Hi - I'd like to start by saying that I WORK FOR THE PLAYGROUND. This is not a review! Because we do not advertise with Yellow Pages I am not allowed to respond to other reviews and we (The Playground) believe that we need to comment on the review titled "It's really a shame", Posted by by khalintiger… on 06/11/2011



Thanks for your opinions, we rarely get critical feedback from actual clients! We'll use this to make a good program better.



You can see that your child's ambivalence about The Playground was not shared by the other students - you could have talked to us, or stopped classes, when her lack of enthusiasm became apparent. We would have satisfied you if you come to us earlier but it's hard for us to help you now.



Calling us a "pretend" school is nonsensical, if your goal was to build confidence and for your child to come "out of her shell" then we're proud to have given her that life-long gift. If your goal was to prepare her for professional acting then you stopped before she had any chance to succeed. Our student's success, both in life and in entertainment, speaks for itself. We invite you to look at our blog, web-site or Facebook page to see great comments from student and parents!



We take some very valuable insight away from your comments and we are going to begin working to address them right away:



• Staff should be proactive in talking to you about your child. Most parents participate in the students' homework - reading lines and practicing scenes between classes - and get to see their kid's progress first hand. Since your review, instuctors have begun trying to speak to every parent at least once a month.

• Our hand-outs for the information meeting are extensive and bound. (32 pages plus a table of contents). They look great and are full of great information. We get nothing but praise about them. If you feel that you did not get the complete package please contact Gary at the school and he will give you a replacement.

• Gary and the teachers spend a long time preparing the end of class reviews for each student and generally take the time to write thoughtful (and long) comments. I apologize for your terse report - I have begun reading random reports to make sure that they are up to our standard. While you are not likely to come back we want you to know that every parent is encouraged to speak one-on-one with Gary about their child at any time.



While I wouldn't dream of telling you that your feeling about the program are wrong I do need to address a few factual errors:

⁃ Gary does spend some time in every class on a regular basis. I suggest that you ask your daughter if Gary came in. He doesn't make it in every week but, more often than not

⁃ Agents are never invited to classes but we do have invitation only Performance Nights where agents can attend (25 at the last one). As a rule the beginning students are not yet ready and are not invited and we make that clear to all the parents in the beginner classes.

⁃ The "party" you mention is our graduation ceremony for children who complete the full 2-year program. It happens once every year.

⁃ We do not submit fake reviews, ever, anywhere.

⁃ We aren't trying to make stars - we are teaching kids how to act. How to speak clearly and confidently and how to succeed in life. Some kids go on to a careen in acting. Many do not. We work to replace any dreams of fame and fortune with a realistic sense of what it takes to work in the entertainment business and prepare the kids for that if that's what they choose to do.

⁃ We do not think the children benefit from having parents in the class rooms. Usually, children are inhibited when their parents are watching.

The Playground is definitely a great, well-equipped acting school, with a warm staff, and eager kids who want to act. We have nothing but kind words to share about Gary Spatz, Gayla, and the rest of the crew because we feel that they genuinely enjoy teaching something that they are all passionate about, and that is to act. To our surprise, Gary Spatz has a very sincere, down-to-earth personality considering that we just saw him on the E! channel the other week being interviewed about some teen stars of today like Zac Efron, and Miley Cyrus, etc. Let me just say that my 7 year old was more than ecstatic to see his teacher on television and it was also nice for us as parents to see the owner of our acting school being recognized for his efforts in the past and present.

We’ve had and are still having a lovely experience over at Gary Spatz’s The Playground and I’m serious when I say that my kids rant and rave about it all the time. Both my kids have met classmates that are just as enthusiastic about the acting classes as they are and they look forward to the workshops every weekend. I find it so endearing that Gary Spatz himself works so closely with the children and staff and is very much into the school programs. The learning environment is impressive and provides the closest thing to actually being on stage, or being ‘on set’. Their website is also a very helpful tool because you can sign-up for various classes, look at your kid’s performance video, check the calendar, and read about the staff. It’s great. In fact, I’m glad we found The Playground that I felt compelled to write about it.

My son has attended the Playground for almost a year and a half. I am more than satisfied with the quality of his acting lessons. Gary offers something that not a lot of other schools offer... honest, integrity, and a caring heart. The teachers allow my child feel safe in expressing himself in his acting class and has furthered his abilities as a young performer.

My child went to a couple of the workshops that The Playground offers and now he has more confidence, his memory skills are improving, he's learned how to make friends, and he can express himself in ways I could not have taught him. Either way -- your child can have a real passion for acting and actually want to pursue the entertainment industry, or your child can at least have a hands-on experience of this fascinating industry and leave with memories that will last a lifetime and a nice DVD. Gary Spatz and his staff are honest and all they want to do is nurture the creativity and confidence in every child. Thanks to Gary and staff! I always recommend The Playground to my friends and family.

Gary Spatz is the best acting coach we've ever had. He is so inspiring and caring about his students it's amazing. We learn so much each week and every week is a different experience. The teaching staff is really great, too. They give you constructive criticism and help us be prepared for all kind of situations in the audition process. The private coachings are really great and every time we called Gary he was always there for us.



Even for emergencies, like last minute coachings for auditions. The showcases, which Gary arranges every couple of months are always a great opportunity for us students to meet with important industry professionals like casting directors or producers. He puts his heart and soul in to his work to help us succeed.



Justin and Dean Misch