If you live in a city with a professional theater company, look into drama classes or summer camps for children. Camps may be taught by members of the professional company, or other local artists with education experience may facilitate the learning. Theater companies, such as the ZACH Scott Theatre Center in Austin, Texas, offer community classes for children ages 3 and up at any skill level. Pre-professional classes for older students require an audition, while spring break, summer vacation and holiday camps focus on rehearsing and performing one or more shows.
Many schools have drama departments that mount one or more productions each school year. Classes may be held during the school day or after school. Productions usually require rehearsals that increase closer to show dates and vary, depending on how actively involved your child is. Cities like Los Angeles and New York also offer performing arts high schools that offering pre-professional theatrical, dance or musical training to accepted students.
If your child is eager to get onstage outside of school and has exceptional interest in acting, allowing her to be in plays and even films around the community can provide her with invaluable experience as a young artist. She'll learn her craft as she practices it. Many small towns and communities throughout the nation have at least one community theater with a regular season of classics, musicals and, on occasion, new works. Often productions feature casts of adults and children, so she can watch the veterans and learn from them.
Be prepared to spend plenty of time taking your child to rehearsals -- typically four to five evenings a week. A rehearsal schedule can also be demanding on a child, depending on his role. A reputable theater company or film production is aware of this and will work with you to make sure your little one is happy and healthy. If you notice your child is suffering in other areas, or community/professional productions are stressing him out, there's nothing wrong with going back to the children's camps or the school drama club, which may end up nurturing his artistic ability even further.