Theatre Acting Master Class at Theatre Acting Master Class

• Lesson 1: Scene Work

There is nothing more thrilling than watching two actors convincingly portray siblings, lovers, friends, etc. A truly moving scene is all about connection. The Scene Work class will focus on building connection to truly pull your audience in.

• Exercise - Start the class with an improv exercise with ghostly qualities. Students will focus on connection with their scene partner with minimal to zero dialogue.

• Performance - Students will workshop a 2-person original scene written by Erika Jenko. Using the tools from the exercise, students will work on building a connection with their scene partner to create a believable performance.

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• Lesson 2: Monologues

Monologues are an incredible way to get to know a character intimately. Monologues usually get the pressure of needing to be the best-written part of the script, but the truth is, a believable performance will elevate a very simple piece of writing. Monologues aren’t about showing off your best writing. It’s about the moment when we truly get to know someone. 

• Exercise: Students will learn how to craft a monologue from the perspective of a playwright utilizing improv and attention to detail to perform their own monologue with the simplest of source material. 

• Performance: Students will workshop an original monologue by Erika Jenko focusing on raw moments and vulnerability.

• Lesson 3: Storytelling

Having never taken a class in playwriting, Erika actually got her start in theatrical writing by competing on the speech team in college. On the speech team, Reader’s Theatre is an incredible way of utilizing the basics of storytelling in a theatrical way. In this storytelling class, Erika will help performers utilize their knowledge of acting as a building block to expand upon the exciting world of storytelling.

• Exercise: Students will start the class with a Bedtime Stories improv exercise, focused on telling a scary story to adults.

• Performance: Students will workshop a short story written by Erika Jenko that will heavily rely on teamwork and focus while finding the moments of vulnerability in a fast-paced script.

• Lesson 4: Script Analysis

Normally, actors get to collaborate with a director during the rehearsal process for a play. 

In this class, you’ll get to collaborate directly with the playwright herself. Focusing on scripts that are stage direction heavy and less focused on dialogue, students will learn how to navigate the text from the perspective of a playwright and focus their performance with movement and subtle nuance.

• Exercise: Students will engage in an improv exercise focused on zero dialogue as they craft the story in the moment.

• Performance: Students will workshop a scene written by Erika Jenko that heavily focuses on stage directions and how to pull their unique voice from within the stage directions. Focusing on minimal dialogue, students will learn how to explore movement and connection as a means of working through the scene.

Bonus: Students will receive access to downloadable PDF’s with original audition material to use outside of class.