Interview: Dolann Adams Outlines UCLA Department of Theater Summer Institutes!

Looking for a school to further your theatrical education this summer? Look no further than the UCLA Department of Theater Summer Institutes!

The UCLA Department of Theater Summer Institutes offer professionals, high school, and college students from around the globe the opportunity to develop their acting, singing and dancing abilities in two and three-week intensives taught by award-winning UCLA TFT faculty and leading industry professionals. In a nurturing and immersive environment, students receive the preparation and confidence required for successful participation in a university theater program or a career in the performing arts. For additional information, visit: http://www.tft.ucla.edu/programs/summer-programs/

Dolann M. Adams serves as the Director of Special Programs at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television Department of Theater. Dolann has a Master of Fine Art Degree in theater from The Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University in New York City. The additional conservatory training allowed Dolann to cultivate her craft in preparation for a career as an artist and educator. Dolann's love of the arts along with her management skills, has allowed her to grow the current pre-college summer institutes, while creating and executing new department programs that inspire today's youth.

Below, Adams gives us a better idea of what prospective students can expect from the Summer Institutes!

What sets this program apart from other summer pre-colleges?

The UCLA Department of Theater Pre-College Summer Institutes offer college credit and a conservatory experience that nurtures the artist individually while working collaboratively with others.

How will learning be different this year in the wake of the pandemic?

Learning this year will be facilitated remotely. Students will actively engage in various types of classes, guest industry workshops and rehearsals, in addition to developing new skills like creating and writing new content, and the art of editing a self-tape audition, assignment or performance for the final project.

Do students have to audition to take part? Do they need to be at a certain skill-level before classes begin?

Yes, students must audition. We welcome students with diverse skill levels to apply. Often times, we have found that some students have discovered their love of theater, musical theater, camera acting and Shakespeare later in their academic career. These students tend to have the same enthusiasm and creativity as our seasoned thespians, yet they are also in need of additional training to elevate their craft to the next level.

Do a lot of students come back year after year?

Yes, we have students that enroll in multiple sessions during the summer and return annually to participate in our institutes.

Have a lot of alums gone on to have success on stage and elsewhere?

Yes, our alums have gone on to matriculate to some of the best Theater B.A. and B.F.A programs in our country. Our students have used the tools they learned during our institutes and applied them to their undergraduate and professional experience in theater, television and film.

Why do you think that it's important for students should take part in an intensive program like this before college?

The UCLA Department of Theater Pre-College Summer Institutes is important because it provides a safe space that is facilitated by our world -renowned faculty to develop every artist and provide an outlet, while encouraging them to make and learn from artistic choices within an experiential learning environment.

The UCLA Department of Theater Summer Acting and Performance and Musical Theater Institutes are virtual three-week intensive conservatory program for high school students in grades 9-12 who seek discipline and training required for participation in a university theater program or a career in performing arts. This program includes performance-training classes, movement-based techniques, guest workshops, and a final performance project. LEARN MORE

The UCLA Department of Theater Summer Camera Acting Summer Institute is a virtual two-week, UC credit-bearing, intensive program for students interested in the performing arts. This program encompasses voice, scene study, storytelling, and on-camera acting training classes. The combination of these courses will teach every student about the process of relating to the camera lens and approaches to understanding a script so that specific choices can be made to prepare and connect in the audition room. Students will learn the technical components of acting for the camera, writing and filming their own content, while gaining hands-on experience on how to execute a self-tape audition. Beyond the classroom, students will attend guest workshops, and learn the art of virtual collaboration. LEARN MORE

The UCLA Owning Shakespeare Summer Institute is a virtual two-week, UC credit-bearing, intensive program that is a practical, immersive and comprehensive study of Acting Shakespeare. Under the guidance and direction of world class artists and established experts in the field, whose experience includes, the renowned Royal Shakespeare Company and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, students will learn what it takes to bring Shakespeare's dramatic literature to life, with truth, spontaneity, verbal alacrity, creativity, confidence, and deep and empathetic humanity. LEARN MORE