About LA Drama School
Drama without
the drama.
What might be acceptable in a small non-entertainment town doesn’t cut it in Los Angeles.
This city breathes film and entertainment. Whilst working at some of the most elite schools in the city, we realized quickly that L.A. needs more. When the students are the children of some of the biggest actors and filmmakers in the world, the standard has to be higher than your average kids’ drama class. If they can learn more at home with Mom or Dad, why pay for classes?
So we built a program specifically designed to incorporate the sophisticated teachings of world-renowned acting gurus, whilst also catering to a child’s need for a fun hour of creative expression and energetic outlet.
The result is a highly enjoyable program of classes that even the Hollywood elites wouldn’t turn their nose up at.
About the Directors
Josh & Steph.
Josh Futcher and Stephanie Williams have been teaching acting and working with children for over 20 years. Originally from Australia, they trained with some of the industry’s most esteemed acting teachers. Both took their formal drama education at the Victorian College of the Arts in Melbourne, and have continued their pursuit of acting mastery under coaches and institutions of the likes of Larry Moss, Ivana Chubbuck, Lesly Kahn, 16th Street Actors Studio and UCB. They have trained extensively in the techniques of Uta Hagen, Strasberg, Stanislavsky and Stella Adler.
Josh and Steph have had TV roles on Netflix, Apple TV, Freeform and network TV. They have appeared in several film-festival award-winning films — and won a few Best Actor awards along the way. Between them they have been in over 40 stage plays and musical productions and 50 commercials, and continue to audition and work regularly, keeping their finger on the pulse of the industry.
Being working actors, their understanding of what is expected of actors in the digital era sets them apart from other school directors. Their teaching prepares kids for the reality of being an actor in the modern world.
Our approach
Every child gets the most out of their time.
No one is left behind.
While acting has always been a priority, their passion for children and youth development has seen Josh and Steph work extensively with children with neurodiverse profiles. Through the teachings of Dr. Ross W. Greene Ph.D, they have worked with children previously declared “problem children”, and been able to integrate them and find success in a formal class setting.
Their neurodiversity-affirming approach includes helping with developmental and emotional regulation challenges using a developmental, relationship-based model (DIR/Floortime) and Social Thinking methodology, to promote learning, development and appropriate social interactions in real time via play-based activities and integration in the classroom.
They firmly believe that no child is inherently bad. Kids do well when they can, and when they can’t, it’s because they are delayed in the development of crucial cognitive skills. Understanding and working through that with them in an empathetic and validating way is key to their ability to succeed.
Find out why we founded LADSHow it works
Booking us is the easy part.
01
Get in touch. Tell us your school, your grade levels and the term you’re planning for.
02
We propose a program. We match classes to your students, your space and your session length.
03
We handle the paperwork. Live Scans, insurance and staff credentials, sent over before day one.
04
We show up early. Your students are collected, taught and returned. You do nothing.