YEAR ONE
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Acting Technique I
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Students will be introduced to and practice the tools necessary to hone and focus their acting skills when they do not have a scene partner on which to rely. Students will work on monologues from theatre and film sources that will help them learn how to command attention at auditions and professional performances.
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Acting for Film I
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Acting for Film provides students with an environment to facilitate confidence and familiarity with acting in front of the camera. The primary emphasis of the class is the technical requirements and practice of film acting, including learning to adjust the performance for specific shot size, finding the arc of the character and learning to maintain the integrity of the script while shooting out of sequence. Film set terminology and etiquette will also be addressed.
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Meisner I
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This class is an introduction to the acting approach formulated by the late Sanford Meisner. Largely based on listening and observation, the Meisner technique helps actors to act and react truthfully by being grounded in the reality of the moment.
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Voice and Movement I
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In the “Voice” segment of this course, students learn to access the natural voice through relaxation exercises designed to improve alignment and alleviate habitual tension. During the “Movement” portion, students increase the access and involvement of their body in acting work and experiment with different ways of becoming physically “present” in their work. Elements of various approaches are taught, including Modern Dance, Yoga, Alexander Technique, and Laban Movement.
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Speech I
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In this introductory class, students work with basic elements of speech, such as anatomical awareness, use of the articulators, and operative words in text according to the principles of Skinner and Knight-Thompson speech work. Students will be introduced to the history and context of the General American Dialect as well as the International Phonetic Alphabet.
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Film Craft
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An exploration of filmmaking that includes classes in: directing, cinematography, producing, screenwriting, and editing. Learning the roles of all the players on a film set dramatically increases the actor’s ability to collaborate with filmmakers in developing dynamic performances. Students will participate in an in-class shoot, utilizing skills gained in the course.
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Improvisation I
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In order to truly be effective actors, students must learn how to skillfully nurture their instincts and freely release their creative impulses. Through a variety of exercises designed to help cast off inhibitions, actors experiment with the group dynamics and individual expression vital to vibrant and truthful performances.
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Intro to Audition Technique
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Students will learn about the etiquette, practice, and procedure of the audition structure along with techniques to effectively deliver successful audition performances. Students will work with variety of sides from commercial to TV Series Regular.
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Shakespeare
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Students are exposed to a historical perspective of the writings of William Shakespeare to better understand these classic works of theatre. In order to gain a better appreciation of this master playwright, text analysis will be done using a variety of approaches including sounding and poetic and rhetorical devices.
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Text in Action
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This course teaches the core skills necessary for maintaining the integrity of a performance while shooting out of sequence. Students examine contemporary playwrights and screenwriters, examining plot structure and extracting given circumstances, and learn to utilize these fundamental tools for rehearsal and performance.
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Dialect Training (Year-Round)
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In year-round optional work sessions, actors can study a General American Dialect, practice IPA work, and delve into the art of dialects.
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Performance Analysis I
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Students will view and participate in discussion of pivotal film performances to develop an appreciation and technical understanding of the methods, choices, and the effects of various styles of acting. This course seeks to develop the ability to assess and draw key lessons from viewing the work of master actors in key film performances.
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Scene Study
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Students learn to break scenes down into units or “beats”, identify and develop the arc of the scenes, and develop awareness of the evolution of scenes from moment to moment. Students will have the chance to incorporate the skills learned in this class, as well as the various disciplines covered in the first semester, into a taped live presentation of a scene at the end of the semester.
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Acting for Film II
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Students apply the training learned in semester one to in-class exercises. On a weekly basis, they will prepare a script and digitally tape the scene. Scenes will be screened for critique in class looking at what worked and what did not. The class culminates in a four-day shoot on location with a five-member production team.
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Meisner II
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A continuation of Meisner I, students learn to apply “moment-to-moment” work to characters outside of their own experience. Through further practice of acting techniques developed in semester one, students continue to refine their toolbox of choices available to them for their work on increasingly complex material in other classes. The class culminates in a public demonstration of Meisner work in scenes.
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Voice and Movement II
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In this continuation of their work during first semester, students will focus on using the techniques learned in Voice and Movement I and continue with ever more demanding physical work designed to heighten performances.
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Improvisation II
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Following the semester one course, Improvisation II encourages students to skillfully nurture their instincts and freely release their creative impulses through a variety of individual and group exercises. Students work through the evolution of short form improvisational exercises into long form scenes. The class culminates in a public performance at the end of the second semester.
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Combat for Film
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This course covers the fundamental principals of unarmed film combat. With emphasis on safety, students will learn a basic vocabulary of slaps, punches, kicks, hair pulls, rolls, and other fight related illusions. Angles for camera viability are learned, allowing each student to know how best to enact a safe and effective moment of physical violence for screen. Exercises are filmed and critiqued in class.
