GroovesDance : Stage Acting

(Stage Acting is on hiatus until further notice.)
Places, young thespians! Take center stage as you create live theatre right in your own community!! Speak the language of theatre… learn stage directions and how to project your voice. Build believable characters. Dabble in improvisation and pantomime. Play theatre games that exercise your creativity and develop performance skills. Rehearse scenes… write and perform your own monologues. Let the performer in you emerge as you step into the spotlight of Stage Acting at GROOVES!

How is Acting for the Stage different than Acting for Film (movies/TV)?

First, stage acting is EXAGGERATED; film acting is not. Stage acting exaggerates natural gestures and movements whereas film actors gesture and move more naturally, with subtle nuances, without exaggeration - like we do everyday.

Stage acting requires the actor to "play to the back of the house." In other words, when performing on stage the actor must make everything s/he says and does BIGGER so that the patrons sitting in the last row of the third balcony can hear and see the lines and action.

Second, stage actors must PROJECT THEIR VOICES (not "yell"); use their diaphragm and breath control to put some depth and power behind their dialogue. Film actors do not have to project their voices as much as stage actors. They deliver their lines of dialogue much like we communicate in everyday life. Stage actors must also develop VOICE CONTROL. On the stage, more so than in film, it's not what is said that is most important but rather how something is said that communicates with the audience.

Third, stage acting requires a CONSISTENT PERFORMANCE because it is performed live with no second takes. Acting for film requires a talented performance, but it has the "luxury" of reshooting scenes until they are, in the eye of the director, ideal. Film acting lacks the immediacy of live theatre.

Finally, stage acting demands a FRESH PERFORMANCE, no matter how many times you've performed the show. A patron attending on Day 57 of the show should experience the same level of energy, technique, emotion and talent as the patron attending on Opening Night and that of the 5-year anniversary.

GROOVES offers two Stage Acting Workshops:

	Introduction to Stage Acting: an introduction to basic acting technique; recommended for younger children in grades 2-5 who have little or no acting experience.
	Advanced Stage Acting: for older children and teenagers in grades 5-12 who have acting experience either in workshop or recreational theatre formats.

This workshop is an introduction to basic theatre appreciation and acting technique. Children will play theatre games and participate in activities that help them expand their creativity, practice performance skills, learn to work with others and develop self-confidence. The workshop dabbles in the following foundational elements:

Theatre Vocabulary: learn the language of acting from "action" to "wings."

Stage Directions: from upstage right to downstage left - and don't forget the "apron."

Voice Projection: work that diaphragm so that the older lady, who is hard of hearing, sitting in the last row of the house, can hear every line of dialogue.

Exaggerated Gestures and Facial Expressions: practice making physical and emotional dramatics bigger so that the nearsighted man in the last row of the third balcony can clearly see all stage action.

Characterization: develop a character by determining who or what it is and how it reacts to sensory information. Explore the 5 Ws of acting and use your 5 Senses.

The 5 Ws of Acting:
	WHO is your character?
	WHAT is your character doing in a scene? What action is it taking?
	WHEN does the action of your scene take place?
	WHERE does the action of your scene take place?
	WHY is this action happening in the scene?

Using Your 5 Senses:
	What does your character SEE, HEAR, SMELL, TASTE and FEEL at each moment in the scene?

Improvisation: act out short scenes by making up the words and actions as you go.

Pantomime: act without words or sounds; use only gestures, movement and facial expressions.

Stage Movement: learn how to move onstage from "cheating out" to "upstaging."

Curtain Call: acknowledge your audience's appreciation and applause with an ensemble bow.

Practice Scenes: pull together all the basics as you rehearse a short scene from a play.

Using theatre vocabulary, take stage directions from the director as you develop your character to portray a role in the scene. Project your voice and exaggerate your gestures and expressions so everyone in your audience hears you and sees your action. Improvise and pantomime scenes with other actors. And, always, use proper stage movements so you and your fellow actors are always visible to the audience. Then, take a bow in your curtain call for all your hard work in entertaining your audience!

Schedule to be announced at a later date.

This workshop builds upon the performers' previous acting experience by further developing technical skills onstage, stimulating creativity through extensive improvisation exercises, intensifying physical and emotional expression via pantomime, and fully characterizing performance roles in scenes or a short play. As an added feature, performers will script and perform their own monologues by exploring their imaginations to build on their life experiences and emotions. Performers also engage is discussions about the colorful history of Broadway and the importance of theatre as a cultural influence. A fun and challenging program for the earnest aspiring actor!

Stage Voice, Movement & Performance Goals: cultivate voice projection. Sharpen stage presence and mobility onstage. Strive for visibility, gesture, expression, absorption and energy,.

Characterization: develop characters by determining who or what they are and how they react to sensory information. Explore the 5 Ws of acting and use your 5 Senses.

The 5 Ws of Acting:
	WHO is your character?
	WHAT is your character doing in a scene? What action is it taking?
	WHEN does the action of your scene take place?
	WHERE does the action of your scene take place?
	WHY is this action happening in the scene?

Using Your 5 Senses:
	What does your character SEE, HEAR, SMELL, TASTE and FEEL at each moment in the scene?

Improvisation: Create dialogue and plots using imagination and from engaging in impromptu scenes with other actors. Improvise a scene with little or no planning given a situation and, in some cases, a character profile. Work on making the improvisation energetic and suspenseful to hold the audience's attention. Delve into professional improv exercises to develop quick, on-your-feet dramatic and comedic performance skills.

Pantomime: communicate an idea or action without using words or sounds. Exaggerate gestures and expressions to effectively perform a scene or improv. Develop confidence and stage skills.

Monologues: perform 1-person scenes using published and original scripts. Get comfortable being a solo performer onstage.

Performance Scenes: rehearse scenes, or a short play, for onstage performance using ALL performance skills mastered in the workshop.

Schedule to be announced at a later date.

Click here to download Registration Forms and the Enrollment Form & Agreement. This requires Adobe Acrobat Reader which you can obtain here

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