Script Analysis:
Students will learn the basic skills of breaking down a script in order to; one: find a deep understanding of the play in order to reveal its secret to the audience; two: find a truthful experience of the characters; and three: explore the contemporary structures and challenges of the different forms of Realism. Specific attention will be consistently applied to the basics of Theme, Circumstances (Immediate and Larger), Past, Class Distinction, Environment, Facts and Plotline, Conflict, Objectives, Obstacles, Beats, Character Arc, Action. These skills will be applied to stage, television, and film scripts.
Scene Study - Contemporary:
In this course, the actor will further explore contemporary texts, with particular emphasis on behavioral and character choices. The actor will rehearse scenes focusing on the rhythm, relationships and the playwright’s intentions with regard to the structure of the piece as a whole. The intention of this class is to encourage the student to make strong and intelligent choices based on character and environmental research and gain greater insight into the dramatic potential within scripts specifically written for television and film.
Scene Study - Classical:
In this class, students examine different scenes from classical dramatic literature each week. The class begins with an introductory lecture on a particular period of history, which is then followed by scene study assignments from different texts of that period. Students will explore the ancient Greeks, the Jacobean period, Shakespeare, Restoration comedy, the fathers of modern naturalism, Strindberg, Ibsen and Chekhov, and English and French classics of the last century. On Camera-Fundamentals:
This course provides the actor with the basic technical requirements of acting in front of the camera. Emphasis is placed on understanding how the camera works in a studio environment and on location, how the dialogue is filmed, the editing process, and how the actor can most effectively work with the director on analyzing the arc of a scene from a technical viewpoint.
Sitcom Acting:
Following the on camera fundamentals of practical technique, the student starts to apply these principles to incorporate character and dramatic situation. Contemporary film and television scripts are read and particular scenes chosen for production in front of the camera in a studio environment. The goal is to provide the student with enough knowledge, understanding and technique to create truthful characters in imaginary circumstances in the highly technical environment of a film or television location or studio. Commercial Acting:
This course explores all aspects of commercial acting from audition to performance in front of the camera. Current commercial copy is used as students learn how to slate, cold read, present a prepared audition, follow direction and perform commercials in our television studio. Students audition for commercials that are either currently on television or being cast, watch the result on our professional monitors, and are given feedback and critique from the instructor. Business of Acting:
This is a comprehensive review of how an actor deals with the business side of the profession. From how to prepare a resume, how to get the best headshots, how to use the social networks to build industry contacts, how to find out about upcoming casting and how obtain the various union memberships; all these subjects are explored. Financial planning, tax preparation and agent/manager relationships are also part of this course. Theatre History:
This is a course on the history of world drama from its inception through the classic periods of dramatic literature to the present day. Students will read a selection of plays from each period and discuss the historical and political context, achieve a perspective of dramatic and comedic styles and examine the job of an actor in interpreting the text while developing a sense of period style. Comparing and contrasting these plays will give the student a wide range of intellectual psychological and emotional understanding of how the playwright and actor can truly contribute to one another in the realization of the creative process of designing work for the stage.
Voice III:
Prerequisite: Voice II. This course continues the exploration of the student’s application of breath, tone, and articulation exercises. Through a series of specifically chosen scenes for each student, the rhythm and vocal color and tone of the text is developed to inform individual character development. Vocal rhythm, pitch and pronunciation are key elements in this class. Voice IV:
Prerequisite: Voice III. The encapsulation of all the vocal and breathing techniques studied up to this point will be applied to practical performance. Monologues and scenes which have particular vocal demands will be assigned, rehearsed and presented at the end of the trimester. Vocal Performance:
This course will explore the drama within the music, be it opera/classical, musical theater, pop, jazz, or any other style. Translations (i.e. if it is in another language), subtext, and a monologue of the lyrics will be used to fully understand the expression and character, both in the text and in the musical accompaniment. The class will learn a vocabulary of tools that will assist in discovering the musical goal and a deeper dimension of character in all selections. The objective is to prepare the student with a diverse repertoire list that may be used for a variety of different types of musical auditions.
Mask:
Through the wearing of different masks, the student will improvise on characters and situations to release inhibition and stimulate imagination. Text and methods are drawn from a wide variety of sources including Greek drama and Grotowski. The goal of this class is to broaden and deepen the actor’s interpretation of the emotional and physical life of the characters within a dramatic story.
Swing Dance Technique:
Focuses on partner dance styles of the 1920's, '30's, and '40's to improve timing, teamwork, and technique, challenging actors with another dimension of movement
