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In-person Specialized Workshops
programme Dates
January 3 to 29, 2023
Arrival: Monday, January 2 Departure: Monday, January 30
Tuition Fees
$4,875 USD
Early payment discount: Pay the full tuition by October 15 and save $600.
The Center for Actor Training typically offers a variety of specialized workshops throughout the year exploring a full range of disciplines including rhetoric, wit, clown, fight, voice, movement, public speaking, and more. Go here details on our online programming.
The Self and the Speech
Dive into the rich tapestry of human identity in “The Self and the Speech.” This unique course places a spotlight on the parts of ourselves we often hide from the world, using Shakespeare’s language and imagery as our guide. Explore themes of self-discovery, self-expression, and the intricate interplay between public persona and private self. Delve deep into the world of Shakespeare and embrace the transformative power of his words as you unravel the intricacies of your own identity. This course is open to all, and members of the LGBTQIA+ community particularly encouraged to attend.
DATES: November 20 to December 11, 2023
SCHEDULE: Mondays, 6:30pm to 9:30pm
TUITION: $275 USD
LOCATION: Brooklyn, NY
FACULTY: Andrew Borthwick-Leslie (he/him)
Click here to apply.
Scholarships available for People of the Global Majority/BIPOC artists. Alumni and union discounts also available.
Clowning for Actors: An Exploration of Glorious Failures and Epic Imbalances. (Being funny is not a requirement).
Throughout history, the Clown has played a vital role in our communities. Cross-culturally, the Clown has been looked to in order to reveal what is most human about us all and asks us to laugh about it. In these three days, actors will explore what is most human about themselves–revealing it and celebrating it publicly. This is a workshop in Clowning, an exploration of the Red Nose, Play, Complicity and how each of these are vital to the actor’s training.
DATES: December 1 through 3, 2023
SCHEDULE: Friday, 7 pm to 10 pm; Saturday, 10 am to 7 pm; Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm
TUITION: $385 USD
LOCATION: Shakespeare & Company, Lenox Mass.
HOUSING: Single occupancy dorm rooms available for $50 per night
TEACHER: Michael F. Toomey (he/him)
Scholarships available for People of the Global Majority/BIPOC artists. Alumni and union discounts also available.
Click here to apply.
The Art of the Audition
Actors know that auditions are a specific skill in themselves, and that having a strong audition is half the battle to getting that job. Whether you want to dust off an old piece, have a new monologue you’d like to hone, or even if you are new to auditioning, this workshop is for you. Come spend the day with Shakespeare & Company Artistic Director Allyn Burrows and a group of fellow actors to craft two of your next audition pieces. This workshop will include practical feedback on your own work and valuable insight into the business of casting.
DATES: March 23, 2024
SCHEDULE: 10 am to 6:30pm
TUITION: $250 USD
LOCATION: NYC (Mid-town Manhattan)
TEACHER: Allyn Burrows (he/him)
Scholarships available for People of the Global Majority/BIPOC artists. Alumni and union discounts also available.
Click here to apply.
Tuning Your Instrument
Just as a musician needs to tune their instrument, an actor must tune their body and voice. This two-day special workshop is a deep dive into Linklater Voice and Pure Movement practices to help you strengthen the connection to your instrument, and to develop an open channel for breath, sound and physical expression. This workshop is a great addition for those taking our Lenox weekend Intensive and a way for those familiar with the voice and body work to revisit the practices. All levels welcome.
DATES: TBD
SCHEDULE: 10:30 am to 4:30 pm each day
TUITION: $200 USD**
LOCATION: Shakespeare & Company, Lenox Mass.
HOUSING: Single occupancy dorm rooms available for $50 per night
FACULTY: Sheila Bandyopadhyay (she/her) and Ariel Bock (she/her)
**Discounted tuition of $150 available for those also registered for the Lenox Weekend Intensive, dates TBD.
PLEASE NOTE: For all in-person workshops, all participants and workshop staff are required to have completed a COVID-19 vaccine regimen (including a booster shot) and will be tested on-site for COVID-19.
Course Gallery
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You will study...
.01 Linklater Voice
The full progression of Kristin Linklater’s approach to voice training for actors is taught during the four weeks by Designated Linklater voice teachers. In addition to daily classes in Linklater, voice teachers regularly join in text classes and offer specialized classes to help participants integrate the voice work into their scenes.
.02 Movement
The movement progression includes Pure Movement (Swings), Alexander Technique, physical expressivity, and dance. Participants will be guided through exercises to promote awareness of (and release from) habitual body tension, sensitivity to impulse, dynamic physical presence and stamina, delight in moving with passion and precision, and ensemble.
.03 Text Work
Basics introduces the actor to a text approach which demands an open and personal commitment to thought, word, and gesture. Basics evolves into scene work, first through Dropping In (an approach to experiencing the text on a word-by-word basis) and into text analysis and detailed scene work. Classes in Sonnet and Structure of the Verse round out the text progression, allowing actors to merge their personal connection with the form of Shakespeare’s language.
.04 Actor/Audience Relationship
The participant is invited to explore the Elizabethan world of Actor/Audience Relationship—a theatrical reality without a fourth wall, in which the immediate energy of the audience fuels the actor to reveal a deeper level of truth and experience, which in turns enkindles the audience’s ability to receive Shakespeare’s language.
.05 Clown & Stage Fight
The participant is invited to explore the Elizabethan world of Actor/Audience Relationship—a theatrical reality without a fourth wall, in which the immediate energy of the audience fuels the actor to reveal a deeper level of truth and experience, which in turns enkindles the audience’s ability to receive Shakespeare’s language.
Tuition
A limited number of scholarships are available for People of the Global Majority/BIPOC artists from the Dennis Krausnick Fellowship Fund. Contact us for more information.
You will learn:
- A deeper connection of the body and voice when acting on stage
- Confidence to be fully present on stage when speaking Shakespeare's language
- An understanding of the forms and structures that support the actor’s emotional, visceral and cognitive imagination
- The skills necessary to authentically deliver Shakespeare’s language with accuracy, specificity, and clarity of thought
- A renewed trust in yourself as a theatre artist
