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Rooted in Coos County, Oregon, Acting Up works to ensure every child has a place to express, connect, and grow into their fullest potential.
Acting Up isn't just an acting class.
It's where kids build confidence, teamwork, and emotional skills - all while developing real communication presence and self advocacy.
Our After School Program blends acting, creative expression, and social emotional learning.
Kids ages 6-14 step into a structured environment where they gain confidence, advanced communication skills, and leadership capacity.
Meet the Owner
I’ve spent most of my adult life working with kids - in classrooms, workshops, theaters, and community programs. I’ve taught drama at Lighthouse School, led youth programs across Coos County, and worked with hundreds of kids who needed a place to express themselves, understand their emotions, and grow at their own pace.
No matter where I’m teaching, I always see the same truth: when kids are given room to explore their voice in a supportive environment, they become more confident, grounded, and capable.
My background is a blend of acting, youth mentorship, social emotional learning, radio, filmmaking, and audio storytelling. I’ve spent years in professional radio and audio production, narrating children’s audiobooks and producing stories designed to help young listeners connect, imagine, and understand the world. Those skills - communication, clarity, presence, storytelling - show up every day in the classroom.
Acting Up wasn’t created to turn kids into performers. It was created to help them build emotional tools, communication skills, leadership, and self-advocacy long before life demands it. This program is rooted in prevention - giving kids tools before crisis, not after. Kids don’t need perfection. They need presence, guidance, and a safe space to practice being themselves.
Acting Up is that space.
A place where kids aren’t graded - they’re supported.
They’re not compared - they’re understood.
They’re not performing - they’re growing.
My goal is simple: to help every child who walks into this room feel seen, capable, and equipped for whatever their next chapter holds. - Desiree Glenn Gaoiran
Real Change, Real Impact
At Acting Up, families see more than stage practice.
They see transformation.
One parent shared that their child, who struggles with complex diagnoses, found their first real place of connection here:
"My child has been showing so much progress since joining class.
They are expressing emotions other than rage and making connections with other children they wouldn't have otherwise.
Even their therapist has been impressed with their growth."
For this family, Acting Up became the space where their child could simply be a kid - laughing, creating, and learning tools they now use everyday.
Teaching kids advanced communication, emotional intelligence, and leadership isn't extra it's the foundation of future success.
These skills are not optional anymore.
They are the difference between kids who cope and kids who excel.
Scenes From Our First Act
Acting Up is back after a short break - and we're ready to welcome new families.
Our gallery shows what makes this program special: kids building social-emotional skills, making friends, and discovering confidence through acting games, film projects, and theater activities.
These aren't just snapshots - they're proof of the laughter, growth, and connections your child can experience with us.
Recognized & Contracted
Acting Up was contracted with Coos Health & Wellness to teach healthy communication skills and conflict resolution tools to local youth. Our program was highlighted at Oregon Health Authority meetings as a model for prevention and resilience.
As one partner put it:
“This program is a much-needed service and a creative, effective approach to supporting youth.
The data showed mental health benefits and its potential to prevent costly challenges to the community overall.”
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From Our First Act
Acting Up is back after a short break - and we're ready to welcome new families.
Our gallery shows what makes this program special: kids building social-emotional skills, making friends, and discovering confidence through acting games, film projects, and theater activities.