Performers Theatre Workshop

Welcome to the Performers Theatre Workshop (PTW), New Jersey’s premier Performing Arts School where passion for the arts transforms into a lifetime of achievement.

Our History

Established in 1983 by Juilliard graduates and career performers Esther and Howard Kravitz, Performers Theatre Workshop (PTW) meets every student’s performing needs under one roof. Outstanding instruction, countless performance opportunities, and genuine care & support have rendered PTW an integral part of the local community and the global Performing Arts space. Many alumni students still call PTW “my theatre home.”

Over the past 30+ years, PTW has increased its student enrollment more than ten-fold. As a leading performing arts schools in the tristate area, and conveniently located in Millburn, New Jersey, PTW proudly serves students from Essex, Morris and Union Counties, plus those from throughout the state & across the Hudson.

Learn how your child can reach their full potential at PTW.

Why is PTW so popular? Expert training in a relaxed, noncompetitive learning environment.

“Our students create many new friendships with other students who share their love for theatre, and find themselves acquiring a whole new set of ‘acting friends.’ PTW’s special environment, along with expert theatrical training, helps children develop into confident and empowered young people who won’t shy away from taking center stage as they grow into young adulthood and invariably face the opportunities and challenges that life will present to them. PTW not only trains children to perform, but also prepares them to perform better on the stage of life.”

– Elisabeth Kravitz, PTW Executive Program Director

The PTW Difference

Expert Faculty: Our conservatory-trained teachers are not just educators; they’re mentors with extensive professional credits. Our roster of talented teaching artists embodies our belief in learning from those who have done the work to become consummate professionals.

Non-Competitive, Supportive Environment: We believe in fostering growth and creativity in a space where students receive the ongoing encouragement they need to set goals, take risks, and support one another, building friendships that last a lifetime.

Customized Learning Paths: Recognizing that each student has unique needs and goals, PTW designs personalized paths of study to ensure every young artist reaches their full potential.

The PTW Mission

Performers Theatre Workshop’s mission is to provide the highest caliber of performing arts education to students of all ages and abilities, and to foster individual growth in a caring, supportive artistic community.

PTW advances its mission every day through an actionable ethos, which includes:

Providing a warm, safe environment where students feel encouraged to take risks and grow.

Connecting students with conservatory-trained teachers with diverse high-level professional credits who guide and mentor PTW students to set, reach & surpass their goals.

Creating a positive, fun environment where unique personalities, friendships, and love for the arts can flourish.

Building each student’s self-confidence on and off the stage.

Carefully placing each individual student in classes appropriate for their age, level, and experience.

Designing custom courses of study to meet a student’s individual needs and goals.

Building a framework for students to develop focus, responsibility, and a strong work ethic.

Fostering a sense of community and teamwork in a non-competitive environment where everyone strives for their personal best while supporting and encouraging each other.

Providing diverse performance opportunities for students to demonstrate the skills they’re learning and the ones they’ve mastered.

Creating musical arrangements and choreography customized to fit the range, ability & growth of every performer.

Celebrating the professional successes, personal achievements & happy accidents of all students.

These are the Tenets of Our Mission:

Discover the full potential that exists within each person as an individual.

Create a warm, supportive and culturally rich environment where students can flourish through creative expression.

Engage a faculty & staff of like-minded artists who uphold our ideals and guide our students by sharing their expertise, wisdom, and love for live theatre & the performing arts.

Challenge each student in an encouraging learning environment so they can set goals, celebrate personal successes, and accelerate at their own pace with other students who match their age group AND their experience level.

Creating a lasting, positive influence on every child’s future as they grow into young adults.

Recognize our responsibility to support each student’s unique circumstances, goals & personal breakthroughs as they hone their self-confidence, self-worth, and other inner resources that will last a lifetime.

“The most exciting part of our history”, says Executive Artistic Director Dean Kravitz, “is that PTW alumni have become successful in all aspects of life, in many diverse professions. Our alumni have attributed much of their success, whether in theatre or outside of theatre, to the training, work ethic, and self-confidence they received at PTW”.

Discover PTW, New Jersey’s Premier Performing Arts School — we’re eager to welcome your child into our supportive theatre family!

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