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For LIVE THEATRE to persist in a culture of Youtube and iTunes, and for skills and craftsmanship to remain as part of the very fabric of storytelling, we need students who feel compelled to look for something more; something different. The acting world needs students of the craft who are willing to explore their feelings and impulses, to encourage their thoughts and actions, and to help transform human relationships.

The Theatre Program at ACE offers the POSSIBILITY of such individual and group transformation through an eclectic array of courses and disciplines that will allow each and every student to grow and shine. We feel that through a playfully intense collection of ideas, concepts, and lessons the truth about live performance will reveal itself.

In the TWIN WORLDS of plays and musicals, success relies on a common ingredient: great stories. This summer those stories will come from William Shakespeare. Selecting scenes, monologues, and songs from five classic Shakespeare plays and five classic musicals based on those plays, we will create a rich and vibrant evening of entertainment. The twin worlds we will pair up are: Taming of the Shrew and Kiss Me, Kate; Romeo and Juliet and West Side Story; the play and the musical Two Gentlemen of Verona; Twelfth Night and Play On; and Comedy of Errors and The Boys From Syracuse.

We need actors! We need singers! We need dancers! We need YOU! Our highly motivated and enthusiastically committed faculty invites you to take a bold step and come grow with us!

 Fencing

Study the Play

“Is there no play, to ease the anguish of a torturing hour?” -A Midsummer Night’s Dream

In this class you will intensely study your scenes, monologues or songs with our splendid faculty members. By exploring the multiple layers of meaning and EXPRESSION, your teacher’s will coach, coax and cajole a fantastic performance out of you.


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Speak and Sing the Play

“Speak the speech, I pray you, as I pronounced it to you, trippingly on the tongue…” -Hamlet

A director once said “if you can’t hear it or you can’t understand it, it didn’t happen!” Diction and enunciation are usually considered as interesting as broccoli, but they are absolutely necessary in order to express what you mean. Consonants have emotions in this class, and vowels have souls! Oh, and EVERYBODY sings!

Play the Play

“An actor is a sculptor, who carves in snow.” –Lawrence Barrett

This class will use many fun techniques, including improvisation and theatre games, rhythmic drills and word play which help you release your thoughts, feelings, frustrations, and joys in a safe and supportive environment. The goal here is FUN through FREEDOM of expression.

Move the Play

“Let wantons, light of heart, tickle the senseless rushes of their heels.” –Romeo and Juliet

You will move, you will dance, you will use basic stage combat and sword play, and you will learn that it is possible to express any emotion without ever moving a muscle! This class is designed to FREE the BODY, so you can free your MIND, so you can free your body, so you can…

Rehearsal

“Practice is nine-tenths!” –Ralph Waldo Emerson

During this rehearsal time you will put into practice everything you are learning during the day. You will rehearse some of the larger ensemble scenes and musical numbers with the whole group, and help us create the look and feel of the show. From costumes, sets, and props, to lights, staging and directing, we want you to feel ownership of this class and learn to collaborate on a whole new level.
Theater Clothesline Argument

Master Class

“The eye of the master will do more work than both his hands.” –Benjamin Franklin

There is no substitute for watching truly excellent performances by artisans fully committed to their craft. Several times during the summer we will take an hour and revel in the acting and singing prowess of some truly gifted guest performers. There is power in observation: to SEE is to DO, but to truly DO you must SEE. These classes will open your eyes!

In the mornings, each student will participate in four different classes: Study the Play, Speak and Sing the Play, Play the Play and Move the Play. After lunch students will participate in a chosen Elective, work on the show in a Group or Individual Rehearsal, and attend a Master Class given by a local professional.