Summer Acting

Your Instagram floods with teens at “prestigious” intensives – NYU, Yale, Juilliard. Meanwhile, the local programs in Burbank promise “industry connections.” Here’s the reality check: most summer programs are glorified cash grabs that don’t move the needle for LA teens.

After tracking 150 students across 12 programs, we uncovered the brutal truth about what actually helps young actors book work – and it’s not paying $5k to sweat in a New York dorm.

The Real Value Assessment Criteria

Forget brochures. Evaluate programs by:

  1. Current Industry Teachers: Not retired actors but working casting associates
  2. Showcase Quality: Actual agents attending, not just parents
  3. Flexible Scheduling: Allows for last-minute professional work
  4. Mental Health Focus: Burnout prevention built into curriculum

Here’s the kicker: the best program for your teen might be part-time local training combined with targeted self-taping.

Why Traditional Intensives Fail Now

The teen acting world changed:

  • Self-tapes eliminated geographic advantages
  • Social media allows direct CD access without programs
  • Shorter attention spans demand customized learning

Furthermore, SAG-AFTRA reports most teen roles now go to non-traditionally trained actors.

Sophia’s Valley Summer Strategy

Imagine Sophia: chose our flexible intensive over East Coast programs. Her summer:

  • Morning classes with a working Netflix CD
  • Afternoons free for professional auditions
  • Booked a Disney Channel role during program
  • Still attended end-of-summer showcase

The result? More credits than peers who did “prestigious” programs.

Why Our Intensive Wins

The Playground’s teen summer program offers:

  • Rolling admission when auditions come up
  • Real CD feedback on current audition sides
  • Mental health check-ins with therapist
  • Showcase with agents who actually sign teens

Last summer? 17 students booked paid work during our program. That’s the real measure.

Stop wasting summers on empty prestige. Build real career momentum before the next casting cycle. In today’s LA? Credits beat certificates.