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Performance Analysis II
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A continuation of Performance Analysis I, students view and participate in discussion of pivotal film performances and develop an appreciation and technical understanding of the methods, choices, and effects of various styles of acting. This course offers an in-depth look at a series of film performances, each of which is viewed and becomes a common reference point and teaching example of significant and quality work.
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The Business of Acting
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Instructors assist students in understanding current trends in headshots, resumes, representation, reels, and casting. Students learn about the different unions and their respective histories. Students are exposed to marketing skills, tools necessary for securing interviews with casting directors and agents, and proper etiquette for dealing with industry professionals during the audition and interview process.
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Acting for Television
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Introduces students to skills and techniques necessary for translating performance from single-camera production to multi-camera production. Students focus on performing two basic three-camera television genres, Daytime Dramas and Sitcoms, and study an overview of the histories of the two formats. They learn the preproduction process including individual preparation, rehearsal, and last minute script or blocking changes, and experience the speed that is part of television production. Each student will perform in at least two scenes from each genre, supplement the technical crew in production duties, and act as background extras or under-fives.
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YEAR TWO
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Advanced Acting Technique I
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Students utilize text, image, observation, and personal history as material to inspire emotional recall and sense memory. This is applied to exercises and prepared etudes. In exercises, we refine the student’s ability to work in a relaxed state, using a high level of concentration and a flowing imagination. Students will develop the ability to articulate their observations – collectively in class as well as in outside assigned tasks – using a rich and specific verbal and physical vocabulary, and establish and expand the identification, comprehension, and utilization of all of the given circumstances of a character and its story.
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Stage to Screen I
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In the first part of the Stage to Screen series, actors will work on challenging material and will be expected to break down and analyze scripts for performance. Students will be directed in an adaptation of a classic play that will be presented at the end of the semester. The characters developed by the students in Stage to Screen I will be adapted and performed for the camera in Stage to Screen II, allowing students to get the specific experience of modifying a performance and comparing preparation methods between the two formats, stage and screen. Stage to Screen I culminates in a performance of the play at the end of the semester.
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Acting for Camera I
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In Acting for the Camera I, students refine the skills and techniques necessary to master the specific needs of Daytime Drama and Situation Comedy. Students look at the history and evolution to current style, structure, and function, as well as how the particular demands of each of these television formats affects the actors. We establish a technique for analyzing text and a method to approach characterization.
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Character Study
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The objective of this course is for the student to learn a variety of practical vocal, physical, and psycho/emotional techniques which he/she can use in the transformation from their everyday self into a creation of an invented self; a unique theatrical creation and one with distinctive traits that are forged from personal experience, observation, imagination, and textual interpretation of the play. In addition, other goals of this course are: to inspire students to work toward achieving personal excellence in mastery of craft techniques; to increase their respect of acting as a noble craft and a form of creative self-expression through its application to film and theatre arts; to gain further knowledge of acting history and its heritage as a noble profession and craft; to awaken their sensibilities as artists; and to teach students to adhere to a higher standard of professionalism in their approach to study and work.
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Physical Characterization
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In this course students explore the fundamentals of inhabiting character through the lens of movement, physical choices, and how the body informs character creation. Students work on body leads, exploration of movement and personal physical habits, physical development of character, and physical sequencing. Students study the masters of French physical performance and the major stars of the silent era as well as being introduced to Commedia Dell’Arte and Noh Theatre techniques.
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Physical Theatre
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Students investigate an organic, physical approach to acting that relies on the body and its physical impulses as the main source of creation. Students gain control and flexibility through movement and interpretation of drama through a juxtaposition of physical choices, sound, music, rhythm, light, and text. Students will also develop a methodology for examining and analyzing theatrical texts as a foundation for developing believable characterizations; gain sensitivity toward heightened poetic language and its capacity to reveal thought as well as provide audible rhythm and texture to a presentation; document, interpret, and analyze a variety of theatrical methods; and develop a means for communicating critical appraisals of acting styles and methods of presentation. Students will be required to develop and present a minimum of one individually developed performance project as well as an ensemble-based theatrical work to be presented publicly.
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Advanced Movement
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Students apply the foundational skills acquired during previous movement classes, towards creating deeper body awareness with modalities such as Yoga, Pilates, and Alexander technique practice as well as Viewpoints and Suzuki work. Students will create non-verbal performance and improvisations using the Laban Technique and its elements.
