School of Theater Classes and Descriptions

Join us of a great year of Dance, Theater & Music Classes for all ages. Enroll Now!

Wecome from the School of Theater Director School of Theater Instructors School of Theater Policies

2010/2011 Theater Classes

ADVENTURES IN THEATER: AGES 4-6 and 6-8 |These classes are based around theatre exploration, imagination, creating, and using the body/voice. This is a great way to introduce young children to acting, singing, dancing, creativity and imagination. We place a heavy emphasis on storytelling and creating characters. Group exercises are excellent for self-control, appreciating others efforts, and developing a vivid imagination while having a fun time!

Storybook Theater (Literature Based Theater Class)
AGES 4-6
Mon: 4:30-5:30
Storybook Theater class is one of our most loved classes for young ones at The Culture House. During this course the students will be creating a theatre presentation based on excellent children’s literature. They will be presented with a selection of books to work from throughout the semester. Reading the book at home and in the classroom will help encourage our young readers. Costumes, characters, and creativity mark this fun program as literature comes to life!

Musical Theater (Song and Movement Based Theater Class)
AGES 4-6
Theme: Princesses and Pirates
Thu: 4:30–5:30
AGES 6-8
Theme: Adventures in Musical Theater
Tue: 4:30–5:30
Fairy tales have the power to capture our children’s imaginations and teach them valuable morals. Musical Theatre Adventures draws on these famous stories and the musicals that have made them classics. Scene work will be based on the students’ abilities and interests in order to challenge and develop their talents. Choosing from a wide variety of musicals means more chances to play the princess or the dragon you’ve always wanted to play.

Imagination Theater (Acting Based Theater Class)
AGES 6-8
Wed: 4:30-5:30
Playing animals and imaginary characters is a great way to learn how to create characters outside of your own personality. Theater exercises and games are utilized so students can explore a wide variety of characters using their voice, body, and group interaction. Music, improvisation, and dialogue are all incorporated to create a small show where everyone performs a character they have created through participation.

AUDITION CLASSES | Being prepared for auditions is not only important to one’s success in getting cast, but is also a great opportunity to learn organization, preparedness, and follow through. We have designed our progressive levels of Audition classes to begin with monologues and musical solos that are close to the students own personality and develop towards more and more challenging characters, situations, and music. The result is an actor who can pull a wide variety of pieces out of their ‘bag of tricks’ that represents the actor’s skill and craftsmanship in their field of theater. This also gives students a chance to learn about their strengths and weaknesses as well as deal with the levels of typecasting in the theater world and how to overcome them with perseverance and creativity.

Audition 101
AGES 9 +
Thu: 6:30-7:30
This is an introductory audition class. Students will develop both a monologue and a musical solo that is close to their own personalities. These pieces will highlight their strengths and allow them to move towards mastery and polishing of these works. The class includes preparing them with resume’s, headshots, and suggestions for attire.

Advancing Your Audition
Thu: 6:30-7:30
Advancing Your Audition prepares the students to develop a monologue and song that are based on characters they are drawn to rather than their own personality. Having a wide variety of characters in one’s audition repertoire is important to be prepared for auditions for theater and film. The students will work on a resume, headshot, and the development of an Audition Book to train students to keep their audition material updated and ready.

ACTING CLASSES | These progressive acting classes are considered the foundation of our program. It is vital for a theatre student to have a working knowledge of proper terminology and techniques. These classes will be based on character work, exploration, understanding how to use your instrument (voice and body) and scene work. We will also begin incorporating some brief discussions on theatre history at each level so the student can have a taste of the bigger picture of which they are a part. Teacher approval is required to advance to the next level.

Acting 1
AGES 9-12: Tue: 4:30-5:30
AGES 9-12: Wed: 6:30-7:30
AGES 9 +: Sat: 10:00-11:00
AGES 13 +: Tue: 7:30-8:30
This acting class will focus on the fundamentals of acting. The student will learn stage terminology and basic acting principles such as stage directions, blocking and memorization. The class will focus on exploration of the voice and body to help the student understand his/her acting instrument. Every student will get an opportunity to work with dialogue. Basic scene work will be incorporated to encourage teamwork and give students a chance to practice their new skills!

Acting 2
AGES 9-12: Tue: 6:30-7:30
AGES 13 +: Thu: 7:30-8:30
As the actor grows and develops his/her skill, they will be introduced to new techniques and a more advanced set of acting tools. The student will learn a wide variety of warm-ups, begin basic character analysis and begin to explore objectives and obstacles in a given scene. Theatre exercises and exploration will be used to stimulate and challenge the growing actor. It is likely that students will remain in Acting II for a minimum of two terms and advance upon teacher approval.

Acting 3: (Year long course)
AGES 13 +
Thu: 7:30-9:00
Acting 3 is an exciting transition for the theatre student. Now that they have mastered the basics and have a working understanding of character/scene development, it is time to take it to the next level. In this course, students will expand their work on objectives and obstacles by exploring different tactics, expectations and environments. What is the character’s motivation? There will be an emphasis on not just acting, but reacting to the given circumstances. Actors will begin working with plays with more sophisticated conflicts and characters. The student must master the curriculum in Acting III and obtain teacher approval to move onto Acting IV.

