Acting for the Camera—With Don Stephenson

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October 13
through November 19

This 12-part course is designed to provide an introduction to acting for the camera. Students will gain knowledge in techniques specific to television/film using a variety of scripts from productions currently or formerly cast/shot in the New York area or in Los Angeles, and will provide a practical method of acting for the camera through intensive scene work.

Students will have online access to a variety of scenes from television/film projects currently or formerly in production, and will be assigned multiple scenes (dialogues) from this collection during the class. Students will be expected to fully prepare, memorize, and present the scene to be shown/discussed in class and participate in follow-up, in-class scene work. Students will be expected to become familiar with the characters, plot lines, and style of the shows represented in the assigned material.

Upon successful completion of the course, the student will acquire:
· An understanding of techniques specific to acting for the camera.
· A understanding of the difference in acting techniques between acting for the camera/acting for the stage

Don Stephenson directed TITANIC at Lincoln Center, BROADWAY CLASSICS at Carnegie Hall, OF MICE AND MANHATTAN for the Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center, NOISES OFF at Asolo Rep, THE OTHER PLACE at The Alley Theatre, A COMEDY OF TENORS (BroadwayWorld nom. Best Director of a Play), THE PRODUCERS, VANYA, SONIA, MASHA, AND SPIKE and LEND ME A TENOR at Paper Mill Playhouse, THE ROAR OF THE GREASEPAINT -THE SMELL OF THE CROWD (BroadwayWorld nom. Best Director of a Musical), WILL ROGERS FOLLIES (BroadwayWorld nom. Best Director of a Musical) and GUYS AND DOLLS at Goodspeed Opera, BUYER AND CELLAR and NOISES OFF at Pittsburgh Public Theatre, HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING (BroadwayWorld nom. Best Director of a Musical), and SISTER ACT at the Marriott Theatre, THE COTTAGE at Theatre Aspen, I’LL EAT YOU LAST: A CHAT WITH SUE MENGERS at Theatreworks/Hartford, LEND ME A TENOR at Bay Street Theatre (BroadwayWorld nom. Best Director of a Play), TITANIC at The MUNY, the Hangar Theatre (BroadwayWorld nom. Best Director of a Musical), and Westchester Broadway Theatre, STRUCK at New Jersey Rep. (BroadwayWorld nom. Best Director of a Play), DEATHTRAP, NOISES OFF, and THE 39 STEPS at the Flat Rock Playhouse, THE MYSTERY OF KING TUT and SKIPPYJON JONES for Theatreworks/USA and THE GREAT UNKNOWN for The New York Theatre Festival. He directed the critically acclaimed productions of OLEANNA, CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF, and the musical comedy DOCTORS AND DISEASES at the historic Barter Theatre. Other New York directing credits include THE WAR PARTY (New York Fringe Festival), ATTACK OF THE ELVIS IMPERSONATORS (Theatre Row), A CHARLES DICKENS CHRISTMAS (Urban Stages), BUCK SIMPLE (Garrick Gaieties), WHEN PIGS FLY (Kaufman Theatre), GOLDEN VOICES (Symphony Space), and OLD FLAMES (Theatre Studio Inc.). Recent directing projects include a new version of CABARET at The Manhattan School of Music and NOISES OFF at the Asolo Repertory Theatre.

Other Shows

On-Camera Scene-work With Meghan Rafferty
Category: Education March 16 through April 20

Saturdays 10:00am-12:00pm. Teens, ages 16 and up, and adults will be given a new scene to work on each week and will work as “partners,” as they would in real-world callback situations. In addition, the first class will be focused on “cold reading,” where students will potentially have just 20 minutes to prepare for an audition! A common phenomenon in the world of auditioning for film and television. Not only will Meghan give you invaluable feedback on your scene, but she will also give participants advice on all aspects of self-taping including set-up, recording, editing, and how to send an audition tape to casting directors that will bring you to the next level. Each participant will receive an edited copy of their best “take,” after each class.

Clown Curious Day for Kids
Category: Education April 27 at 10:00am

Everyone is funny because humor is part of being human - including you! Come discover how to be yourself and create positive humor and laughter with other kids as a clown. Clowns take the ups and downs of life and make them into fun games and stories that help the audience feel good. We’ll learn some classic clown skits, find out about red noses and wear them, and learn some of the rules of body language and comedy. You’re invited to play being a clown for a day

How to Create a Short Film (with Your Phone)!
Category: Education April 27 at 10:00am

With smart technology, we can all make movies. With smartphones and tablets, we often already have the tools we need at home. This includes filming, editing, and publishing. But only well-made videos stand out from the competition. Whether for personal or business use, for Instagram, or a job application. Now more than ever, a good video is a must. In this workshop, you will learn how to improve the quality of your videos and find out how the professionals at TV stations work.

Clown Curious Day for Adults
Category: Education April 27 at 1:00pm

Clown theater is a hilarious and deeply vulnerable art form. We take in the ups and downs of life and laugh them out. It's also personally transformative because our clown characters are based on ourselves, not on characters we invent. Come play, and learn some of the rules of humor and body language that you can then apply to further connection in any setting, personal or professional. First, we share a light body warm-up, then play simple group games that help us feel creative and related. We each don our red nose (provided) in a fun ritual. From there, we engage each other in classic physical comedy exercises, discovering more about our clown characters along the way. No performance experience is needed just an open spirit!