Freedom Theatre's Performing Arts Training Program...

Freedom Theatre's Performing Arts Training Program provides serious training in the arts, with all its demands, empowering students to become artists, advocates of the arts and productive members of society.

The Performing Arts Training Program is the number one training program of its kind in the region. For three decades, this training program has provided over 10,000 students from age three to adults with a safe, challenging environment in which to learn acting, dance and vocal arts.

“…seeing the theatre, the people caring for and utilizing it….The kids were rehearsing for an 8 p.m. Opening Night, while others were taking dance class. Quite the opposite to the popular culture’s “ghetto thing” message honoring jail attire and graffiti art, your kids were in a hopeful world of their own self-respect. Parents, older brothers and sisters were bringing the kids, or waiting for the show to start. Lots of meeting and greeting, smiles and kisses…with a cultural purpose. It was a joy to be around.” -Vernell Bagneris, Creator and director of the Broadway musical, “One Mo’ Time”

Facts of Life

	Facts of Life 65% of Philadelphia school children finish high school. Facts of Freedom 98% of Freedom Theatre students finish high school.
	Facts of Life 55% of Philadelphia high school graduates go on to higher education. Facts of Freedom 85% of Freedom Theatre students go on to higher education.
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Faculty and master class instructors include current and former faculty members of Temple University and the University of the Arts, former principal dancers with Alvin Ailey Dance Company and Philadanco, Barrymore Award winners and nominees, and area company artistic directors and performers, in addition to our internationally recognized artistic director, Walter Dallas, whose own work has been cited by Time Magazine in their Top 10 Theatrical Events of the Year.

Freedom Theatre's teaching staff believes that effective teaching includes the introduction of life skills that raise dignity, self-worth and pride through both cultural education and group theatre art activities. Students study traditional or modern performance skills, theory, various techniques of a discipline, writing and aspects of technical production.

Patricia Scott Hobbs is the Director of Freedom Theatre's Performing Arts Training Program. Ms. Hobbs joined Freedom Theatre in 1976 when she founded its Dance Program and acted as the first Director of Dance Curriculum and resident choreographer. Her choreographic works have appeared for over 27 years in numerous Repertory and student productions. She is the recipient of three Barrymore Awards for Outstanding Choreography for Freedom Theatre's Black Nativity (1995, 1997, 2000). Ms. Hobbs was the choreographer for the Opera Company's record-breaking production of Porgy and Bess directed by Walter Dallas. In addition to her duties as director of the training program, she currently serves as Interim Managing Director for Freedom Theatre.

Diane Susan Leslie is the Director of Acting and Workshops for Freedom Theatre's Performing Arts Training Program. She appeared as Nana Glory in Freedom Theatre's world premiere of Coming Time by Jamie Brunson. More recently, she appeared in the Opera Company of Philadelphia's record-breaking production of Porgy and Bess directed by Walter Dallas. Ms. Leslie trained in the theatre's youth and adult programs and has performed in a variety of shows. In 1991 she performed with Freedom Theatre as a delegate to Tianjin, China for the Festival of Sister Cities.