TADA Acting Studio's New Home

08/21/2026

AD: If you've been looking for FREE acting lessons and acting lesson plans, my TADA Acting Studio lessons are now organized on SKOOL!
🎭📚 If you're an actor, beginning acting student, parent, homeschool family, drama teacher, or acting coach looking for structured acting lessons, you can now follow my Mastering the Basics of Acting course there and download the lesson plans that go with the videos.
🎭 JOIN TADA ACTING STUDIO ON SKOOL — FREE
https://www.skool.com/tada-acting-studio-4133/about
If you're under 18, please ask your parent or guardian before joining.
And yes — it's FREE. I'm not trying to sell you anything. 💕 I wanted a better way to give you the acting lesson plans, scripts, exercises, and resources I've been creating alongside my YouTube acting lessons.

Inside my TADA Acting Studio SKOOL community, you can work through Mastering the Basics of Acting in order, mark lessons complete, download the corresponding acting lesson plans, find scripts and additional resources, ask questions, and even request topics you'd like me to teach in future acting lessons.

I'm Dawnnie Mercado, a SAG-AFTRA actor, NYU MFA graduate, and acting coach. I've been teaching acting to kids and teens for more than 30 years. These lessons cover the same acting foundations I teach my own students, including acting technique, script analysis, objectives, actions, beats, truthful acting, Stanislavski's Magic If, subtext, audition preparation, voiceover acting, and more.

You can absolutely continue learning with me for free right here on YouTube, too. SKOOL simply gives us a more organized classroom where I can connect the videos with the lesson plans and additional materials.

📚 Free Lesson Plans & Practice Scripts
Download printable acting lesson plans, practice scenes, and free monologues. New resources will be added here as they're completed.
https://stan.store/dawnniemercado/p/get-my-tada-acting-studios-practice-scripts

Perfect for:
🎭 Acting lessons for beginners
🎭 Acting lessons for kids
🎭 Acting lessons for teens
🎭 Beginning actors
🎭 Adult beginners
🎭 Homeschool drama
🎭 Theatre students
🎭 Drama teachers
🎭 Parents of young actors
🎭 Community theatre actors
🎭 Voiceover beginners

🎭 Teachers & Parents!
🎬 Start Here . You can also just follow along here:
New to acting? Start with my complete Mastering the Basics of Acting course:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZ5jxcQXdnRVih1yRb4QQtDeOAiGjnyni

Hosted by Dawnnie Mercado — SAG-AFTRA actor, acting coach, and NYU MFA graduate.

For more than 30 years, I've helped kids, teens, homeschool students, and beginning actors build confidence through truthful acting, professional technique, and industry-standard audition training.

🐾 Sometimes featuring Bella & Rex from TADA Acting Studio.
☕ Find Miss Dawnnie

IMDb:
https://www.imdb.me/dawnniemercado

All my links:
https://linktr.ee/dawnniemercado

Subscribe and let's make some magic together.

Play. Be Brave. Act From the Heart.
https://youtu.be/9WInGJpuEx0

If you've been looking for FREE acting lessons and acting lesson pl...

08/13/2026

Ad: 🎭 BIG TADA NEWS! FREE ACTING LESSONS FOR KIDS & TEENS—NOW ALL IN ONE PLACE!

I’ve loved sharing my Mastering the Basics of Acting lessons for FREE on YouTube—and they’re staying there!

But as a teacher myself, I kept thinking:

I want everything in ONE place.

The videos. The lesson plans. The practice resources. A place to ask questions. A place for parents and teachers too.

So I’ve created the TADA Acting Studio community on SKOOL! 🎭✨

And you can join FREE:

https://www.skool.com/tada-acting-studio-4133/about

Now, when I say FREE, I want to be really clear about what I mean.

I’ve joined online communities myself only to discover that the “free” membership gives you a preview of a lesson—and then you have to upgrade to finish it.

THIS IS NOT THAT.

🎬 My ENTIRE Mastering the Basics of Acting course is being added to the FREE TADA membership.

Not a preview. Not a few sample lessons. The ENTIRE course. FREE.

And even better for my fellow teachers and parents:

📄 The accompanying lesson plans are included right there with the lessons!

The course is designed for young actors ages 8–18, and parents, teachers and homeschool families are absolutely welcome.

