On September 26, 2026, Blue Pearl Theatrics begins the fall semester of its Youth Performing Arts Conservatory at the Bronx River Art Center, continuing a program introduced through its summer pilot and created to give young performers access to serious artistic training without the barrier of tuition.
Serving students ages 7 to 10 and 11 to 14, the Conservatory welcomes young artists from the Bronx and neighboring communities into an environment where dynamic performers are cultivated. The curriculum includes acting fundamentals, foundational acting technique, movement for the actor, scene study, character development, improvisation, ensemble work, audition and performance preparation. Acting games and exploratory exercises are woven throughout the training, tapping into a child’s natural ability to learn through play while strengthening concentration, listening, physical awareness and imagination and the ability to connect as an ensemble.
The semester culminates in a fully staged theatrical production, allowing students to exercise their skill sets as actors and emerging performers.
“We want young artists to discover the power of their voice and imagination” said Janelle Alexandria, Founder and Artistic Director of Blue Pearl Theatrics. “They learn to listen, take risks by making bold acting choices, and collaborate as an ensemble. As a child raised in the South Bronx by a single mother, this is the type of program that would have been wonderful to have access to. It is extremely important that children and adolescents be able to express and exercise their creative gifts, and work towards their dreams & passions despite their family’s financial circumstances. Removing that barrier and providing an artistic haven to nurture the upcoming generation of performers is my way of giving back.”
The Conservatory is designed to meet students at different stages of experience. Young people encountering acting for the first time receive a structured introduction to the craft. Students with previous experience are challenged to deepen their technique, strengthen their rehearsal discipline and continue developing the foundation necessary for increasingly advanced artistic study.
For those considering specialized performing arts high schools, college theater programs, conservatories or professional careers in acting and the performing arts, the program provides early exposure to the expectations and processes of sustained training.
The students’ journey begins at Bronx River Art Center, which serves as the home of Blue Pearl Theatrics’ weekly Conservatory classes. Founded in 1987, the culturally diverse multi-arts organization has spent decades creating opportunities for artists, youth and the surrounding community through education, exhibitions, artist studios and performing arts programming. Within that setting, young performers begin with the fundamentals. Week by week, scenes take shape, characters deepen and an ensemble begins to form.
Blue Pearl has assembled a group of established arts and production partners that help extend the students’ experience beyond the classroom and into the larger collaborative process of creating theater.
Scenic partner Tom Carroll Scenery, established in 1978, will provide scenic elements for the Conservatory’s theatrical production. The Jersey City-based company has created scenery and custom fabrication for Broadway productions including The Music Man, Mean Girls, Waitress and Ain’t Too Proud, along with work connected to Manhattan Theatre Club, Second Stage and the Kennedy Center.
Costume partner Beyond Costumes brings more than four decades of experience serving theater, film and television. Its clientele has included Good Morning America, The View, Rolling Stone and the New York Yankees.
Phinazee Photography joins the Conservatory as a photography partner, documenting the artistic journey through rehearsal imagery, student portraiture and visual storytelling. The New York City-based photography company specializes in portraiture and capturing authentic moments through an artistic, story-driven lens.
The students’ work will ultimately move from the classroom to the theater through Blue Pearl’s partnership with Pregones Theater which is graciously providing its Bronx theater space for the Conservatory’s spring performance. Pregones/PRTT carries a distinguished legacy in New York theater, bringing together two institutions with histories dating to 1967 and 1979 and a longstanding commitment to performance, artist development, cultural storytelling and engagement with Bronx audiences.
Together, these partnerships allow young performers to encounter the larger artistic ecosystem behind a production.
Founded in New York City in 2014, Blue Pearl Theatrics began by developing and producing original theatrical work on Manhattan stages within the theater district. Its 2026 summer pilot introduced young artists to Blue Pearl Theatrics’ approach to training. The fall semester deepens that work, building a pathway that can begin with a child’s first acting exercise and continue toward advanced training, collegiate study, and professional artistic pursuits.
At the helm of the Conservatory is Janelle Alexandria, Founder and Artistic Director of Blue Pearl Theatrics. Janelle has produced and developed original theater, film and episodic work for more than a decade, with theatrical productions presented in Manhattan and screen projects appearing at film festivals. She is a graduate of the Meisner Conservatory at DeSotelle Studio and an alumna of Fordham University. Her experience as an actor informs Blue Pearl’s approach to developing performers from the inside out.
As Blue Pearl continues to expand its work, the Conservatory represents an investment in young artists equipped not only to perform, but to enter creative careers with a stronger ability to navigate their innate power as actors, storytellers, and artists.
Fall 2026 Youth Performing Arts Conservatory
September 26 through December 12, 2026
Saturdays:
- Ages 7 to 10
- 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
- Ages 11 to 14
- 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Bronx River Art Center
1087 E. Tremont Avenue
Bronx, NY 10460
Tuition: free
The Conservatory welcomes beginners as well as students with previous performing arts experience.
For program information and applications, please e-mail info@bluepearltheatrics.com or visit BluePearlTheatrics.com.
About Blue Pearl Theatrics
Founded in New York City in 2014, Blue Pearl Theatrics is a theater and film production company dedicated to developing artists and creating compelling work for stage and screen. Its work spans theatrical production, film development, artist incubation and youth performing arts education. Through its tuition-free Youth Performing Arts Conservatory, Blue Pearl is expanding access to sustained artistic training while cultivating the next generation of performers and storytellers.
About Bronx River Art Center
Bronx River Art Center (BRAC) was founded in 1987 to bring professional arts programming to a culturally underserved population. For over 40 years (including several years of arts programming under the umbrella of the first Bronx River Restoration project), this multi-arts center has filled the West Farms community of the Bronx with art and environmental experiences. Our programs are designed to encourage our residents to engage in creative activism towards the revitalization and future of their neighborhood.
Bronx River Art Center (BRAC) is a culturally diverse, multi-arts, non-profit organization that provides a forum for community, artists, and youth to transform creativity into vision. Our Education, Exhibitions, Artist Studios, and Presenting Programs cultivate leadership in an urban environment and stewardship of our natural resource — the Bronx River.