COMING SOON:
Acting 4: AGES 13+ (Year long course)
Advanced level acting for students who have completed I - III. This class is for the serious acting student who is ready to take on a new level of challenges. In this class, we will dive into script analysis which will enable the actor to more fully understand their character’s wants and needs. Scene work with more depth and difficulty will challenge the actor to develop to their fullest potential.

IMPROVISATION CLASSES | Improv classes will focus on equipping students with the tools they need to create a successful scene and explore quick thinking. We will emphasize creating clever, witty, and clean humor! These will be progressive classes that the student will learn new skills at each level and build their acting toolbox as they advance. It is important to understand that successful improvisation is built on cooperation, supporting your classmates, using your imagination, awareness of current events and developing acting skills. While games are important and fun, these classes will also be rich with theatre exercises to develop and practice proper technique.
*We have named our improvisation classes Zanni** based on the stock comic servant character in Commedia Dell’Arte, an ancient Italian Theatre form. Zanni is the origin for the English word "zany". Comedy is important, but one must never forget to serve their partner and set him/her up for success first!

Zanni 1
AGES 10 +
Tue: 5:30-6:30
Prerequisite: Acting 1 (or must be taking it concurrently)
This class is based around the improvisation toolbox and how one can learn to be successful at improvisation!! We will focus on 8-10 games throughout the course of the semester and incorporate theatre exercises to enhance the goals of the game. Mastery of these games will be emphasized. We want the improvisation student to learn that the “funny” comes with preparedness, a sharp intellect and a vivid imagination. It is likely that students will remain in Zanni I for a minimum of two terms and advance upon teacher approval.

Zanni Players
Ages 13–Adult
Tue: 6:30-7:30
Welcome to TCH’s Improvisation Troupe! Zanni Players is an advanced improvisation class featuring a wide variety of games and exercises. The student will practice extensive character development by learning the lingo/terminology for certain chosen professions. They will practice and develop a gibberish language. They will develop at least one very specific character with parameters. They will be expected to work on at least one accent and develop their ability to improvise with music. Must have teacher approval to take the course multiple times. ADULTS WELCOMED!

SOLOS AND DUETS | This is an age-based class students can take over and over again grouped by age. One of the goals of this class is to help the student build their repertoire of material to use for auditions and to strengthen their ability to succeed at a lead role.

Solos and Duets: AGES 9-12
Thu: 5:30-6:30
The class will work on 6-8 solos and 2-3 duets throughout the course of the semester. Everyone will learn the same songs. There will be a variety of genres and ranges to fit the students’ voice types. (For example: an alto student will learn all the alto duets and will have the opportunity to sing with all the baritone students). Student’s will also learn blending, harmonizing, and intonation with different performers. Each student sings every week, the students can practice together, and they are building their repertoire of material that can be used for auditions.

Solos and Duets: AGES 13+
Thu: 5:30-6:30
See above for course description. As the student progresses in age and ability, the material progresses in difficulty. Benefit of taking the class multiple times: As the student grows and changes, their repertoire needs to grow and change with them. This class will help them do just that.

Musical Theater |This is an age-based class students can take it over and over again grouped by age. We will choose scene-work based on those enrolled giving them all a chance to try a featured role. Showcases will give students a chance to perform these characters in front of an audience.

Musical Theatre Workshop
AGES 9-12
Wed: 5:30–6:30
Prerequisite: Acting 1 (or must be taking it concurrently)
Act, Sing, Dance! The class will use selected scenes from classic and contemporary musicals. Everyone gets to workshop a leading role! The class will emphasize how to tell the story through song and dance. The student will get to work on a wide variety of roles, receive an introduction to musical theatre history and have a lot of fun!

Musical Theatre Intensive
AGES 13 +
Wed: 5:30–6:30
Prerequisite: Acting 1 (or must be taking it concurrently)
This course is designed to encourage the advanced musical theater student to take on more challenging material that they might not get to face during a main stage musical. In this class the student will work on selected scenes, solos and duets of classic and contemporary musical theater. The student will continually be encouraged to take bigger risks in their acting choices and pushed to raise the stakes in every scene!

Dance Classes For School of Theater
Jazz 1
Mon: 7:30–8:30
Consists of foundational jazz dance elements including; counting & timing, directional changing, spotting, body alignment, contractions, isolations, jumps, turns and combinations. Dancers will also experience center core strengthening and stretching.

Jazz/Tap Combo
AGES 8 +
Wed: 5:30–6:30
A great introductory and maintenance dance class for young dancers to learn the basics of Jazz Dance and the core exercises in Tap Dancing. This class is also for the Triple Threat performer who is eager to keep their core skills sharp in between shows.

Ballet For Broadway
AGES 11-Adult
Tue: 7:30–8:30
This class is designed for Low Intermediate to Advanced Ballet students. The student must have a strong foundation and be able to execute the movements asked of them. As the students improve and strengthen their technique, the class will present more difficult exercises.

