| Total immersion in summer acting classes: A great | | | | back in 2003 when I was investigating schools to |
| experience! | | | | attend. At the time I couldn't attend her school, |
| I now know the difference between taking | | | | because of time constraints on my part. It wasn't |
| classes one at a time and totally immersing | | | | until eighteen months later, that I would be able to |
| myself into the craft that I love for six full weeks | | | | take her summer intensive. |
| of eating, sleeping and breathing acting. | | | | It's sooooo different taking classes in this way. It |
| Well, I kinda knew what it was like shortly after I | | | | was a six-week long set of summer acting |
| had begun studying acting a few years ago. I first | | | | classes that began in July and went through to |
| started studying in a theatre company in Milan, | | | | mid-August. There were about ten of us in the |
| Italy. At the time I was working more than a | | | | class that summer of 2005 at the Ward Studio |
| full-time job and could only go to class in the | | | | and we became a tightly knit group. Our schedule |
| evenings. Class hours were from 9 - 11pm, three | | | | was as follows: |
| days a week. It was better than nothing, but | | | | M/W/F |
| often I arrived at class and I was tired. I probably | | | | Meisner acting technique: 3 hrs |
| could have gotten more out of it if I had had | | | | Voice: 2 hrs |
| more energy. Nevertheless, I'm glad I had that | | | | Movement: 2 hrs |
| experience. | | | | T/Th |
| Then, I took a ten-day workshop in Italy with an | | | | Career Mentoring workshop: 2 hrs (This was |
| American acting coach and teacher. That was a | | | | great too, because we concentrated on what we |
| mini-immersion for the ten-day period. The | | | | need to do to get work, something that many |
| workshop was five hours a day of instruction for | | | | programs don't focus on at all!) |
| then straight days and then rehearsals. At the | | | | Shakespeare: 2 hrs |
| time, I had already saved enough money and quit | | | | Text & audition technique: 3 hrs |
| my full-time job to pursue acting full-time. | | | | Talk about intense! There was always something |
| And then... | | | | to do for one of the classes. We had scenes to |
| I went to New York for a three month period | | | | rehearse for, so we had to meet outside of class. |
| and had put together my own program of all the | | | | There were monologues to memorize and |
| different classes I needed so that I could totally | | | | prepare for. Props to acquire for scenes, |
| immerse myself and have a full experience of | | | | monologues and class exercises. Homework to do |
| concentrating on my craft. I put together a | | | | for the career mentoring class, texts to |
| schedule of classes, a mix from different schools. | | | | memorize for the audition class. It was non-stop! |
| I took acting classes in technique, sensory work, | | | | Taking those intensive summer classes helped me |
| scene study, improvisation, audition technique. In | | | | grow as an actor more in those six weeks than I |
| addition I took mini workshops in different areas | | | | did in the whole year before that. It's true. |
| such as corporate videos, soaps, prime-time | | | | There's nothing like being totally immersed in your |
| television as well as yoga classes, and I went to | | | | acting craft for a time. Nothing like it! |
| the gym regularly. That was my first sort of real | | | | Have a look at an example of a real program at a |
| immersion. | | | | real school. Shop around for summer acting |
| My Experience With Intensive Summer Acting | | | | classes, know what you're looking for, consider |
| Classes | | | | pricing. But whatever you do, set some money |
| I continued to study and then took the best set | | | | aside and do it! It could be one of the best |
| of summer acting classes to date. I had met | | | | investments you ever make in your acting career. |
| Wendy Ward at the Ward Studio in New York | | | | |