We’re already learning about acting methods, objectives, actions, beats, script analysis, truthful acting, Constantin Stanislavski’s Magic If, subtext and more—and I’ll continue adding FREE lessons, lesson plans, practice materials and resources as we grow.

Inside the community, we also have:

💬 Course Q&A — Ask questions about the lessons
💡 Lesson Requests — Tell me what you'd like me to teach next
🏆 Acting Wins — Share your breakthroughs and accomplishments
🎭 General Discussion — Connect with our community

🌟 And yes, there will eventually be an optional upgrade.

I’m developing additional training for actors who want to go further, including step-by-step scene breakdown work, self-tape setup and training, opportunities for feedback on your work, and live Q&A sessions directly with me.

But the upgrade will ADD to what I'm teaching. You will NOT need to upgrade to finish Mastering the Basics of Acting.

That complete foundational course and its accompanying lesson plans will remain part of the FREE TADA Acting Studio SKOOL.

If you’re a young actor, parent, teacher, homeschool family, or someone helping a young performer learn to act, come join us!

🎭 JOIN FREE HERE:
https://www.skool.com/tada-acting-studio-4133/about

Come introduce yourself and tell me what you'd like to learn next. I have a LOT more planned!

Play. Be Brave. Act From the Heart. 🎭✨

— Dawnnie Mercado
SAG-AFTRA Actor • NYU MFA • Acting Coach
TADA Acting Studio

08/06/2026

Ad: This free course on the TADA YouTube channel just keeps on growing. Come on over.
And hit FOLLOW here for more.
🎭🔥
I do still take Heartland charter funds. You can also pay privately. I have a SKOOL community planned for 2027. All private coaching clients who study on Zoom get their own private Google classroom to track their individual progress.
😎☕🐾
If we've just met, Hi! I'm Dawnnie Mercado-Actor, I have an MFA in Acting from NYU and I've been teaching and coaching kids and teens for over 30 years. Some are looking to go pro, so I definitely don't stop at the basics.. I reach them at their level and take all the training, and what I'm learning now in my own life from my current mentors and share things in a youth friendly way. Some just want to learn because it's fun. That's great too!
🎭🎭
See you over on YouTube! That as always is absolutely free and there is a way in every description to get my lesson plans for free for other educators, students, or home schooling families.
Been doing this so long it truly is one of the things I enjoy most in my actor life. And that's sharing lessons with the next generation of creatives.

MASTERING THE BASICS OF ACTING 🎭 Welcome to TADA Acting Studio's complete beginner acting course, designed for kids, teens, homeschool families, parents, tea...

07/22/2026

Ad: Have you ever seen a more beautiful thumbnail? 😂
https://youtu.be/DueJjl4d85w?si=4phEX3IoQHfwbfHH
Seriously though...

😎🤫 This week's lesson includes a behind-the-scenes look at what it's actually like to coach with me on Zoom. You'll see clips from a real coaching session with one of my students (my camera only, never theirs), so you can get a feel for how I work.

🎁 There's also a FREE printable PDF for last week's lesson in the video description!

🎭 Coming This Fall: Live Zoom Acting Classes (Ages 10–18)

This fall I'll be opening enrollment for Beginning through Advanced Acting on Zoom for students ages 10–18.

Whether your child is stepping onto the stage for the very first time or already has acting experience, this class is designed to help them build confidence, develop truthful acting skills, and prepare for today's audition process.

DM me if you'd like to be added to the interest list! Or head over to my Stan Store and join the mailing list. https://stan.store/dawnniemercado

🔥 Train Like the Industry Works Today

Today's actors need more than acting technique—they need to know how to audition professionally from home.

In this class, I'll teach students not only how to become stronger actors, but also how to confidently navigate today's audition process, including:

🎬 Preparing professional self-tape auditions

🎬 Setting up an affordable self-tape space at home

🎬 Working opposite an off-camera reader

🎬 Taking direction during coaching

🎬 Self-tape etiquette and industry best practices

🔥 What's Included

🎭 One live group acting class every week on Zoom (4 classes each month)

🎭 Designed for actors ages 10–18, from complete beginners through advanced students.

🎭 FREE access to my growing SKOOL lesson library while you're enrolled in class. (Since Charter Funds can't be used for recurring memberships, SKOOL will be included at no additional cost for enrolled students.)

🎭 Scene & Monologue Library
Access to my growing library of scenes, monologues, and acting resources so students will always have material to work on.

