specialized training without being limited by geography. You can work with instructors and peers from different regions, gaining exposure to varied perspectives and techniques. Virtual formats often include recorded sessions or asynchronous components, giving you time to revisit lessons and refine your work. Online training can also reflect current industry practices, particularly in areas such as self-taped auditions and remote collaboration. For high school students balancing academics and extracurriculars, this format can provide structured skill development within a more flexible schedule.
If you’re also considering in-person options, you can explore our guides to 10 Summer Theatre Programs for High School Students and 15 Summer Art Programs for High School Students for additional pathways.
If you’re ready to take your craft to the next level without leaving your desk, here are 12 online theatre programs for high school students.
12 Online Theatre Programs for High School Students
1. NYU Tisch’s Online High School Screenwriters Workshop
Cost: $8,008 (scholarships available)
Location: Virtual
Dates: July 6 – 31
Application Deadline: June 10
Eligibility: High school students
In the NYU Tisch’s Online High School Screenwriters Workshop, you’ll focus on writing for film and television through structured screenwriting exercises. You’ll work through asynchronous modules that introduce core concepts such as story structure, character development, and visual storytelling language. Weekly assignments are paired with live one-on-one video meetings, where you will discuss drafts and receive targeted feedback from a Tisch instructor. Film analysis sessions expose you to established works and help you examine how scripts translate to the screen. By the end, you’ll have completed submitted scenes, a short screenplay, and a synopsis for both a feature film and a television series.
2. Stella Adler Studio’s Online Acting Technique 1
Cost: $240
Location: Virtual
Dates: April 29 – May 31
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Teens interested in acting
Stella Adler Studio’s Online Acting Technique 1 program introduces you to the principles of the Stella Adler approach to acting. You’ll examine concepts such as action, circumstance, and justification, with an emphasis on imagination as the basis for performance. Coursework focuses on analyzing text and identifying playable actions within a scene. Rather than focusing solely on performance outcomes, the program asks you to consider how character choices arise from the circumstances. The technique is contextualized within the broader history of the Stella Adler Studio and its connections to the Group Theatre tradition. By the end of the course, you’ll have practiced applying these principles to scripted material in a structured online setting.
3. Interlochen Online: Acting for TV and Film: Breaking into the Industry Certificate Program
Cost: $399 (4-week course); $999 (certificate)
Location: Virtual
Dates: 8 sessions/year
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Teens in grades 6-12
Designed as a multi-course online theatre program, this certificate sequence guides you through both craft and career preparation for on-camera acting. You will complete three four-week courses that address audition technique, performance for different screen formats, and the business side of the industry. In the auditioning course, you’ll practice preparing and submitting self-tapes, as well as working with eyelines, framing, and slates across commercial, multicam, drama, and film contexts. The acting course explores on-set terminology, collaboration with crew members, and adapting performance choices to different genres and camera setups, including voiceover work. The business-focused course introduces résumé and reel development, representation structures, union systems such as SAG-AFTRA, and contract basics.
4. New York Film Academy’s Online Acting for Film Camps
Cost: Varies by session
Location: Virtual
Dates: 1- and 3-week and 2-day holiday camps
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Teens aged 14-17
New York Film Academy’s Online Acting for Film Camps will introduce you to the fundamentals of acting specifically for the camera. You’ll train in on-camera performance and audition techniques under the guidance of professional actors, with exercises tailored to film rather than stage work. The curriculum focuses on helping you understand how performance choices translate through framing and close-ups. If you complete an introductory level, you can return for a more advanced session that builds on the same skill set. Across the camp, you will practice foundational techniques designed to support continued study in film acting.
5. The American Academy of Dramatic Arts’ Camera Acting for Film & Television
Cost: $1,295
Location: Virtual
Dates: July 20 – July 31
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: High school students (16+) interested in acting
The Camera Acting for Film & Television program centers on the technical and professional demands of film and television acting. You’ll participate in interactive sessions that examine how to adjust performance for the camera, including blocking, pacing, and continuity. The coursework also addresses audition preparation and strategies for navigating professional expectations in screen environments. Exercises are designed to build familiarity with on-camera processes rather than stage-based techniques. Alongside performance training, you’ll engage with discussions on industry structure and career management.
6. Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute’s Method Acting Online Program
Cost: $800
Location: Virtual
Dates: April 16 – June 27
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Students in grades 7-12
In this online theatre program for high school students, you will study Lee Strasberg’s Method Acting technique through weekly Zoom classes. Sessions begin with relaxation exercises intended to reduce physical and mental tension before moving into sense memory work. You’ll learn how to draw on sensory recall: sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch to inform emotional authenticity in performance. Scene study allows you to apply these exercises to scripted material from theatre and film, while faculty guide you through structured activities that connect internal preparation with external character choices. Over the course of the term, you will build a toolkit grounded in Strasberg’s approach to character development.
7. The Second City’s Intro to Acting (Online)
Cost: $345
Location: Virtual
Dates: March 8 – April 26
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Students interested in acting
This online theatre program emphasizes improvisation as a foundation for acting technique. You will engage in structured improv exercises that focus on presence, emotional commitment, and responsiveness within a scene. Coursework explores how recognizable human behavior and grounded reactions contribute to effective comedic performance. The class references established practitioners, such as Viola Spolin and Sanford Meisner, while applying their ideas in practical exercises. By the end of the session, you will use these skills in a mock audition setting, completing a cold read informed by your improvisational training.
8. Rutgers Arts Online’s Theater Courses
Cost: Not specified
Location: Virtual
Dates: Asynchronous
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: High school students
Rutgers Arts Online offers asynchronous theatre courses that you can complete in a fully online format. You’ll work through semester-long classes taught by professional practitioners, engaging with material through the Canvas learning management system. Course options range from performance-focused study, such as solo performance and character building, to academic subjects like theater appreciation and theater history. Assignments, quizzes, and exams are structured around deadlines rather than live meeting times, allowing you to manage your workload independently. Some courses examine theatre in broader cultural contexts, including protest and social change.
9. The Second City’s Improv 1 (Online)
Cost: $345
Location: Virtual
Dates: Several sessions available
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Students interested in acting
This online theatre program introduces you to the foundational improv principle of “Yes, And.” Through ensemble-based games and exercises, you’ll practice accepting and building on others’ ideas in real time. Sessions emphasize listening skills, spontaneity, and agreement as core components of scene work. You’ll also explore risk-taking and impulse, learning how quick decisions shape collaborative storytelling. By the end of the course, you’ll have applied basic improvisational tools within structured performance scenarios.
10. Berklee College of Music’s Online Summer Courses
Cost: $1,575 for 3 credits
Location: Virtual
Dates: May 26 – August 16
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Students aged 14 and older
While not exclusively an online theatre program, Berklee’s online summer courses can support high school students interested in performance and production through structured study in music and writing. You’ll complete twelve-week courses designed and taught by Berklee faculty, working through material that mirrors undergraduate coursework. In Music Production Fundamentals for Songwriters, you’ll use a digital audio workstation as a compositional tool, arrange with MIDI, and produce recorded tracks. Music Theory 101 develops your ability to read, write, and analyze music, while College Writing emphasizes academic argumentation and clear expository prose, skills that are transferable to scriptwriting and theatre studies.
11. Shakespeare & Company’s The Shakespeare Audition Crash Course
Cost: $375 ($300 for students and BIPOC artists)
Location: Virtual
Dates: October 14, 21, 28, and November 4, 18
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Open to all (18+)
Focused specifically on audition preparation, the Shakespeare Audition Crash Course guides you through the process of selecting and refining a Shakespeare monologue. Over six weeks, you’ll complete a sequence of exercises designed to clarify language, strengthen emotional connection, and refine vocal delivery. Group sessions will allow you to workshop your chosen speech while observing how others approach classical texts. A private coaching session provides individualized feedback on interpretation and performance choices. You’ll also have the opportunity to present your work to members of the organization’s casting team.
12. Open Jar Institute
Cost: Not specified
Location: Virtual
Dates: July 27 – 29
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Open to all
This short-format online theatre program consists of a three-day intensive built around live masterclasses. You’ll participate in nine hours of instruction led by Broadway directors, choreographers, and performers. Sessions combine movement-based work with discussions about current industry practices and professional expectations. The structure emphasizes direct participation, requiring you to engage physically and verbally during classes.
One more option – Horizon Academic Research Program
If you’re looking for a competitive mentored research program in subjects like acting techniques, dramatic genres, scenography, consider applying to Horizon’s Research Seminars and Labs! This is a selective virtual research program that lets you engage in advanced research and develop a research paper on a subject of your choosing. Horizon has worked with 1000+ high school students so far and offers 600+ research specializations for you to choose from. You can find the application link here!
Image source – NYU Tisch