Submitted Photo Beginning Monday, the Playground Academy will offer a variety of theater classes to area students at the Fredonia Technology Incubator in Dunkirk.

Now in its fourth year, the Playground Academy, part of non-profit Play On Arts, welcomes area students in grades one through 12 to discover and develop their inner thespian this Monday, when fall classes begin.

Housed inside the Fredonia Technology Incubator at 214 Central Ave. in Dunkirk, the Playground Academy offers a variety of weekly classes for multiple age groups in everything from improv to Broadway voice to advanced dance. “We opened in March of 2016, and since then have had consistently strong classes,” said Janie Sharon, creative director and professional actor, director and choreographer.

The Academy grew out of the Playground Drama Camp, which has been educating children in the fine arts for over 10 years. Each year, the Academy offers classes in acting, dance, film making, voice and seasonal workshops. “We average between 15 and 25 students,” Sharon told the OBSERVER. “It depends on the season. We like to keep our class sizes small — ideally no more than six or so in a class. It’s more about having individualized instruction and being able to focus on each student.”

While classes this fall will be held in the Technology Incubator, Sharon looks forward to moving into Play On Arts’ building in downtown Fredonia in the near future. The building is being renovated into a theater facility through a state grant and is the future home of Venture Productions and the Playground Academy.

Registration for classes is open now and continues next week. The fall season begins Monday and concludes with the Dec. 12 showcase. “Right now, we’re offering 15% off all classes, and if you register for one class, the second is 50% off,” said Sharon.

“Later this fall, we’re going to be adding a stage combat class, which will be taught by Emmett Wickersham, who was our fight master for Shakespeare on the Lake this summer,” Sharon told the OBSERVER. “We’ll also be offering an audition workshop for high school students getting ready to audition for college.”

To learn more about the Playground Academy or to register for classes, visit www.playgroundacademy.org or email theplaygroundacademy@gmail.com. For photos and up-to-date information, follow Playground Academy on Facebook.