Happy #FrontRowFriday, Encore fans! Hopefully you’ve had a chance to enjoy the gorgeous weather we’ve been having the last few days, heralding the fact that spring is near. With this in mind, today we’re delving deeper with a new spring class for our 6th-12th graders, The Actor’s Toolbox. We’ll hear from our Education Programs Manager, Madaline Langston, as well as Patrick McGee, the teaching artist for the program.
As a professional and conservatory-trained actor, I have spent years working constantly on the art of acting. While thinking of a program to assist our Encore actors, I thought about my training and which classes make sense in the development of the craft of acting.
It’s about training…
The Actor’s Toolbox series is a group of classes designed to take our Encore actors to the next level. Actors must consistently develop their instrument so they can create and sustain a believable character using their voice and body. It’s about training, strengthening the brain and body to think like an actor, and producing confidence in the choices made on stage.
Try a class and allow the process to begin.
–Madaline
Stretching is important for all actors. We must stretch our bodies before we perform. We must stretch ourselves as artists in the work that we create, and we must stretch ourselves to tell the most creative story on stage. This is why honing your skills in your actor’s toolbox is vital to the success that is accomplished on stage.
As both a teaching artist and actor, I have had the opportunity to work and train in both New York City for 12 years and a brief time in Los Angeles. I found, as an actor, the work that I did in the audition room or the rehearsal hall was the most vibrant and connected when I was also training my skills in an acting class [on my own time]. When auditioning for a Broadway show or the latest Netflix series, the nerves and self-doubts would start to creep into my audition or performance. However, when I had a strong foundation in my work like stage presence, clear objectives, and developed relationships, my work started to become more grounded and noticed by certain casting directors and directors.
Every actor has the ability to be a star…
This Spring, I am excited to revisit the actor’s toolbox as both as an actor and teaching artist. I always say I learn just as much from my students as they do from me. The class will start by developing our own star power. Every actor has the ability to be a star, but we need to develop the skills to really be seen the minute we walk out on stage or in the room. Once we tap into our stage presence, we explore how clear and concise objectives inform the scene and your work as an actor. Finally, we as actors are telling stories on stage; building relationships between the characters on stage is an important aspect of the storytelling process. I am excited to stretch this Spring and really use the classroom as a “gym for actors” in order stretch, create, and grow.
–Patrick
The Actor’s Toolbox
Have you ever wondered what’s in an Actor’s Toolbox? This four week series of classes guides the actor through the prep work and choices that lead to the development of unique and meaningful characters. Class topics will include: Stage Presence, Articulation, Objectives, and Relationship Building.
Mondays, April 1-29. 2019 (No class April 15)
Four Class Session
Times: 6:00 pm-7:00 pm
Grades 6-12
Fee: $75
Photos by Clarence Chan, Shannon McCarthy, and Alana Gibson. Blog contribution by Shannon McCarthy.