Pam Schnatterly

Founder/Lead Teacher

Pam hold's a Master’s Degree in Theater Education from Emerson College in Boston.  A Massachusetts State Certified teacher, she has taught High School Drama, and worked in Elementary and Middle School after school Drama programs in the Greater Boston area.  Pam is a professional actor, teaching artist and proud SAG union member.  She's a company member of Advice to the Players, a professional Shakespeare Theater company in New Hampshire and is a lead teacher of their Shakespeare summer program for kids ages 5-15.  She's currently accumulating hours towards becoming a licensed Drama Therapist, and continues to challenge and educate herself having recently participated in a Shakespeare workshop in NYC focused on finding direction in Shakespeare’s text by studying his punctuation, grammar and iambic pentameter.​

What is Chatterbox all about?

"​Chatterbox was born from my desire to provide kids with exposure to Theater Arts without the pressures of showcases, anxiety provoking performances, and the world of headshots and agent meet & greets that many other similar programs in NYC seem to be about.  My goal is for Chatterbox to be a comfort zone for kids where I use my passions for teaching and performing to inspire them to deeply connect with their individual creativity and imagination, encourage compassion and empathy, and to help them find their own voices in this world.   Theater Arts provide students with exposure to other cultures, other ways of life, and language beyond one’s immediate world.  I aim to provide students with opportunities to broaden their unique life experiences, develop their interests and passions for the Arts and expand their own artistic appreciation and pursuits."
- Pam Schnatterly, Founder/Owner, Chatterbox Theater Company

• Teacher-led group check-in's and warm ups
• Lots of improvisation and fun theater games & exercises
• Group reinforcement to close out each class
• Mask making to inspire creativity and nonverbal communication, which also provides kids who may be shy or quiet with another vehicle to share their feelings and emotions
• Shakespeare – Age-appropriate group text work, monologues and scene study
• Family viewing days – opportunities for the students to show friends and family what they’ve been working on without a lot of “theatrical” pressures. 
• At Chatterbox, it’s just about the kids and their growth and work.  It’s not about costumes, make-up, distracting lights or that 4th wall between performer and audience

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Shakespeare?  With kids?  YES!

We primarily use (but certainly do not limit to!) Shakespeare as playwright of choice for text selection.  His words and works challenge and inspire at every level.  Shakespeare provides: 

• Extraordinary story lines that captivate even 4 year olds 
• Powerful, compelling & complex characters that have stood the test of time providing actors with some of the most challenging, yet rewarding experiences
• Language that prompts active exploration into the power of words as readers, writers, speakers, listeners and actors
• The illumination of the human experience.  When you cannot find words to express how you feel, Shakespeare can give you those words
• Relevant “timeless” themes for modern times (Love, treachery, honor, bravery, political intrigue, racism…) that resonate today