This 3-week course offers aspiring actors and singers comprehensive performance training normally reserved for collegiate students. With a curriculum that focuses on principles of acting, movement, voice, improv, and vocal performance training, the Acting Intensive is a fun and challenging program for aspiring young artists ages 15-24 with a passion for delving deeper into the craft of theater! This course will culminate with a showcase of student’s work for family and friends.
Dates and Times: July 15 - Augsut 3, 2019 Monday through Friday 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Performances: Saturday, August 3, 2019 at 7:00 p.m.
Tuition: $650
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Learning Outcomes
Intro to Mask
Through simple, fun imaginative exercises using both neutral and masquerade masks, students will discover the joy of creating story and character through physicality. The overall transformation that can be achieved with masks in this ancient art form will result in a powerful sense of discovery for actors, making this unique workshop opportunity a natural tool for effective communication and expression.
Principles of Acting
ln this class, students will learn about the process of craft and deepening their approach to acting. The importance of making choices will be stressed as well as discovering ways to remove fears that block creativity, so that the student can find confidence in their unique voice, vulnerability and vitality. Through scene work with partners, the class will begin by learning text analysis and beat-by-beat, moment-to-moment intentions, actions and objectives, before they stand the material on its feet. Stanislavsky's Five Questions will be applied as a foundation for technique in a simple, easy to understand format, helping to build a character, supporting specifics as a centerpiece to an actor's work.
Introduction to Improvisation
This class will cover the basics of creating original improvised theater. Students will learn to improvise in a believable environment, create characters, how to be present and active when listening as well as speaking, supporting your partner, and how to identify the building blocks of a scene.
Introduction to Shakespeare
Shakespeare wrote some of the most beautiful poetry in existence. His works are also filled with complex language structure, double meanings, and bawdy humor. Students will learn how to deconstruct and scan the text and mine Shakespeare's words to speak the text with ease and understanding. Students will gain a basic understanding of poetic language, metrics, and the conventions of Elizabethan English, allowing for an analysis that will provide the actor with clear actions and objectives.
Voice and Movement: Preparing the Actor the Stage
A stage actor must learn to connect to their voices and bodies in order to engage with audiences as well as fellow actors. This class introduces the student to the power contained in the voice and body through active and accessible voice, speech, and movement workouts that will provide the technique required to be a present and powerful actor.
Vocal Performance
The exigencies of musical theatre can be the most demanding of all performance genres. This course will teach students proper vocal technique and breath control that serve as the foundation for musical performance. Using musical theatre song students will learn basic elements of music theory, song analysis, phrasing, dynamics, and relationship communication.
Brian McDonald
Brian McDonald is an award-winning actor, director, and educator. He appeared in the National Tours of Miss Saigon and Forever Plaid. Regionally, he appeared on the stages of the Denver Center, Theatre Virginia, The Lyric Stage, La Miranda performing Arts Center, Ensemble Theatre Company, Pasadena Playhouse, Thousand Oaks Performing Arts Center and the Ahmanson. As an actor, Brian was honored with many awards, including the Ventura Mayors’ Award for Emerging Artist, LA Weekly’s Best Supporting Actor Award and an Independent Award for his performance in the one-man-show, Buyer and Cellar. Brian also directed for various regional theaters including 7 Angels Theatre Company, Saratoga Performing Arts Center, and Rubicon Theatre Company. For Rubicon, Brian directed the critically acclaimed world premiere of A Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, A Tuna Christmas, The Sunset Limited (with Joe Spano and Tucker Smallwood), Bus Stop (5 Ovation nominations including Best Play), MASTER HAROLD… and the boys (nominated for 3 Ovation awards Including Best Play) and the World Premiere musical, Hello! My Baby, written and conceived by Tony-nominated, Emmy, and Golden Globe winner, Cheri Steinkellner. He also conceived and directed the critically acclaimed holiday musical review, A Rubicon Family Christmas. His work as a director has earned him an Independent Award and StageScene LA Award for Best Director. Brian served as Associate Artistic Director and the Director of Education and Outreach at Rubicon Theatre Company since 2002. He is the founder and program director of Rubicon's Summer Youth Performance Program which offers theatre training intensives in acting, musical theatre, drama, Shakespeare and technical theatre.
Michael Bernard
Michael Bernard spent 10 years as the Associate Artistic Director of The 52nd Street Project, a nationally recognized theater company that creates original theater with kids from Hell’s Kitchen New York City and theater professionals. At UCB NYC Michael directed a few shows including "The Chipperton Family Vocaltainers Shooby Dooby Dooby Hour" which was an official selection of The HBO Comedy Festival in Aspen. He has also written for Disney, Nickelodeon, Henson Productions, Nick at Nite, DC Comics, Showtime, Spike TV, The Sundance Channel, Noggin, WE, MTV, VH1 and some commercials you probably fast forwarded past. Since moving to California in 2009 he has performed in LA with "Immediate Theater" an improv company made of of ex members of Second City and The Groundlings. He also serves as the Artistic Director of Elements Theater. Michael teaches Theater at UCSB and SBCC.
Allison Lewis-Towbes
Allison Lewis-Towbes is thrilled to join the staff of ETC’s Young Actors Conservatory. A Santa Barbara-raised, New York-based actor, producer and teaching artist, Lewis-Towbes is a graduate of Northwestern University, BS Theatre. She studied voice and movement at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts Acting Shakespeare Program in London, and trained in circus through The Actors Gym in Evanston, IL. Her work as a performer has been seen in New York, Chicago, Providence, and London. As a teaching artist, Allison has worked with young performers in the Santa Barbara and Los Angeles areas through organizations like Stage Left Productions (Santa Barbara), The Miracle Project, and Deborah Lemen Acting Studio (Los Angeles). A founding company member and Associate Producer for Santa Barbara’s own On The Verge Summer Repertory festival, Allison is passionate about creating accessible theatre and telling community-oriented stories.