APPLIED ARTS COURSES FOR ACTING PRIMES
Artists hone their foundation by employing the technical skills of a particular art or field of endeavor. These courses are Prime specific, or recommended for your prime and are designed to strengthen your skillset and/or build your portfolio. Students should focus their Applied Arts choices in their prime arts area, but may explore outside of their prime in some cases.
CHOOSING COURSES
Applied Arts courses are offered one day per week on Tuesdays and/or Thursdays. Be mindful of the length of the courses you are interested in. Most courses are scheduled for the full trimester, however, there are some that meet for only half of the trimester. In those cases, it's recommended you sign up for both half-trimester courses. You are welcome to sign up for classes on Tuesdays or Thursdays, but be mindful of the dates courses are offered so you do not choose classes that are offered at the same time.
TUESDAY OFFERINGS
🔷Winter A : November 30 - January 11 (6 sessions/12 hours)
🟦 Winter B: January 18 - February 22 (6 sessions/12 hours)
🔵 Winter AB : November 30 - February 22 (12 sessions/24 hours)
THURSDAY OFFERINGS
Winter A : N/A
Winter B : N/A
⚪Winter AB: December 2 - February 24 (11 sessions/22 hours)
TUESDAY OFFERINGS
Musical Theater Performance: Duets & Trios
VoiceMentor: Emily Karol
Contact: ekgerbasi@aacps.orgTuesdays at Studio 39
🔷 Winter A : November 30 - January 11
(6 sessions/12 hours)
Theater, Dance, Vocal primes welcome and encouraged.
Why do characters in musicals sing? Because the emotions they are feeling are too large to be expressed with just words. Songs do not halt a storyline but propel it forward for the character and the audience. However, it can be daunting to tackle all this and with someone you just met. Find ways to tell a cohesive and meaningful story while working with someone else. Artists will research, rehearse, collaborate, and perform a piece of their choosing.
The focus of this class is not about perfect vocal technique, but how to tell the story effectively through the lyrics and themes.
Make 'Em Laugh: Introduction to Physical Comedy
Physical ComedyMentor: Francesca Chilcote
Contact: fchilcote@aacps.orgTuesdays at Studio 39
🔵 Winter AB : November 30 - February 22
(12 sessions/24 hours)
Theater and Dance primes welcome and encouraged.
Get moving and get laughing! In this class, students will explore the wonderful, wild world of physical comedy! In this class, students will work to increase openness and specificity in their movement technique, and then train in styles such as commedia dell'arte, mime, clown, slapstick, and sketch comedy. Then, students will break into "comedy troupes" and develop their own physical comedy routines.
Winter Writing Collection
Creative Writing CollectionMentors: Maggie Benshaw Heemstra & Lynn Schwartz
Contact: mbenshaw@aacps.org , laschwartz@aacps.orgTuesdays at Studio 39
🔵 Winter AB : November 30 - February 22
(12 sessions/24 hours)
All primes welcome and encouraged. For actors, this course strengthens storytelling.
Beginnings and Endings (3 Sessions) November 30, December 7, and 14
Where should your story open? In the middle? With a bit of dialogue? A character in action? Do your beginning pages introduce conflict? We will explore the components of a strong start, one that is not gimmicky, but an integral part of the narrative — capturing the reader from the first page. Similarly, how will you find an organic end to your story — one that grows out of the beginning and middle? Will you choose a traditional plotted ending or an ambiguous, resonant finish? Learn to combine the inevitable with the surprising, resolve interior and exterior conflicts, understand rounding, climax, dénouement, and more.
The Essence of Creating a Character on the Page and the Stage. (5 Sessions)
December 21, January 4, 11, 18, and 25
We will explore how a character’s yearning drives key elements of story, including narrative, dialogue, conflict, plot, and reader empathy. Understanding a character’s passion is essential to creating a compelling person — someone with whom a reader or audience want to spend time.
Demystifying Dialogue (4 Sessions) February 1, 8, 15, and 22
Good dialogue is a great tool for both fiction and nonfiction writers, yet many writers avoid it. Participants will explore “real talk” versus written conversation, analyze what characters should say and how they should say it, and understand how speech creates action and propels a story forward.
THURSDAY OFFERINGS
Exploration into Improvisation
Collaboration with "Writers Room" Class
Improvisational ActingMentor: Emily Karol
Contact: ekgerbasi@aacps.orgThursdays at Studio 39
⚪Winter AB: December 2 - February 24
(11 sessions/22 hours)
Acting Primes only.
Experienced actors approach storytelling, character building, and scene study through the lens of improvisation. In collaboration with The Writers Room, actors will collaborate with the writers to bring their words to life.
The Writer's Room
Writing for the Stage/ScreenCollaboration with "Exploration into Improvisation" Class
Mentor: Francesca Chilcote
Contact: fchilcote@aacps.orgThursdays at Studio 39
⚪Winter AB: December 2 - February 24
(11 sessions/22 hours)
Theater, Creative Writing, Film & New Media primes welcome and encouraged.
Join the fun and collaborative space of the Writers' Room! This class will approach writing for performance through scripting and improvisation. Beginning with basic improv training, students will learn to "Yes, And" each other in the writers' room, and explore the value of improvised dialogue. Then working solo or in small groups, students will develop their concept for a piece of dramatic writing for the medium of their choice: play, screenplay, tv pilot or podcast. The class will conclude with a reading of each group's short work.