The Classes
At the Summer Acting Camp, your child will take 6 different classes every day! Students are grouped by age into small group cohorts of 10-12 students. Students take each of their classes within their cohort - there's no mixing of cohorts this year (click HERE for our COVID protocols). Each of the classes that your child will take daily have been restructured to allow three feet of distance at all times and are outlined below.
ACTING
This class is designed to give students the fundamental building blocks for creating a character using the text and their imagination. In teaching the essential elements of acting, a diverse set of performance games are played to reinforce important ideas. As they move from text analysis to final rehearsals, emphasis is placed on spontaneity and creativity while maintaining focus and attention.
IMPROVISATION
One of our most popular classes, this course teaches the students the fundamental principles behind improvisation. Designed to provide the students with a solid foundation in standard "improv" games, the curriculum focuses heavily on imagination, creativity and "impulse dialogue". Students are strongly encouraged to free associate ideas and words while avoiding excessive analyzing of improvisational situations.
STAGE COMBAT
Beginning with "hand-to-hand" combat, this class gives the student a safe and reliable set of combat techniques for use on stage and in front of the camera. As the class progresses, more advanced concepts are outlined with older students studying a variety of armed maneuvers involving rapier, cutlass and broadsword. Deliberate attention is paid to safety, proper rehearsal methods and adequate preparation.
MAGIC
With this class, students are given a backstage pass into the secret world of magicians. Focusing solely on "sleight-of-hand", participants in this workshop are taught three incredibly deceptive yet simple effects. Emphasis is placed on helping students with devising effective "patter" (or dialogue) when creating and presenting their routine. Students are also given a brief history of each effect.
STAGECRAFT
In this class, students are given a chance to explore the inner workings of technical theatre like no other acting camp! With state-of-the-art lighting and sound systems, the Summer Acting Camp is the perfect "technical laboratory" for students to learn how live theatre is created. Included in the course are demonstrations on lighting (including a new unit on LED lighting), sound, fly systems, scrims, cycs and special effects.
MUSICAL THEATRE
This class offers students an opportunity to jump into the thrilling world of musical theatre with in-depth explorations of Broadway blockbusters like Hamilton, Wicked, Newsies, Aladdin and more! Students will have the chance to go behind the scenes with cast and crew interviews on the creation and development of the show as well as musical numbers from the production!