Our fall session of classes will begin the week of September 18, 2006. Course descriptions available below. YOUTH CLASSES TEEN CLASSES SCHOLARSHIPS YOUTH CLASSES IMAGINE ME AND YOU: A DANCING EXPLORATION FOR PARENT AND CHILD Ages 2–4, plus 1 adult Instructor: Freesia Paclebar Huth A fun, creative movement class for a parent and their child. Kids and parents get a chance to explore movement together in a fun game playing environment while making dances and exploring space through music and stories. Parents learn about the importance of movement in relation to learning for young children. Kids explore the fundamentals of dance in a supportive atmosphere. Freesia Paclebar Huth studied dance at Mills College and has performed with Colette Bisher-Choate, Unbound Spirit, George Latimer, Patricia Reedy and Dancers, New York choreographer David Rousseve’s Reality Company, Purple Moon Dance Project and numerous Bay Area choreographers. Freesia has taught children’s dance for 15 years, is an arts advocate for children and a California Arts Council grant recipient. Dates: Saturdays (9/23, 9/30, 10/7, 10/14, 10/21, 10/28, 11/4, 11/11, 11/18), 9–10AM Tuition: $135.00 CIRCUS CAPERS: MIME AND CHARACTER MASKS Grades K–2 Instructor: Nancy Gold Create your own circus under a Big Top of Little Umbrellas. Learn to mold the air into whatever you want by learning the art of mime. Transform yourself into a lion or monkey or unicorn by playing in character masks. Dive into the world of the circus with a giant mound of paper. Then tear, fold and mold the paper into your Circus Caper. Dance in Giant Paper Bag Masks. The sky is the limit. Let your imagination go wild. Have fun. Come Frolic. Create the magic of the Circus Capers. Nancy Gold is the author of Finding Your Funny Bone! The Actors Guide to Physical Comedy and Characters, published by Smith and Kraus. She has taught at Berkeley Rep School of Theatre, ACT Young Conservatory, Vector Theatre, UCLA, Univ. of Illinois, Foothill College and throughout the Bay area public and private schools. Nancy studied with Jacques LeCoq, Ctibor Turba and has a Masters Equivalency from Foothill College and a B.F.A. from the Univ. of Illinois. Dates: Saturdays (9/23, 9/30, 10/7, 10/14, 10/21, 10/28, 11/4, 11/11, 11/18, 12/2), 9:30–11AM Tuition: $190.00 PERFORMANCE WORKSHOP: STORIES FROM AROUND THE WORLD Grades 3–5 Instructor: Berkeley Rep Staff Become part of an acting ensemble and create a performance piece based upon three tales from different cultures. Work on a play from first rehearsal to performance with emphasis on playmaking, physical theatre and scene work! Explore the process of bringing stories to life through movement, dialogue, music, improvisation and character work. This class will conclude with a final performance for family and friends. May be repeated. Dates: Tuesdays (9/19, 9/26, 10/3, 10/10, 10/17, 10/24, 10/31, 11/7, 11/14, 11/21), 4–6PM Tuition: $280.00 ACTING ADVENTURES Grades 2–4 Instructor: Berkeley Rep Staff Students will explore the world of acting through character creation, movement, improvisation and storytelling. This fun and exciting introduction to acting is guaranteed to stimulate students’ imaginations! Dates: Saturdays (9/23, 9/30, 10/7, 10/14, 10/21, 10/28, 11/4, 11/11, 11/18, 12/2), 9:30–11AM Tuition: $190.00 MUSICAL THEATRE Grades 6–8 Instructor: Michael Wiles Learn to be a triple threat this fall in the Musical Theatre class! In a fun workshop environment, work on a musical theatre audition piece. Through both ensemble and solo performance work, discover what it takes to make a song come alive on the stage. Special emphasis is placed on vocal technique, audition techniques and character development. May be repeated. Michael Wiles has served as musical director/accompanist on over 35 productions including performing at Berkeley Rep as the eager accompanist Manny Weinstock in Master Class opposite Rita Moreno. Michael has also worked at ACT, American Musical Theater, Aurora Theater, Cal Shakes, Center Rep, Marin Shakes, Pacific Alliance Stage Company, SF Shakes and Tacoma Actor’s Guild. He attended the Idyllwild School of Music and the Arts in Southern California and is a graduate of the Professional Actor’s Conservatory at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle. Dates: Wednesdays (9/20, 9/27, 10/4, 10/11, 10/18, 10/25, 11/1, 11/8, 11/15, 11/22), 4–6PM Tuition: $280.00 STAGE COMBAT 1—UNARMED Grades 6–9 Instructor: Michael Storm If you plan on being an actor or just want to have some fun, join our unarmed stage combat class. Learn the same principles and