Tech Theatre Intensive 

Rising Grades 9-12+

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Your Best Summer Starts Here:

Learn more below about our Overnight training program focused entirely on Technical Theatre and Design for rising 9th thru 12th graders and rising college freshmen held at the Performing Arts & Humanities Building (UMBC).

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OVERVIEW DATES PERFORMANCES SAMPLE SCHEDULE HEALTH & WELLNESS CLASSES LOCATION RESIDENTIAL LIFE EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES STAFF & FACULTY REGISTRATION ORIENTATION TUITION TUITION ASSISTANCE REGISTER FAQs

Overview

YAA’s Tech Theatre Intensive is an immersive overnight training program designed to offer aspiring technicians and designers a multi-disciplinary theatrical education.  Providing both theoretical and practical experience, this program is an exceptional opportunity for students interested in further developing their technical skills and getting a taste of all the elements behind the scenes of a theatrical production.  

The six-day Tech Theatre Intensive is a launch pad for students who are passionate about the collaborative craft and practices of Lighting, Sound, Costumes, Scenery/Props, and Stage Management. 

Staffed by theatrical professionals working locally, on tour, and in NYC, this Intensive offers an unparalleled window into the industry and connects students with mentors in their fields of interest.  Participants will deepen their understanding of design artistry and the technical knowledge to bring a vision to life through engaging workshops, hands-on skill building, and a collaborative capstone project.   

Open to rising 9th-12th graders and rising college freshmen.

Highlights

  • True to its name, this Intensive makes the most of the time students invest in the program.  From arrival to departure, every hour is meticulously curated with scaffolded curriculum and activities. For example:

    • A lighting design workshop will cover what a Lighting Designer considers when conceptualizing a design, how to approach collaborative conversation with the Director and other designers, and the steps involved in creating a lighting plot. 

    • A subsequent electrics skills workshop puts tools and equipment into students’ hands and teaches the techniques and safety of reading a lighting plot, hanging and focusing the lighting fixtures, and programming the lighting console. 

    • By the end of the Intensive, participants will have a working understanding of the structure of a theatrical production team, how to analyze a script from multiple design perspectives, and be able to achieve their desired artistic effect with materials/equipment/paperwork associated with each discipline.  

A Day in the Life

  • Mornings start in the dorms at UMBC with a wakeup call from the counselors to ready the group for breakfast. 

  • Meals are provided in the on-campus Dining Hall just a few steps away from the dorm and are a chance for students across our Tech, Acting, and Dance Intensives to mingle and socialize. 

  • Then off to the Performing Arts building for morning design classes! Class sizes are kept small to maximize student-teacher interactions and foster curiosity.

  • After a trip back to the Dining Hall for lunch, students head to skill-building classes for the afternoon with the opportunity to put hands on equipment from each discipline.

  • The evening after dinner is devoted to individual/small group work on a Capstone Project. Students self-select an area of study that they would like to dive deeper into and take a project through all the phases from concept development to execution.

  • Back at the dorms at the end of the day, our staff organizes fun activities to give students the chance to decompress before jumping back in the next morning.

2026 Dates

Program Dates:

Saturday, June 27 thru Thursday, July 2, 2026

  • All inclusive program, including:

    • Room and Board

    • Classes and Capstone Project

**During these dates, students can participate in either the Tech Theatre OR Dance OR Acting Intensives, but not a combination due to overlapping schedules.

Deadlines:

Registration for the Tech Theatre Intensive is due no later than Monday, June 1, 2026 at 12:00Noon EDT.

Classes

Each student will receive well-rounded instruction in theoretical design concepts and hands-on technical skills across five disciplines:

  • Lighting

  • Sound

  • Costumes

  • Scenery/Props

  • Stage Management


Students will also be given the opportunity to self-select one of those disciplines in which to complete a Capstone Project throughout the week that will be showcased on the final day of the intensive. 

By the end of the intensive, participants should have a working understanding of the structure of a theatrical production team, how to analyze a script from multiple design perspectives, and be able to achieve their desired artistic effect with materials/equipment/paperwork associated with each discipline. 

Class sizes will remain small (8-10 students per class) to ensure personalized attention between teacher and students.

Capstone Project

The Capstone Project allows students to self-select one of our five disciplines to take a deeper dive into throughout the week. The project challenges students to walk through the steps of a design from concept development through production, which will then be presented on the last day of the program.

Key Features:

  • A state-of-the-art venue and equipment with which to learn.

  • Faculty mentorship and collaboration on design and execution

  • A live audience of family and friends to celebrate participants’ achievements.

  • A professionally recorded video of the project presentation, made available for participants and their families to cherish.

Sample Schedule

  • 7:15am: Wake up

  • 8:00am Breakfast (All)

  • 9:15am: Morning Meeting (All)

  • 10:00am: Class Rotation #1

  • 11:00am: Class Rotation #2

  • 12:15pm: Lunch (All)

  • 1:30pm: Class Rotation #3

  • 3:15pm: Class Rotation #4

  • 5:00pm: Dinner (All)

  • 6:15pm: Capstone Project Work

  • 10:00pm: Movie Night

  • 11:00pm: Lights Out

Health & Wellness

The health, safety, and well-being of each student is our utmost priority. Basic safety training will be covered on all equipment the students use.

YAA has a team of registered nurses on-site/on-call during our programs. We prioritize partnering with families to ensure that students are set up for success during their time in the program.

Families will be required to complete all waivers and health & prescription forms by the deadlines provided at registration.

Location

The Performing Arts & Humanities Building (PAHB) is a LEED Gold certified performing arts education center that opened in 2014 as the largest building on the UMBC campus, providing state-of-the-art facilities for the UMBC Departments of Theatre, Music, and Dance.

