THE PARK PLAYHOUSE WORKSHOP

The Capital Region’s Year-Round Acting Studio

Introduction

Park Playhouse is pleased to invite students to join this Fall’s sessions of The Park Playhouse Workshop. The Workshop is a program designed for students who are serious about becoming better actors and pursuing the theatre arts as a serious hobby, collegiate major or perhaps even a career choice. Two sessions of the workshop are offered each semester, with two age group sections per session (one for students aged 9-12, and the other for students aged 13-18, each tailored to the age group’s specific needs).

In the Fall of 2011, Park Playhouse will offer sessions titled:

The Principles of Acting Theory

and

Approaching An Audition

Instructor

This Fall, The Park Playhouse Workshop will be taught by Park Playhouse’s Producing Artistic Director, Owen Smith. Mr. Smith holds a degree in Theatre Arts from New Paltz, a University where he currently serves as an Adjunct Theatre Arts Professor. He has worked as an actor in New York, regionally and in tours across the country. Owen has directed productions at Park Playhouse (and Park Playhouse II) and other regional venues, and has also directed productions off-Broadway in New York, including the Drama-Desk nominated Underground in 2009. He will welcome several guest instructors to the workshop this Fall, including theatre artists from the area and the New York City theatre community.

Registration

Registration is open now through September 2, 2011. Please note, class size is limited to 14 students per age group. Classes will fill-up fast. Please email Shirley Arensberg, Director of Education, at  shirley@parkplayhouse.com or call her at (518) 434-2035 to reserve your space as soon as possible. Shirley will then send you your application documents to complete the registration process. This Fall’s sessions are first-come, first-served. No audition is necessary for these sessions. Students may participate in one of the sessions for a tuition of $300, or may participate in both for a discounted rate of $500. Some tuition assistance is available.

Fall Workshop Session Descriptions

The Principles of Acting Theory

Days & Dates:
Mondays & Wednesdays
September 12 through October 12, 2011

Times:
5:00 – 6:30 (9-12 Year Age Group)
7:00 – 8:30 (13-18 Year Age Group)

Where:
The Campus Arts Center at The Academy of The Holy Names
1069 New Scotland Road, Albany, NY 12208

Course Description:

You’ve taken voice & dance lessons… but what about acting? Too many students lack proper training in the fundamentals of acting, as acting technique is not widely taught in scholastic theatre programs. Developing a comprehensive acting technique is crucial to preparing for auditions, and it is crucial in ensuring you perform up to your potential on stage. Rather than just learning lines, getting on stage and “winging it,” students who complete this Park Playhouse Workshop session will walk away prepared to analyze a script, develop a realistic character, work with a Director and approach scene work with mastery. The lessons in Park Playhouse’s Principles of Acting Theory are based in the techniques of Sanford Meisner, Stanislavsky and Uta Hagen, and are tailored to be taught to students.

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Approaching An Audition

Days & Dates:
Mondays & Wednesdays
October 17 through November 9, 2011
(No class on October 31, 2011)

Times:
5:00 – 6:30 (9-12 Year Age Group)
7:00 – 8:30 (13-18 Year Age Group)

Where:
The Campus Arts Center at The Academy of The Holy Names
1069 New Scotland Road, Albany, NY 12208

Workshop Description:

You can’t play the part if you can’t get the part! Audition skills need to be developed and fostered just like vocal, dance and acting skills. This workshops session will give students the information and tools they need to present themselves confidently and professionally in any audition setting. Students will walk away from the session with a binder containing four or more songs appropriately formatted and prepared for audition purposes, as a well as a digital headshot shot by a professional photographer and a digital copy of a professionally-formatted acting resume. All materials are included in the tuition price. This workshop will also cover proper techniques for preparing monologues and preparing for dance calls.