Anna Dreslinski

Meet Anna Dreslinski, Milford local and Executive Director of Renaissance Players, a program located in Farmington Hills that focuses on accessibility to theater for youth.

Anna has danced and performed almost her whole life. She experienced a significant injury in high school that left her unable to move for a time, and she fell in love with musical theater on her hiatus from dance/gymnastics. Anna then continued to study in college earning her BFA in vocal performance from Madonna University. She went on to perform professionally throughout the Midwest, most recently showing at the Goodman Theater in Chicago in “The Music Man.” Soon you can catch her at @theencoretheatre in the world premier of “A Thousand Faces”, and also starring as Tanya in “Mamma Mia” this upcoming summer.

Anna started Renaissance Players in 2014. Renaissance Academy is a homeschool group that doubles as a charter school, and the blend of programs results in a “hybrid program”. While many are familiar with these types of programs since expansion from the Covid 19 pandemic, these programs were not well known back in 2014.

Renaissance Players is focused on accessibility to the arts, and gives an opportunity to students who might not otherwise not have a ride or financial accessibility to an arts program. Her students meet only once a week for two hours during the school day, yet students put on a full scale production. To compare- typically students would meet after school, for a 4 hour rehearsal for three days a week, minimum. To say Anna’s students accomplish so much in such a short amount of time, would be an understatement. Anna’s belief in youth theater is that it should always strive to be better, never settling for “it’s just a kids show”. It’s important that the quality of the production match the effort the students put in. The quality and standards of RP creates an environment that the students take pride in.

Anna is currently working on an expansion of this program through Renaissance Academy and plans to continue bringing quality arts to students all over Michigan.

Come see the program in action May 13-15 as her students put on a production of “Fiddler on the Roof” ft. live goats!
Tickets on sale on April 8th at www.cantonvillagetheater.org.
Follow Anna: @adreslinski