Paper Mill Playhouse to Offer New Adult Theater Classes

Paper Mill Playhouse, one of the country's premier not-for-profit theaters, is the place where American musical theater is celebrated, cherished, and pushed in exciting new directions, has announced the addition of new adult classes this winter. For pricing and class registration information please contact Michelle Tempkin at mtempkin@papermill.org. For more information about classes visit www.PaperMill.org.

The newest addition to Paper Mill Playhouse's adult theater school offerings is the Intergenerational Theater Company. The Intergenerational Theatre Company will be led by Mr. Ed Schiff and will bring together youth, teens, adults and seniors in a series of short plays for ten weeks, leading up to an evening of presentations for friends, family and theater professionals.

Mr. Schiff is a veteran with over 200 professional credits in film, television and movies as an actor, director and producer. He has also taught acting, directing and theater history in conservatories and universities, most recently as the Resident Professional Theatre Associate at Cornell and as the Distinguished Artist at Bergen Community College. Mr. Schiff's professional acting credits range from Broadway (i.e., "The Black Picture Show") to major motion pictures (i.e., "War of the Worlds") to daytime television (i.e., "One Life to Live") to primetime TV (i.e., "Grapevine") and most recently to documentary work as Andrew Carnegie on the History Channel's "The Men Who Built America" and the Biography Channel's Ernest Hemingway.

"The Intergenerational Theatre Company is a wonderful way to introduce new generations to the joy of performing in live presentations at the prestigious Paper Mill Playhouse," said Ed. Schiff, Intergenerational Theater Company Teacher.

Aside from the new Intergenerational Theater Company, there are many other classes for adults. Breakfast at Paper Mill meets on the first Monday of every month from 10:00AM - 11:30AM. Breakfast at Paper Mill is a perfect way for adults to meet new friends and celebrate the joys of theatre as a Paper Mill staff member or visiting guest artist will lead a discussion on the live theatrical experience. Throughout the session there will be backstage tours and special performance highlights. At each meeting, a continental breakfast will be served.

Paper Mill Playhouse's Musical Theatre Audition class meets Saturday mornings from 9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. and teaches actor's valuable skills like connecting with a song and developing a point of view through musical performance. Teachers will help the adult members pick out and develop the 16 or 32 bars of a song that showcase their best work.

Our Adult Acting class creates a fun and safe environment for adults to explore their creativity. The class meets every Saturday from 11:15 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. and will focus on character development, dialogue interpretation, and overall performance skills.

In addition to group classes, Paper Mill also offers private acting and vocal coaching sessions. Individual acting sessions are perfect for actors wanting to enrich his or her personal process for plays, performance and other artistic goals. Our private vocal coaching sessions help adults learn breath control and vocal placement in a nurturing one-to-one environment. Exercises are used to strengthen and protect the voice, and both popular and theatre songs are rehearsed. The available times and during of the sessions depend on the individuals need. For information on private coaching, please contact Michelle Tempkin at mtempkin@papermill.org.

"Whether individuals are taking their first acting class, looking to polish their presentation skills or seeking more comfort in front of an audience, our theater school classes help adults develop basic skills that can be used in any walk of life," said Mickey McNany, Theater School Director at Paper Mill Playhouse.

Paper Mill Playhouse, a not-for-profit arts organization, is one of the country's leading regional theaters. Paper Mill Playhouse programs are made possible, in part, by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, A Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. Paper Mill Playhouse is a member of Theatre Communications Group, the National Alliance for Musical Theatre, the Council of Stock Theatres, and the New Jersey Theatre Alliance.

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