stage combat techniques that the pros use in your favorite plays and films including John Wayne punches, round house punches, stomach punches, jabs, slaps, choke holds, vocals, falls and naps. We will cover how to safely choreograph an exciting stage combat fight and learn to layer acting principles over the fight making it look more realistic and dangerous. This course is a preparatory course for Stage Combat 2—Broadsword and will culminate with a final performance of an unarmed fight choreographed by the students. Michael Storm has appeared with SF Shakes, Napa Valley Rep, San Jose Stage Company, Shakespeare at Stinson, Cal Shakes and the Alabama Shakespeare Festival. He attended UC Irvine where he received degrees in Drama and Economics. He has taught at the San Jose Youth Correctional Facility, Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School, the Shakes and the Special Olympics. Michael is also a certified Actor Combatant with the Society of American Fight Directors. Dates: Thursdays (9/21, 9/28, 10/5, 10/12, 10/19, 10/26, 11/2, 11/9, 11/16, 11/30), 4–5:30PM Tuition: $190.00 STAGE COMBAT 2—BROADSWORD Grades 6–9 Instructor: Michael Storm Lord of the Rings, the Matrix, Star Wars and Braveheart are some of the films which incorporate the principles of stage combat and broadsword techniques that will be covered in this class. We will focus on broadsword technique and cover some of the more advanced unarmed moves not covered in Stage Combat I—Unarmed. Apply all the principles covered in Stage Combat I and continue to build on those techniques. This class will culminate with a final performance of an armed fight choreographed by the students. Michael Storm has appeared with SF Shakes, Napa Valley Rep, San Jose Stage Company, Shakespeare at Stinson, Cal Shakes and the Alabama Shakespeare Festival. He attended UC Irvine where he received degrees in Drama and Economics. He has taught at the San Jose Youth Correctional Facility, Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School, the Shakes and the Special Olympics. Michael is also a certified Actor Combatant with the Society of American Fight Directors. Dates: Thursdays (9/21, 9/28, 10/5, 10/12, 10/19, 10/26, 11/2, 11/9, 11/16, 11/30), 5:30–7PM Tuition: $190.00 PERFORMANCE ENSEMBLE Grades 6–8 Instructor: Jon Burnett and Gendell Hernandez Perform at the Berkeley Rep School of Theatre and learn how professional actors approach their work. This class is for committed middle school students interested in a professional experience. In order to train and prepare students in the art of performance, this class will meet throughout the Fall and Winter sessions. All students will receive highly focused and personalized direction and learn the art of pursuing objectives and playing actions. The play under consideration will focus on ensemble, challenging text and enable the students to develop dynamic and detailed characters through movement and dance techniques such as mask, mime, Kabuki, Hip Hop, Latin and African forms. Space is limited and by interview only. Jon Burnett is a teacher and professional actor and has performed in Seattle, Atlanta, New York City and the San Francisco Bay Area. Jon has taught theatre to students ranging from kindergarten through undergraduate college, and found inspiration, profound laughter and empathy at every level. Gendell Hernandez has taught for the Berkeley Rep School of Theatre for the past 5 years. He has performed at the Edinburgh Theater Festival as well as directed Beatbox: A Raparetta for the NY Hip Hop Theater Festival. Past credits include Around the World in 80 Days (Center Rep), Sons of Don Juan (San Jose Rep), Oil (Word for Word), Show Up (New Pickle Circus), The Gate of Heaven (The Old Globe) as well as a Critic’s Circle Award (fight choreography) for Romeo and Juliet (Shotgun Players). Dates: Mondays and Wednesdays (9/18, 9/20, 9/25, 9/27, 10/2, 10/4, 10/9, 10/11, 10/16, 10/18, 10/23, 10/25, 10/30, 11/1, 11/6, 11/8, 11/13, 11/15, 11/20, 11/22, 1/8, 1/10, 1/17, 1/22, 1/24, 1/29, 1/31, 2/5, 2/7, 2/12, 2/14, 2/21, 2/26, 2/28, 3/5, 3/7, 3/12, 3/14, 3/19, 3/21), 4–6PM Tuition: $900.00 BACK TO TOP TEEN CLASSES The Berkeley Rep School of Theatre aims to provide committed high school students with the opportunity to study with professional theatre artists. Students will learn the fundamentals of professionalism, the rigors of the rehearsal process and the art of performance. TEEN PERFORMANCE LAB: MACBETH Grades 9–12 Instructor: Deborah Eubanks This class will culminate in a one hour performance of Macbeth. Through intensive