🎭 Two Ways to Participate Each Week

Choose the option that works best for your family's schedule:

• Perform your scene LIVE in class opposite me or another student.

OR

• Submit your scene as a professional-style self-tape before class. We'll watch it together during class, and I'll provide personalized coaching and feedback.

🎭 Busy schedule? No problem!

If I know ahead of time, students don't have to stay for the entire class in order to participate.

🎭 Self-Paced Lessons

Additional SKOOL lessons will reinforce what we're learning in class, help students master the fundamentals, and serve as make-up lessons for missed classes and holidays.

🎬 Get Started Right Now!

You don't have to wait until fall to begin!

I've already started building my FREE Mastering the Basics of Acting course on YouTube. If you'd like to get a head start, binge-watch the playlist before classes begin. It will give students a strong foundation so they're ready to jump into scene work when we meet live.

🎭 Mastering the Basics of Acting Playlist:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZ5jxcQXdnRWtYCzL3TWeYTSJtd2RrOf1&si=S6BD5ypb2ru2dYBJ

I'm excited to meet this next group of actors! My goal is to help every student build a solid acting foundation, gain confidence, create truthful, believable performances, and develop the professional skills needed to succeed in today's audition world.

I can't wait to work with you! 🎭 P.S. It's me Dawnnie Mercado-Actor

FREE MONOLOGUE:https://stan.store/dawnniemercado/p/get-my-tada-act...

07/22/2026

https://youtube.com/shorts/zhbz7k_2jOY?si=51LjKWVaD9tihtB5

The Difference Between Acting and Truthful Acting 🎭Mastering the B...

07/02/2026

How to Start Acting 🎭 kids & teens
I'm about to hop on Zoom to coach some amazing teenage students from Heartland Charter School! If you're a charter student looking for coaching over the next 3 months, leave a comment telling me your school, and I'll share my email so we can work out how to use your charter funds for classes.

Don't miss the full linked lesson, and come visit TADA on YT for more weekly lessons for kids and teens. FREE!
Hi I'm Dawnnie!, I've been teaching acting to kids and teens for over 30 years and my super power is making complicated lessons fun for youth. I take all that NYU MFA Acting training... and turn it into PURE FUN! https://youtu.be/gLO2J7aXQJA?si=Xx1c7pv7goQT4nO3

07/01/2026

How to Start Acting 🎭 kids & teens
Comment for our FREE SCRIPTS - Like this and more.

The journey is mostly happening through self-tape auditions. I can't wait to see what I create next! You can find the next lesson linked right here or there. See you in the next one!

Don't miss the full linked lesson, and come visit TADA on YT for more weekly lessons for kids and teens. FREE!
Hi I'm Dawnnie!, I've been teaching acting to kids and teens for over 30 years and my super power is making complicated lessons fun for youth. I take all that NYU MFA Acting training... and turn it into PURE FUN! https://youtu.be/gLO2J7aXQJA?si=Xx1c7pv7goQT4nO3

06/30/2026

How to Start Acting 🎭 kids & teens
Comment for our FREE SCRIPTS - Like this and more.

I created a Teachers Pay Teachers course incorporating a fun final project for A Midsummer Night's Dream: recording monologues and scenes. I really try to make even the academic stuff engaging and hands-on. Check out the sample monologue I've attached in the comments!

Don't miss the full linked lesson, and come visit TADA on YT for more weekly lessons for kids and teens. FREE!
Hi I'm Dawnnie!, I've been teaching acting to kids and teens for over 30 years and my super power is making complicated lessons fun for youth. I take all that NYU MFA Acting training... and turn it into PURE FUN! https://youtu.be/gLO2J7aXQJA?si=Xx1c7pv7goQT4nO3

06/29/2026

How to Start Acting 🎭 kids & teens
Comment for our FREE SCRIPTS - Like this and more.

My schedule is going to be wild this summer, but I want to connect with you! Drop a comment and I'll try to fit in a consultation to get you ready for fall. We're diving into Shakespeare in my acting class!

Don't miss the full linked lesson, and come visit TADA on YT for more weekly lessons for kids and teens. FREE!
Hi I'm Dawnnie!, I've been teaching acting to kids and teens for over 30 years and my super power is making complicated lessons fun for youth. I take all that NYU MFA Acting training... and turn it into PURE FUN! https://youtu.be/gLO2J7aXQJA?si=Xx1c7pv7goQT4nO3