Course Details

Victoria University Community Continuing Education

Level 2, Rutherford House, 23 Lambton Quay, Wellington City

More Than 1 Week
6:00pm - 8:00pm Ten-week workshop

Explore the exciting world of theatre in this introductory workshop series designed for the actor in all of us. Over ten weeks you will be guided in developing a strong foundation of acting skills, and explore acting through exercises that focus on concentration, ensemble technique, voice and body work, script analysis and character development. Students will develop an organised approach to the acting process which will equip them in making strong, clear choices, fulfilling the playwright's intentions in the boldest, most skilful, and imaginative ways. Students will perform one monologue and one brief, two-person scene.

Target Audience:
This course is an excellent introduction to theatre for the new actor, regardless of age, background or gender.

Learning Objectives:
By the end of this course students will have learned basic vocal warm-ups, how to break apart and analyse scripts, engage the imagination, explore physical and emotional states, and practice improvisations to develop their own personal crafts of acting.
Students will be instructed in basic Meisner (repetition) exercises, viewpoints (kinaesthetic response) movement, and Practical Aesthetics acting technique as taught and practiced by David Mamet and The Atlantic Theatre, New York.

Course Outline:
Week 1
Introductions. Ensemble exercises. Doing vs. Being. Trust exercises. Goals. Overcoming obstacles. Introduction of Viewpoints. Homework: read play (TBA).
Week 2
Vocal warm-up. Resonating. Focus. Discuss Protagonist/Antagonist. Through-lines. Chair work. Homework: read Bella's notes on Practical Aesthetics.
Week 3
Vocal warm-ups. Viewpoints. Tactics. Discuss Bella's notes. Concentration. Putting your focus on the other. Vulnerability. Script Analysis. Creating a biography. Introduce Meisner repetition. Homework: create biography for one of the character's from the play. Find a monologue.
Week 4
Vocal warm-ups, Viewpoints on grid, Mirror Exercise, Meisner Repetition, discuss biographies. Listen to monologues.
Week 5:
Energy Circle, Vocal warm-ups, continue with Meisner, more script analysis, three-moment game, standing repetition, repetition on behaviour, beats, beat changes, tactics. Perform monologues. Homework: find a short, two-person scene.
Week 6:
Physical and vocal warm-ups, improvisations, Meisner, Viewpoints.
Week 7:
Vocal warm-ups, Improvisations, continue Meisner, continue Viewpoints. Explore tactics. Three-step: literal, want, action.
Week 8:
Vocal warm-up, repetition through action, Circle Stories, discuss scenes.
Week 9:
Scene work.
Week 10:
Scene work.

Course Format:
This ten-week workshop will meet one evening per week for a two hour session.

Class Limit:
This course is limited to a maximum of 16 participants.
Places are limited so please enrol early.

Schedule:
Wednesday, 2 March 2011 6:00pm - 8:00pm Workshop
Wednesday, 9 March 2011 6:00pm - 8:00pm Workshop
Wednesday, 16 March 2011 6:00pm - 8:00pm Workshop
Wednesday, 23 March 2011 6:00pm - 8:00pm Workshop
Wednesday, 30 March 2011 6:00pm - 8:00pm Workshop
Wednesday, 6 April 2011 6:00pm - 8:00pm Workshop
Wednesday, 13 April 2011 6:00pm - 8:00pm Workshop
Wednesday, 20 April 2011 6:00pm - 8:00pm Workshop
Wednesday, 27 April 2011 6:00pm - 8:00pm Workshop
Wednesday, 4 May 2011 6:00pm - 8:00pm Workshop

Kerry Glamsch spent the last seven years as a professor of theatre at the University of South Florida, Tampa. In 2008-2009, he spent nine months as a Fulbright scholar at the University of Craiova, Romania, and led acting workshops at the National Theatre in Bucharest. In addition to teaching and directing, Kerry has performed in dozens of plays and a number of independent films. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Film Studies from Victoria where he is focusing on evolving acting methods over 80 years of cinema.