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Advanced Voice
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Students will look at their acting habits in breathing, physical tension, gestural habits, and vocal habits, and develop their own vocal warm-ups specific to their needs. The class will explore breath support and control, the use of breath to release emotions, and vocalizing heightened emotions such as screaming and singing. The student will continue to improve their articulation work and maintain habits in order to keep their voice healthy.
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Advanced Acting Technique II
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Using the teachings of Konstantin Stanislavsky and Viola Spolin, students participate in scene work exercises that focus on freeing the actor from habit and inhibition. This includes an exploration of the imaginative and physical space informed by the fully expressed given circumstances of the text. Students continue work on Stanislavsky’s “Circles of Concentration” via the work of Anton Chekhov’s plays and other classic works.
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Stage to Screen II
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In Stage to Screen II, characters developed by the students in Stage to Screen I will be adapted and performed for the camera, allowing students to get the specific experience of modifying a performance and comparing preparation methods between the two formats. Students will then be challenged with the task of not only collaborating on a film, but in calibrating their performance to a size appropriate for the screen. Stage to Screen II will culminate with a screening of the final film at semester’s end.
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Acting for the Camera II
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Students prepare for auditions, learning to grasp the subtle differences that define the stylistic differences that exist between one Soap Opera and another, or one Sit-com and another. Class discussions center on the differences between extras, under fives, day players, and contract roles, as well as learning on-set decorum, contract and union issues, and functions of creative and technical staff.
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Advanced Speech/Dialect
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This course provides in-depth, advanced lessons in Standard American speech, and the development of dialect for work on character. Students solidify their understanding of IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet), develop skills in Standard American English and General British speech, review transcription of speech into IPA, approach dialects through lessons in pitch and vowel usage, and use character development techniques, research, IPA and audio recordings to develop dialect for a character or role.
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Advanced Combat
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Students increase their skill set in creating believable violent actions that either further the story line or highlight the characters while maintaining the safety of the actors and crew. Students will safely execute the most common fight moves used in film today and demonstrate the ability to maintain character throughout a physical scene. The course culminates in a professionally shot mini-fight sequence to be edited and shown as a complete film sequence.
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Jazz and Theatre Dance
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This course is designed to introduce the actor to dance as a means to enhance their body of knowledge and physical skill set in movement through forms of theatrical dance. Curriculum may include ballet, jazz, modern, ballroom, or a combination of forms. The focus is to gain a deeper understanding and awareness of the body, especially as it relates to communicating energy, specificity, and precision. Students learn greater flexibility, physical articulation, and how to match breath with movement as well as storytelling through movement and choreography.
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Voiceover
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This class introduces students to the world of voice-over acting: describing the various job opportunities available, the language that is specific to this arena, and the variety of voice-over areas and their subsets. Students review provided copy and audition without much preparation time as well as learn how to prepare a role over a longer period. Students learn how to make choices with the written material, learn how to use their voice in different ways with vocal techniques and acting techniques, and learn how to approach the audition situation. Students will also prepare to create a demo to solicit voiceover work.
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Mask
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This course is a study and practice in imagination and playfulness. Students will be introduced to mask work. The mask replaces your self-image in your physical psychology. It replaces pedestrian images of oneself with stronger, more freeing images. Masks “clean the house”. They break through the actor’s judgmental mind and create an opening for inspiration and imagination. Actors explore changes in physical and vocal identity to that of the character suggested by a mask. The work involves moving, improvising, dancing, and working with a mirror to inspire character evolution. This work fosters a connection to the actor’s impulse and encourages risk-taking through extreme physical and vocal choices.
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Clown
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Clowning is a state of playfulness that brings us to experience a child-like, naïve, and vulnerable state of being. Paradoxically we grow, learn, and are strengthened through reconnecting playfully with what makes us most vulnerable. This approach to clowning is not a technique (tricks, gags, and routines) but a personal journey towards finding one’s own unique way of being a clown, by listening and being receptive, essential skills for any creative and imaginative expression. It is only when we let go of our control over things that we begin to be surprised by the depth of what reveals itself to us. This class moves into character-based clowning work where the actor gets in touch with his/her primal self by stripping away layers of social conditioning. Students find their personal sense of humor as they knock down their walls of inhibition, and will create sketches and performances for their clown.
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Advanced Audition Technique
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Students will develop an understanding of themselves as “a product” and how to situate themselves in the business. Students will be able to honestly assess their “types” and feel equipped to make use of reading techniques and monologue performance techniques designed to give stronger auditions. The course includes a review of industry structure and different working opportunities for actors, including on-camera TV audition (cold-read) with playback and critique. Students will critique resumes, find auditions, review latest trends in casting as well as review the process of submitting for roles, cold-reading, and the roles of the casting director, manager, agent etc.
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