scene study and in-depth character exploration, students will be encouraged to find the hidden voices of these characters and ultimately perform them in their own unique way. We will create an urban war zone with sound, light and movement highlighting the menacing monologues of the apparitions and the rapid dialogue between the Macbeths. This class is for those interested in a professional experience. All students will receive highly focused and personalized direction. Space is limited and by interview only. Please call 510.647.2978 to set up an appointment. Deborah Eubanks majored in Theater Arts at Harold Pinter Studios (England). She has performed with BBC’s Hugh Stoddard and designed and implemented workshops with Stephen Hawking’s Company at Covent Garden Arts Center (Cambridge). She has written and directed for London’s Age Exchange, created and produced two teen operettas and has been teaching and directing in Bay Area for sixteen years. She has taught at A.C.T., S.F Shakes and U.S.F. Dates: Tuesdays and Thursdays (9/19, 9/21, 9/26, 9/28, 10/3, 10/5, 10/10, 10/12, 10/17, 10/19, 10/24, 10/26, 10/31, 11/2, 11/7, 11/9, 11/14, 11/16, 11/21, 11/30 and one 5 hour rehearsal, date TBA), 4:30–6:30PM Tuition: $450.00 AUDITION LAB: PREPARE FOR COLLEGE AND HIGH SCHOOL Grades 9–12 Instructor: Andy Murray To be an actor, whether it’s in high school, college or on Broadway, you will have to audition and do it well. The class covers all aspects of the audition process but focuses on the commitment to strong, imaginatively chosen actions, the basis for any great acting. Students will work on one Shakespeare and one contemporary monologue and leave fully prepared for high school and college auditions. Andy Murray has worked at A.C.T., Berkeley Rep, San Jose Rep, Seattle Rep, as well as CalShakes, Shakespeare Santa Cruz and SF Shakes among others. He has taught at Vista College and CalShakes where he is also an Associate Artist. Dates: Mondays (9/18, 9/25, 10/2, 10/9, 10/16), 4:30–6:30PM Tuition: $140.00 MASTER ACTING INTENSIVE Grades 9–12 Instructor: Luanne Nunes de Char Using conservatory training techniques, we will break down modern texts for performance. We’ll study various acting “methods” including Stanislavsky, Meisner, Adler, Hagen, Strasberg and Michael Chekhov. Recommended for students pursuing theatre training at the University level. Space is limited and by interview only. Please call 510.647.2978 to set up an appointment. Luanne Nunes de Char has directed for the Berkeley Rep School of Theatre, The Denver Center, Sea World, Cal Shakes, Denver Children’s Theatre, Mark Taper Forum, The National Theatre Conservatory and several universities. She was Resident Director for ten years at the Denver Center of Performing Arts (Dept. of Educ.) and spent 5 seasons in the Soviet Union doing political theatre with students. She has a B.A. in Theatre from UCLA and an M.F.A. in Directing from USC. Dates: Sundays (11/5, 11/12, 11/19, 12/3, 12/10), 1–4PM Tuition: $200.00 STAGE COMBAT—RAPIER AND DAGGER Ages 16 to adult Instructor: Dave Maier Don’t just act, Fight! Increase your versatility as a performing artist. Learn theatrical swordplay with an emphasis on safety and telling the story of the fight. Layer acting principles over fight techniques to create the illusion of violence and support the playwright’s intensions. Students will rehearse and perform a Shakespearean scene containing theatrical violence. Additionally, students will have the opportunity to take a skills proficiency test for recognition as an actor combatant with Dueling Arts International. Dave Maier is an Associate Instructor with Dueling Arts International. He has choreographed fights for A.C.T. (Mainstage and M.F.A. program), Berkeley Rep, Crowded Fire, S.F. Playhouse and The Shotgun Players, among others. He has trained with Dueling Arts International and the Society of American Fight Directors. As the Outreach Coordinator at Berkeley Rep School of Theatre he has taught stage combat workshops throughout the Bay Area. He has also taught for the Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, Cal Shakes, Seattle Rep, Intiman and Seattle Children’s Theatre. Dates: Mondays (10/30, 11/6, 11/13, 11/20, 11/27, 12/4, 12/11, 12/18), 7–9:30PM Tuition: $280.00 BACK TO TOP SCHOLARSHIPS Berkeley Rep School of Theatre offers a limited amount of financial assistance (need-based scholarships and work-study positions) for students under 18 years old. For a financial aid application, please click here or call the Berkeley Rep School of Theatre at 510.647.2972. BACK TO TOP