Deidre Goodwin, Kevin Duda and More to Host Audition Master Classes at Abingdon

Abingdon Theatre Company, under the artistic direction of Tony Speciale, continues its Studio Series with four Monday night classes on Audition prep for Actors Singers and Dancers.

Classes are set for Mondays, beginning March 6, at Abingdon Theatre Company (312 West 36th Street), led by Blanche Baker, Kevin Duda, Deidre Goodwin, and Thom Christopher Warren.

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Details about Studio Series:

Building Your Book with Kevin Duda (Beautiful, The Book of Mormon)

Monday, March 6, 6:00pm-9:00pm

Whether building your book from scratch, or looking for new material, your rep book is one of the most important tools as a working actor. Come build your book, find new material and learn that 32 bars isn't just a successful Friday night out.

Dance Audition Prep with Deidre Goodwin (Chicago, A Chorus Line)

Monday, March 20, 6:00pm -9:00pm

Broadway dance calls and confidence go hand in hand. Learn what it takes to stand out and get noticed by casting directors and choreographers. Jazz hands required.

Audition Technique with Blanche Baker (Holocaust, Sixteen Candles)

Monday, March 27, 6:00pm-9:00pm

Test your preparation and networking skills to get the most out of your 2-minute audition. Comedy can be challenging, so learn the trick to an unforgettable audition.

Song Interpretation with Thom Christopher Warren (The Lion King)

Monday, April 10, 6:00pm-9:00pm

As an actor in a musical, you must learn to allow the music and lyrics to transform the character in a 32-bar cut. This course is about incorporating emotion, movement, and clarity.

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ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

Blanche Baker has studied with Lee Strasberg, Uta Hagen, Jerzy Grotowski and Larry Moss. Feature films include Sixteen Candles, The Handmaid's Tale, Raw Deal and Taking Chance. She won an Emmy for Holocaust with Meryl Streep. She was part of the Yale Repertory Theatre. Her theatre roles include Steel Magnolias and Edward Albee's Lolita with Donald Sutherland. She is a Senior Faculty member at the New York Film Academy where she teaches in both the Acting and Musical Theatre departments.

Kevin Duda recently created the roles of Neil Sedaka, Lou Adler, and Bobby Hatfield of The Righteous Brothers in the current Broadway smash Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. He was also fortunate to create his roles in the hit Broadway musical, The Book of Mormon. Other Broadway/Tour credits include Les Liaisons Dangereuses (Roundabout), Little Women (1st National), Xanadu (1st National), Cinderella, The Best of Andrew Lloyd Webber (European) and Guys & Dolls (China).

Deidre Goodwin has appeared in eight Broadway shows, including A Chorus Line (Shelia Bryant), Chicago (Velma Kelly), and Nine (Our Lady of the Spa), as well as in the films Chicago (SAG 2003 Best Ensemble Award), Across the Universe, and Magic Mike XXL. Her television credits include Broad City and 30 Rock. In addition to performing, she is an educator, choreographer and director.

Thom Christopher Warren has spent the better part of the last 15 years working on Disney's The Lion King as a member of the Broadway production and first National Tour, as well as serving as the Resident Director for the show's second National Tour and the kids' director of the newest production in Shanghai, China. He made his Broadway debut in a revival of Once Upon a Mattress and has worked regionally at the La Jolla Playhouse, Paper Mill Playhouse, The Guthrie Theatre, Hartford Stage Company, George Street Playhouse, and in the touring companies of Into The Woods, Godspell, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. He is thrilled to be joining the full-time faculty of the Musical Theatre Department at Otterbein University in Columbus, Ohio this coming fall semester.

Abingdon Theatre Company is dedicated to developing and producing new work by emerging and established American artists. Under the artistic direction of Tony Speciale, the company provides a safe home where playwrights, directors and actors can collaborate within a supportive and nurturing environment. Abingdon Theatre Company searches for stories about the human experience that reflect our social, political, historical and cultural diversity. To date, the company has collaborated with more than 200 playwrights, produced 89 New York and world-premiere plays, presented more than 700 readings, staged over 175 ten-minute plays, and commissioned 6 one-act plays. Notable artists who have worked with Abingdon Theatre Company include Carl Andress, Bryan Batt, Reed Birney, Robert Brustein, Mario Cantone, Maxwell Caulfield, Dick Cavett, John Epperson, Jane Greenwood, Arthur Kopit, Ralph Macchio, Roberta Maxwell, Charles L. Mee, Iddo Netanyahu, Jason O'Connell, Nancy Opel, Austin Pendleton, Sam Pinkleton, Marcia Rodd and Michael Weller. Abingdon's 2014 production of Brian Richard Mori's Hellman v. McCarthy, directed by founding artistic director Jan Buttram, was filmed and presented by WNET as part of its inaugural Theatre Close-Up series. Visit abingdontheatre.org for more information.

Beginning March 9 at Abingdon Theatre Company is the world premiere of CHESS MATCH NO. 5, conceived and directed by Anne Bogart, with text arranged by Jocelyn Clarke from the words of John Cage. Running through April 2, CHESS MATCH NO. 5 features Will Bond and Ellen Lauren.

Studio Series classes range from $25-$50. Class size is limited. Classes held at Abingdon Theatre Company (312 West 36th Street, 1st floor), with the exception of Dance Audition Prep with Deidre Goodwin on March 20, which takes place at Shetler Studios (244 West 54tth Street, Penthouse 2). To book a Studio Series class or for additional information, visit abingdontheatre.org or contact Chad Austin at caustin@abingdontheatre.org.

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