Electives

SHAKESPEARE
AGES 10 +
A year-long Shakespeare experience that will culminate in May with a full length stage production of As You Like It. All participants are required to participate the full year. In the fall, students will study Shakespeare and his writing style in preparation for the play. They will learn how to analyze the language and story while studying the acting style for that period. This class will emphasize the complexity of taking on a Shakespearean piece and the desire to set our students up for success! In January, the students will begin rehearsals for the play.

Fall Class: Wednesdays 6:30 – 8:00
Spring Rehearsals: Wednesdays: 6:30 – 9:00 (Billed as 1.5 hours)

READER’S THEATER/VOICE AND DICTION
AGES 10 +
Wed: 4:30-5:30
This class is based on the reader’s theater performance style. The semester will culminate with a presentation of a reader’s theater piece at showcases in December. The actor’s voice and diction will be emphasized to help the young performer understand how to effectively and properly use their voice during performance. Basic costume and prop pieces will be used to help give the audience an impression of location and character, but the main emphasis will be on the story the actors are telling.

Performance Oportunities

MUSICALS:

HONK!: November 11th – 13th: AGES 5-14
Audition Dates: September 3rd and 10th;
Callbacks September 11th

Based on Hans Christian Andersen's "The Ugly Duckling", “Honk!” tells the story of an odd looking baby duck, Ugly, and his quest to find his mother. Soon after Ugly is born, he is seduced away by a wily Cat who wants to eat Ugly for dinner. Eventually, Ugly manages to escape but has no idea how to return home. Along his way, he encounters a beautiful swan, Penny, tangled in a fishing line. And as he continues to search for his mother, Penny having stole his heart, we meet a plethora of interesting and funny characters like the frogs, poultry, bugs and more !!

ONCE UPON A MATTRESS
Auditions: Jan 11&15, 2010

Set in Damon Runyon's mythical New York City, this oddball romantic comedy - considered by many to be the perfect musical comedy-soars with the spirit of Broadway as it introduces us to a cast of vivid characters who have become legends in the canon: Sarah Brown, the upright but uptight "mission doll," out to reform the evildoers of Time Square; Sky Masterson, the slick, high-rolling gambler who woos her on a bet and ends up falling in love; Adelaide, the chronically ill nightclub performer whose condition is brought on by the fact she's been engaged to the same man for 14 years; and Nathan Detroit, her devoted fiancé, desperate as always to find a spot for his infamous floating crap game. Add in a cast of high energy gamblers who dance, Salvation Army folk, and the Hot Box Dancers and you have a crazy cast on a wonderful adventure. Choreographed by Marc Wayne to a live orchestra, The Culture House’s Guys & Dolls is ready to set a new standard!

ALICE IN WONDERLAND: April 14th – 16th
Audition Dates: January 14th and 21st;

Callbacks September 22nd
Alice plunges down the rabbit hole and becomes involved in that madcap and hilariously satiric series of adventures immortalized by Mr. Carroll. A kaleidoscope of action and zaniness, this engaging musicalization of the well-known classic by Lewis Carroll is presented with musical flair, dancing brio, suspense and charm. The journey of Alice full of wonderful characters and pretzel-logic is retold by in this toe-tapping, high-spirited farcical production laced with a touch of loving humanity. Chasing the White Rabbit, Alice tumbles down the rabbit hole. All of Wonderland's famous and popular residents are brought to life with full flair and color including: the King & Queen of Hearts, Tweedledee and Tweedledum, the Gryphon, Mock Turtle, Dormouse, Mad Hatter and March Hare, the Dutchess, Cheshire Cat and of course, the White Rabbit, and a whole world of characters for the audience to enjoy. Every student in this production will be challenged as they create a character to populate the wonderful world of Wonderland!

Play:

SHAKESPEARE’S AS YOU LIKE IT: May 6th – 7th

Fall Shakespeare Class: Wednesdays 6:30 – 8:00
Spring Rehearsals: Wednesdays 6:30 – 9:00
Must be enrolled the full year to participate.
As You Like It is full of fantastic characters in one of Shakespeare’s most famous comedies. Rosalind is the daughter of an exiled Duke, who falls in love with Orlando, the son of one of her father's courtiers. When Orlando continues to ignore her, Rosalind decides the best way to be at his side is by disguising herself as a boy. Her deception works too well as Orlando would rather be in the boy's company than hers. How Rosalind works out her predicament is part of the fun in this famous story of good vs. evil, deception, truth and love.

An Improvisation Troupe – full of funny! Fall 2010. Adults welcomed. Tuesdays 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Zanni Players is an advanced improvisation class that will be working with a wide variety of games and exercises. The student will practice extensive character development by learning the lingo/terminology for certain chosen professions. They will practice and develop a gibberish language. They will develop at least one very specific character with parameters. They will be expected to work on at least one accent and develop their ability to improvise with music. Must have teacher approval to take the course multiple times.

Touring Performance Group Coming in the Spring 2011! Tuesdays 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.