The Mel O’ Drama School of Acting for kids started in a basement of a friend’s house in Milton in
2011 with 8 children participating. It has since grown into a multi-faceted school of arts offering
classes from traditional drama to character development, improv, musical theatre and expressive movement. With new workshops and camps popping up in every season, Mel O’Drama has something fun and exciting to keep imaginations healthy! The Drama School holds three 10-week sessions a year in Winter, Fall and Spring and also provides fabulous Summer camps all Summer long!
Melanie Gillespie, founder and owner of the school was born and raised in a theatrical background in Ireland. The program of Mel O’ Drama actually started out in Dublin, Ireland many years before it surfaced in Milton, MA. Having met with a director of a theatre in Dublin, Melanie was commissioned to write and direct a short theatrical piece based on the history of a town in Ireland called Ballymun. After the successful piece was presented, Melanie started teaching drama in local schools around Dublin both in English and Gaelic. Her drama program was a hit in schools and she knew that one day she’d like to reignite her teachings. But the acting bug wouldn’t simmer down until she fed it!
A graduate of Boston’s own Emerson College with a BFA in theatre training, Melanie went on to
perform in theaters in Boston, Dublin and South Florida. In 2006 she landed the role of AnnMarie Murphy on Ireland’s only Gaelic soap opera, Ros Na Run. ‘One of the best roles of my life! The cast and crew of this show were (and still are) a wonderful bunch of people and my time with them will always be a cherished one. Besides tv, I’ve always landed the character/comedic role in shows and I’ve enjoyed each and every one! My favorite stage role might have been Mrs Clackett in Noises Off in Boston!”
Mel O’ Drama introduces children as young as 5 years old to the stage and Mel encourages kids to enjoy that feeling of being on stage rather than fear it! In a typical drama class at Mel O’Drama, a student can expect a combination of theatre warm-up games which are great icebreakers and vital for class bonding, stage work such as voice projection and articulation, and the memorization of lines in a script during each session. Students perform for family & friends in the last class of the session.
‘Since I started Mel O’ Drama, I have been writing my own shows and I base the storylines on the ideas the children bring to me. There are no greater, no more magical ideas than the ones that come directly from the head of a child!’ says Mel enthusiastically. Although we do also source scripts from established writers in some classes, we still give students a big say in the development of their characters.
Something else that has become a local hit at Mel O’ Drama are Mel’s DRAMA BIRTHDAY PARTIES! The birthday child chooses a theme from Mel’s list and he/she rehearse a show with the birthday party guests and the parents return as audience members to see the drama unfold! It’s the most creative and productive birthday party in town and Mel is usually booked 2 months in advance as a result! Click here to learn more about Mel O’ Drama Birthdays! http://melodramakids.com/index.php/more/drama-birthday-party
Having sold out 6 weeks of Summer camps, Fall registration is now well under way! With something to offer every elementary school aged child, Mel and her teachers offer traditional drama, character development, improv, songwriting, voice lessons, expressive movement and the newest and most exciting addition to the program list is our MUSICAL THEATRE INTENSIVE that meets Saturdays morning starting this October for 2 hours weekly over 10 weeks and ends in a musical production!
Mel O’ Drama is in a very exciting phase this year with an expansion of the program happening into Quincy, MA this Fall where drama classes will be offered to Quincy kids under the guise of the very talented Brittany Rolfs. Mel O’ Drama has also just become a FRANCHISE this year with interest in Braintree and Charlestown! And last but not least, Mel is releasing her first children’s book, ‘Darlene the Drama Queen: Raises the Curtain on Confidence’ this October!
The book tells the story of an ordinary little girl named Darlene with an EXTRAordinary imagination! At only six and a half years old ('that half is quite exciting!'), she lives in a beautiful Castle with her pet Dragon Shakespeare and her floating mask mentors, Comedy and Tragedy. She takes us on a tour of Drama Land which is bursting with color and positivity and finally she leads us to her 'stage of magic' where she stands to help 'friends who come to me with problems they believe will never end.'
This is the first book of what Mel hopes will become a series choosing topics that directly affect young children, issues that Mel has seen first hand in her classes. The first book focuses on a little girl named Lucy who is painfully shy and with the help of some positive affirmations and encouragement from Darlene and her friends, Lucy walks away in the end feeling ‘taller and prouder’ than she ever thought possible! And guess what? YOU’RE invited to the book launch which takes place this October 2nd from 12-2pm at the Hoosic Club in Milton. To RSVP to this free event, follow this link. Once maximum capacity has been reached (which is not too far from happening at this point!), the invitation will be closed and a waitlist will be created.
TO GET ON THE GUEST LIST, CLICK HERE.
So whether it’s a drama class you’re looking for for your child, or a Musical debut role for that singer in your house, a drama school franchise of your own OR a book for your precious kids that reminds them to be proud of who they are, Mel has something to offer pretty much everyone in town!
‘Every child has something wonderful to offer. And it’s my job to make sure my students find it, feel it and let it shine!’
For more information, visit Mel’s website www.melodramakids.com and be SURE to like both
her Facebook pages to stay in the loop!
