Olympia Dukakis To Give Master Class At United Solo

Due to popular demand, United Solo brings back Olympia Dukakis to teach in the Master Class Series on September 16, 2018 at Theatre Row in New York City. The class, "The Importance of Craft," will teach students to identify and develop what is important to them as performers. Ms. Dukakis will explain how to approach the craft of acting as a personal connection to the thoughts, actions, circumstances, and character, as expressed and defined by the text. "My most important tools when I teach are my own sensibility, my personal perceptions, my knowledge of the craft, and the excitement and satisfaction I always feel with students," said Ms. Dukakis.

All ages and levels of theatrical experience encouraged. Only a limited number of slots is available for one-on-one coaching, on a first-come, first-served basis. All other participants are invited to sign up as auditors to observe the Master Class. Participants who sign up for Full Participation are encouraged to prepare a speech for class, written either by them or another writer.

Olympia Dukakis is an Academy Award-winning actress who took home an Oscar for her performance in the 1987 romantic comedy "Moonstruck." As a highly respected performer of both classical and contemporary theater, the daughter of Greek immigrants first distinguished herself on stage performing in summer stock, and with repertory and Shakespeare companies throughout the country. She made her Broadway debut as an understudy in "The Aspern Papers" at age 30. In 1971, she co-founded The Whole Theater Company in Montclair, NJ, together with her husband, the actor Louis Zorich. Dukakis scored theater triumphs in "A Man's a Man," for which she won an Obie Award in 1963, and "The Marriage of Bette and Boo' - another Obie Award. Many of her successes, both as actor and director, took place while working with The Whole Theater, which encouraged the development of new and untried plays.

"Moonstruck" featured a 56-year-old Dukakis in the role of Cher's sardonic, world-weary mother. In addition to that year's Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, her performance earned her a Golden Globe, an American Comedy Award, and a Los Angeles Film Critics Award. It also launched Dukakis into stardom. Since then, she has remained in high demand for over three decades as of one of Hollywood's most sought-after character players, first in line for a number of top roles including "Steel Magnolias" (1989), "Look Who's Talking" (1989), "The Cemetery Club" (1993) and "Mr. Holland's Opus" (1995). A more recent film, "Cloudburst" (2011), was a critical and audience darling, winning over forty awards for Best Film at festivals around the world. Dukakis won several Best Actress awards for her role. She has received high praise for her extensive work in television, including Emmy Award nominations for "Lucky Day," "More Tales of the City," and "Joan of Arc."

This Master Class is hosted by United Solo, a New York-based company dedicated to the genre of solo performance. Since its inception in 2010, United Solo has featured nearly 1,000 productions from all over the world. Founded by Omar Sangare, United Solo presents solo pieces, discovers original scripts, connects theatre artists with their audiences, and expands its new series of Master Classes for theatre artists, students, and enthusiasts with all levels of experience. The United Solo Professional Training Program is led by world-class theatre professionals, whose accomplishments and credits guarantee a top-notch educational experience, including Pau Aran Gimeno, a dancer and choreographer with Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch; Oscar winner, Olympia Dukakis; James Lecesne, a performer and screenwriter of the Oscar-winning film "Trevor"; Fiona Shaw, one of the most influential actresses and directors of contemporary theatre; Bill Bowers, hailed by critics as the most accomplished and renowned mime of his generation; Joshua Ellis, renowned theater publicist and press agent; Allan Corduner, internationally acclaimed actor, currently starring in "My Fair Lady" on Broadway; and Penny Cherns, Director of the MA in Classical Acting at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.

After working with and being recommended by Ms. Dukakis, many artists are given the opportunity to perform their solo pieces at the United Solo Festival at Theatre Row on 42nd Street, NYC. "Participants of the United Solo Master Class Series have an incredible opportunity to work in a collaborative setting with industry leaders in theatre, television, and film. The nuggets of wisdom gained from these sessions, as well as the opportunity to connect with top-notch professionals, is an invaluable experience that we, as artists, can take with us for a lifetime," says Pat McAndrew, Master Class Manager at United Solo.

THE IMPORTANCE OF CRAFT, a Master Class with Olympia Dukakis, will take place on Sunday, September 16 at 2pm (duration 120 min.) at Theatre Row: Stage Door, 407 West 41st Street, New York, NY 10036. Pre-registration is required to participate and can be done online at http://unitedsolo.org/us/uedu - where more details can be found as well.