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Reviews — 8
Charactors Theatre Troupe offers a nurturing performing arts program. Their mission to promote positive self-esteem, build confidence and create a sense of commitment to a group through collaboration is outstanding! The owners are passionate, kind and caring and know the strengths of each child while working on other areas in a way that helps the children grow. Their commitment to establishing lessons with high expectations, teaching resilience to students and promoting a love of the performing arts is exceptional. This is my daughter's 5th year, and it has become her home away from home. I highly recommend this program if your child is interested in performing arts!
A Cautionary Note Regarding Charactors Theatre Troupe
I feel compelled to share our experience with the Charactors Theatre Troupe in Thornhill, Ontario, to provide insight before you consider enrolling your child in their program.
In October 2022, we enrolled our son in the Charactors Theatre Troupe's after-school program, which promised to develop performing arts skills while enhancing self-esteem, confidence, commitment, and teamwork. Despite the seemingly steep price of $1,384.25 for 35 sessions, we believed in their mission and hoped for a positive experience.
Unfortunately, after just 4 sessions of the 35-session program, our son adamantly refused to continue his participation. His reluctance was unprecedented, as he described the environment as "mean," "strict," and "stressful." Our son, a typically cooperative team player, revealed that the program was detrimental to his self-esteem and not the "fun" experience he had anticipated.
Upon further investigation, we discovered that the managing owner employed questionable corrective techniques that bordered on character abuse and confidence damage. Instances of public scolding and punitive measures for minor errors left a lasting negative impact on our son. It was evident that the environment he described was not conducive to a healthy and nurturing learning experience.
Seeking a resolution, we approached the company amicably, requesting a partial refund based on the sessions attended. Regrettably, our request was met with resistance.
Despite our willingness to compromise, the company's response was unwavering, citing a cutoff date we had missed and offering only a credit towards a future session.
Our ordeal not only left our son traumatized but also resulted in our inability to enrol him in a different after-school program due to the financial setback. We deeply regret not having researched more thoroughly before making our initial decision.
As parents who have navigated this challenging experience, we urge you to exercise caution before enrolling your child in the Charactors Theatre Troupe program. We've identified several concerning aspects that we believe require your consideration:
* Locked-in Refund Policy: Be aware of their strict refund policy, which locks you into the program beyond their cutoff date, making it difficult to withdraw if needed.
* Non-Credit Card Payments: The company intentionally avoids credit card payments, making it challenging to dispute fees and seek recourse.
* Mission Statement vs. Reality: Exercise skepticism regarding their promising mission statement and testimonials, which may not accurately reflect the actual classroom environment.
* Punitive Teaching Techniques: Investigate their teaching methods to ensure they align with your child's emotional well-being and learning experience.
* Prior Auditing: If considering enrolling your child, we strongly recommend auditing a session beforehand to assess the teaching approach and environment. Additionally, audit another session after enrolling to ensure your child's positive experience.
Our intention is not to discourage your child's pursuit of the performing arts but rather to ensure that you are well-informed when making decisions about their educational and extracurricular experiences.
We sincerely hope that our testimonial serves as a red flag, guiding you towards making the best choices for your child's development. Your child's emotional and educational well-being is of utmost importance and our experience with the Charactors Theatre Troupe proved to be the exact opposite.
I feel compelled to share our experience with the Charactors Theatre Troupe in Thornhill, Ontario, to provide insight before you consider enrolling your child in their program.
In October 2022, we enrolled our son in the Charactors Theatre Troupe's after-school program, which promised to develop performing arts skills while enhancing self-esteem, confidence, commitment, and teamwork. Despite the seemingly steep price of $1,384.25 for 35 sessions, we believed in their mission and hoped for a positive experience.
Unfortunately, after just 4 sessions of the 35-session program, our son adamantly refused to continue his participation. His reluctance was unprecedented, as he described the environment as "mean," "strict," and "stressful." Our son, a typically cooperative team player, revealed that the program was detrimental to his self-esteem and not the "fun" experience he had anticipated.
Upon further investigation, we discovered that the managing owner employed questionable corrective techniques that bordered on character abuse and confidence damage. Instances of public scolding and punitive measures for minor errors left a lasting negative impact on our son. It was evident that the environment he described was not conducive to a healthy and nurturing learning experience.
Seeking a resolution, we approached the company amicably, requesting a partial refund based on the sessions attended. Regrettably, our request was met with resistance.
Despite our willingness to compromise, the company's response was unwavering, citing a cutoff date we had missed and offering only a credit towards a future session.
Our ordeal not only left our son traumatized but also resulted in our inability to enrol him in a different after-school program due to the financial setback. We deeply regret not having researched more thoroughly before making our initial decision.
As parents who have navigated this challenging experience, we urge you to exercise caution before enrolling your child in the Charactors Theatre Troupe program. We've identified several concerning aspects that we believe require your consideration:
* Locked-in Refund Policy: Be aware of their strict refund policy, which locks you into the program beyond their cutoff date, making it difficult to withdraw if needed.
* Non-Credit Card Payments: The company intentionally avoids credit card payments, making it challenging to dispute fees and seek recourse.
* Mission Statement vs. Reality: Exercise skepticism regarding their promising mission statement and testimonials, which may not accurately reflect the actual classroom environment.
* Punitive Teaching Techniques: Investigate their teaching methods to ensure they align with your child's emotional well-being and learning experience.
* Prior Auditing: If considering enrolling your child, we strongly recommend auditing a session beforehand to assess the teaching approach and environment. Additionally, audit another session after enrolling to ensure your child's positive experience.
Our intention is not to discourage your child's pursuit of the performing arts but rather to ensure that you are well-informed when making decisions about their educational and extracurricular experiences.
We sincerely hope that our testimonial serves as a red flag, guiding you towards making the best choices for your child's development. Your child's emotional and educational well-being is of utmost importance and our experience with the Charactors Theatre Troupe proved to be the exact opposite.
My daughter has been going here for about 4 years. She has found a group of kids she likes a lot, has gained confidence in her performance and abilities, and has furthered her musical and acting skills. The people who run this troupe, Megan and Wayne, are helpful, informative, inclusive and so encouraging. I'm really happy we found this place.
Characters is a fantastic drama program that offers children the opportunity to be part of a live theatre community! My daughter Zoe has been attending for the past several years and has gained so much from her experiences! The choreography, singing, acting classes have been taught by highly talented and incredible teachers!
My family and friends have been so impressed with the high quality of performances from the plays at the City Playhouse Theatre in Thornhill Ontario each year ! I would recommend this company to anyone who is interested in learning theatre skills (acting singing, dance skills) , gaining self confidence, making life long friendships, and having a fabulous experience with the arts!
My family and friends have been so impressed with the high quality of performances from the plays at the City Playhouse Theatre in Thornhill Ontario each year ! I would recommend this company to anyone who is interested in learning theatre skills (acting singing, dance skills) , gaining self confidence, making life long friendships, and having a fabulous experience with the arts!
My 9 year daughter loves this place!
Always impressed with their ability to make every kid shine and still produce high quality shows.
2nd home. And the best most caring people.
