Acting Coach, Teacher, Director, Producer
LJ Woodard
LJ Woodard created the Performance Club back in 2005 as an after school program at Wrightsville Beach Elementary School where kids could meet up to sing, dance, act, play improv games and rehearse for shows to present to the school! The Performance Club entertained PTA meetings, Fall Festivals, Spring Flings and in doing so, helped raise funds for the school! Soon, other schools began to request the Performance Club (Ogden Elementary, Forest Hills, Coastal Prep, Topsail North Elementary, St. Mark, Cape Fear Academy). And eventually other organizations contracted the Performance Club to bring the performance fun ...like the Wrightsville Beach Parks & Recreation, Surf City Community Center, 21st Century Learning, JDRF, Communities in Schools, the Boys Scouts, Girls Scouts and the Carousel Center. Even companies like BRAX Fundraising requested the talents of LJ Woodard to boost up their sales' teams presentations and cold calls as their on-site Spirit Coach!
Performance Club is geared to empower kids thru performance! Whether it's finding their voice or exploring different characters, Performance Club gives kids the freedom to perform in a safe environment, free of judgment with a ton of room to "play"!!!
Performance Club Kids have gone on to do television, film and local community theater with Thalian Association, Panache Theatrical Productions, Opera House Theater Company , City Stage, Flat Rock Playhouse....and even Broadway!
As the Creative Director of the Performance Club, LJ Woodard teaches over 400 students/year in after school programs, summers camps and semi professional productions at her favorite venue, Thalian Hall's Ruth & Bucky Stein Theatre! She is a professional Actor (SAG) who has taken all her experience in television and film from New York, London to Los Angeles and created Wilmington's only studio theater for young actors! LJ teaches all aspects of performance from improvisation, theater, voice, comedy, scene study and movement. Her motto is, "we learn by playing and play by acting" with clear rules that promote positivity!
Raised in Southern California, her mother (Beatrice Lily) was a Talent Agent where she developed an extensive resume in commercials, television and film - all before the age of 12! She has an empathy for young performers and loves to see them succeed. She also works as an "On Set" Youth Acting Coach for local television and film projects. She knows how to get kids to deliver in front of the camera with her fun and playful style while also supporting the production in making sure that there’s a clear vision between what writers and producers are hoping to achieve.
Whether you love the stage, need to build up self confidence or want to pursue acting professionally...the Performance Club has a class for you!
LJ Woodard, Director/Owner of the Performance Club!
Performance Club Atracts the Best Teachers!
Performance Club Roster of Talent
- Samantha Ray Mifsud - Voice Teacher & Summer Stock Choreographer; CURRENTLY partnering up (thru Evolution Healing Arts) to run LION THEATRICS, a drama program at St Mark Catholic School
- Judy Greenhut - Summer Stock Choreographer
- Cathy Street - Teaching Artist/Summer Stock Director and Musical Director
- Michael Lauricella - Musical Director Summer Stock
- Austrin Garcia (Hip Hop Guest Teacher)
- Denice Hopper - Musical Director Summer Stock , Teaching Artist in Music/Voice and KinderMusik
- Katie Sawhill - Summer Camp, Musical Theater
- Matt Talley, Casiphia Blevins - Musical Theater/Voice
- Ashley Gladden - Glee/Voice/Theater Dance
- Gail Kelly - Musical Theater/Shakespeare/PC Director & PC Assistant
- Carson Capps - Theater Dance
- Mike Thompson - Scene Study
- Tom Briggs - Audition Technique Workshops
- Chandler Davis, Hunter Wyatt - Guest Teaching Artists
- Jackie Pressley - Talent Agent, CAI, Kids in the Biz Workshop
- Sheri Yelton - Young Professionals
- William Yelton - Young Professionals
- Jonathan Barber - Musical Director
- Lynn O'Connell - Music/Voice
- Samantha Herrick - Teaching Artist, Former Assistant Director and Performance Club Coordinator
- Tre Ricanek - PC Studio Theatre Director/Stage Manager and Producer of “Moana”
- PJ Eby - PC Kids Director/Intern Extraordinaire - Summer Performance Camps 2022
Junior Assistants, Youth Mentors, Stage Managers, Crew
- Samantha Woodard, Karli Krasnipol, Chris Coakley
- Alex Eakins, Aidan Malone, Fletcher Williams
- Mathis Turner, Kellen Hanson, Mary Catherine Ferris
- Sara Lucas, Aurora Flores, Caroline Bolin
- Avery Hoerdemann, Karen Frances Walter
- Annie Marsh, JJ Niemann*, Arianna Torello
- Emilia Torello*, Joe Basquill
- Bradley Barefoot, Hannah Laham, Abbey Bowman
- Madeline Safrit, Matthew Gill, Camille Knab
- Wilker Ballantine, Emma Grace Wright
- Logan Siu, Chloe Campbell, Sam Agee
- Francesca Calabria, Remy Hoelen, Camille Knab
- Madison Figueroa, Andrew Penny, Julianna Grissler
- Quinn Gonzalez, Noah Sibbett, Hyrum Smith, Abby Talbot,
- Emily Skane, Caroline Warshaw
- Isabella Gorden, Jacy Coffman and Olivia Voogt
- Campell Idol, Tre Ricanek, Neveah Woolins, Lily Smith
- Riley Lepley, Baylee Allen, PJ Eby, Dylan Marks, Carson Holmes*
- Sadler Selby, Annabel Arnett, Elle Graham*
- Lila Ciarrocca, Tate Woodard, Mary Gretchen Turner
Junior Directors, Broadway and Young Professionals
*Emilia Torello was our first official junior director for our summer stock teen-driven productions! Her credits include: "Legally Blonde" in 2016; "BYE BYE BIRDIE" in 2017 and "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" in 2018. She just recently graduated from the University of Miami studying musical theater!
Email performanceclub@icloud.com if you think you could be our next junior director!
*JJ Niemann has been a Performance Club Assistant at various camps and after school programs over the years while he pursued his musical theater degree at Elon University'17. He went straight to Broadway as a Swing in the "Book of Mormon" covering all seven Mormon ensemble tracks! And is currently a TikTok sensation;)
*Carson Holmes is a professional young actor, known for his role as Three Langmore on OZARK, INSTANT FAMILY, DARKEST MINDS, UNCLE FRANK and BEST OF ENEMIES.
*Elle Graham is a professional young actress known for her roles in SECRETS OF SULPHUR SPRINGS, SWAMP THING, STRANGER THINGS ,THE WALKING DEAD and ARE YOU THERE GOD, IT'S ME MARGARET.
Want to join the Performance Club Team?
Teaching Artists, Stage Managers, Choreographers, Directors, Musical Directors, Set Designers, Costume Designers and Junior Assistantants! Please email: performanceclub@icloud.com
Media
WINNER BEST CHILDREN'S THEATER
2020 Recipient for BEST CHILDRENS THEATER IN WILMINGTON!
BACKSTAGE lists PERFORMANCE CLUB
12 Great Children's Theater in the country!
Performance Club Kids Wilmington
