The Emerald City is now home to a vibrant new hub for young artists with the grand opening of the Emerald City Drama Club (ECDC). Founded with the mission to provide a safe, empowering, and inspired environment for young artists to learn and collaborate, ECDC promises to be a space where students are encouraged to explore their imaginations, speak their minds, and find new and exciting ways to express themselves through the arts.

The philosophy of ECDC centers around the importance of play as essential to the creative process. The club emphasizes engaging with activities simply because they bring joy, focusing on the journey of creation rather than the pressure of a perfect final product. ECDC also encourages exploration, highlighting how trying new things can spark creative passion, inspire new ideas, and help young people discover more about themselves and connect with others3. Furthermore, creativity is championed as a means to think beyond the present and imagine a better world, with ECDC providing a safe space for young artists to practice making their ideas a reality, embracing both successes and mistakes4.

Leading this exciting new venture is Jessie Kuehm, the Owner, Creative Director, and Teaching Artist. A lifelong artist with a background in community theatre and musical theatre training from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in NYC Jessie brings nearly a decade of experience working with K-12 performers. Her expertise spans directing, choreography, audition coaching, and music theory instruction. Prior to launching ECDC, Jessie developed and taught the music curriculum for K-5 afterschool programs and worked with younger children. She also served as the Education Director of Mode Music and Performing Arts, where she spearheaded the return of students to the studio with a variety of classes and camps and partnered with Creative Advantage to provide a new Drama Club elective in schools.

Emerald City Drama Club offers a range of services including studio classes and summer camps. They also provide audition coaching and may offer a workshop series. Parents of students who have worked with Jessie in the past speak highly of her abilities.

One parent described Jessie as "AMAZING" and noted that their child "had the best time". Another parent called Jessie a "magical unicorn of a teacher and human!" praising her ability to bring together individual ideas to create a cohesive product and offering a "‘something for everyone’ approach" that allowed even shy students to contribute.

A third parent expressed feeling "so lucky" to have been part of an experience with Jessie, highlighting her talent and teaching skills in exposing their son to another kind of creative expression.

The Emerald City Drama Club is located at 4455 California Ave SW Seattle, WA 98116. In addition to Jessie, the club also welcomes Juno, the Welcoming Committee President.

With its strong mission, experienced leadership, and a supportive philosophy, Emerald City Drama Club is poised to become a significant and enriching part of Seattle's arts community for young people. Those interested in receiving news and updates can sign up with their email address.

Founder Jessie Selleck Kuehm said, "We've been hard at work getting our studio space ready to open for a variety of performing arts classes and camps for ages K-8. We've got acting, music, mindfulness, Dungeons & Dragons, and more.

Spring 2025 studio classes are designed for middle school students, and our lineup of Summer Camps will keep K-5 kids entertained all Summer long.

We can't wait to open our doors to the awesome, creative, passionate community of young artists here in West Seattle."

Registration is OPEN NOW! Check out ec-dc.org for details.