The PAHB houses multiple dance studios, a 250 seat Proscenium Theatre, 125 seat Black Box Theatre, two large rehearsal studios, design studios, costume shop, scene shop, dressing rooms, conference rooms, and classrooms.

The UMBC campus is conveniently located right of I-95, within 30 minutes from most of the DC/Baltimore metro areas. The campus is only a 10-minute drive from Baltimore/Washington International (BWI) airport and the BWI Amtrak and MARC train station, allowing easy access for those coming in from out of town.

Click here to take a walking tour of the UMBC Campus. Individual 360 tours of our acting spaces appear below.

Our Venues

  • Proscenium Theater

    275 seat professional proscenium theater featuring:

    - An expansive stage
    - Orchestra and balcony seating, and box seats.
    - Fully equipped with state-of-the-art lighting and AV system

  • Dance Cube

    World-class Dance Studio at 3,500 sq. ft featuring:

    • Two floor-to-ceiling glass walls with a view of downtown Baltimore in the distance

    • Basket-weave, sprung marley floor

    • Retractable risers that allow the space to be converted into a performance venue seating approximately 100 people.

    • Fully equipped with state-of-the-art lighting and AV system

  • Blackbox Theater

    100 seat professional blackbox theater featuring:

    - Completely flexible seating and tech configurations

    - Tension lighting grid

    - Customizable audio positions

    - fully equipped control booth

Residential Life

  • Housing

    Intensive students enjoy double dorm rooms in the Residence Halls at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

    Residence hall amenities include:

    Air-conditioned double room with shared bathroom

    Large common lounge on each residential floor

    Wireless internet connections

    24-hour service desk

    Laundry facility in each residence hall

    Direct access to the True Grit’s Dining Hall

    Located a short walk from the Performing Arts & Humanities Building.

  • Dining

    Intensive students will be provided three meals a day in True Grit’sDining Hall, adjacent to the dorms.

    CLICK HERE to see a sample menu from True Grit’s Dining Hall.

Extracurricular Activities

When not in class or rehearsing for the showcase, Intensive students will have the opportunity to participate in extracurricular recreational activities which may include:

  • Movie Night

    Grab the popcorn!

  • Game Night

    It’s all fun and games!

Recent Staff & Faculty

  • Jackie Bautista

    Program Director, Production Manager

  • Terry Eberhardt

    Director of SPAI

  • Paul Heinemann

    Assistant Director of SPAI, Junior Music Director

  • Karen Blake

    Camp Life Director

  • Kathryn Bailey

    Camp Administrator & Assistant Vocal Director

  • Rolando Sanz

    Producing Artistic Director

Registration

All students are automatically accepted into the Intensive program upon registration.

Students should register by June 1, 2026 at 12:00Noon EDT to guarantee a spot in the program. Students will occasionally be accepted after this deadline if space is available.

REGISTER NOW!

Registration Steps:

  • Click the REGISTER NOW button to navigate to our registration platform and select Tech Theatre Intensive: Overnight Program.

  • Fill out the required information, including relevant tech experience and preferred focus for the capstone.

  • Complete the supplemental health forms and waivers

Orientation

Wednesday, June 10, 2026

MANDATORY Virtual Orientation for all participating students and families

  • Exact time and Zoom link forthcoming to registered families.

Tuition

Early-Bird Discount: ($50 discount)

  • $2,095 (automatically applied at registration through January 1, 2026)

    • includes Room and Board

Regular Tuition:

  • $2,145 per two-week fully in-person session

    • includes Room and Board

Payment:

  • A deposit of $500 is due upon registration.

  • 2nd payment of half of the remaining balance is due by March 1, 2026 (non-refundable).

  • Final balance due on June 1, 2026 (non-refundable).

  • Alternative payment plans can be arranged by contacting info@yaa.org.

Tuition Includes:

  • Participation in the Acting Intensive’s Final Showcase

  • All classes, rehearsals, workshops, and social activities

  • Extended recreational activities,

  • A six-day summer overnight intensive experience that you won't soon forget!

Cancellation Policy: Should you need to withdraw from the program for any reason, please inform us in writing. If you have any funds due to you based on the above policy, we will return them immediately to the credit card on file in your account.

  • Students with a doctor-confirmed injury or illness, which requires leaving camp early, may receive a credit for days missed. Otherwise, there are no refunds for days or weeks that students cannot attend their program/s.

  • Substitutions – having another individual attend in the registered student's place – are not allowed. 

  • If, due to health and safety concerns, certain classes are required to shift from in-person to virtual, there will be no tuition refunds or adjustments. 

Tuition Assistance

Those who wish to be considered for a scholarship or financial aid need to submit an application to us no later than April 1, 2026. Best consideration for financial aid occurs by February 1, 2026

  1. Please contact Lisa Larragoite at lisa@yaa.org for more information.

  2. Tuition Assistance is limited.

FAQs

  • Between daily classes and the capstone project, You will be working 8-10 hours a day. This is an INTENSIVE after all!

    But fear not...we always keep your health and wellness as a main priority, and our faculty will scaffold the instruction in a way that will ensure your success, regardless of your experience.

    All students will leave the program with a newfound physical and mental stamina.

  • Not a problem! All our classes start from the basics and build up to deeper concepts and skills. Participants of all experience levels are welcome.

  • As always, we will have a blueprint for success. Classes and the Capstone will take place at the same intensive pace that students are used to from SPAI. We will always set every student up for success!

  • The Capstone Showcase will take place on the final day of the program in either the Proscenium Theater or the Dance Cube at UMBC. Tickets will be made available through the UMBC Box Office to friends and families of the participants in the days leading up to the showcase.

Register Now

REGISTER NOW!