School of Theatre > For adults > Classes
Adult classes
Our summer session of classes will begin the week of July 2, 2012. Course descriptions available below.
For our current students, the spring class schedule is listed at the bottom of the page. Enrollment for the spring classes is closed.
Away for the summer?
Not to worry! Fall classes start September 17. Check back in August for more information.
Playwriting / Filmmaking / Directing
acting
Acting (Beginning)
Instructors: Michael Navarra and Michael Storm
Develop a basic understanding of the fundamentals of acting using a Stanislavski-based practice in this six-week class. Through exercises and scene work, students are introduced to the elements of dramatic action, text analysis and character development as they cultivate tools for releasing inhibitions and expanding vocal and physical range. May be repeated.
Michael Navarra works as a SAG/AEA actor in both theatre and film. He has played leading roles with TheatreWorks, B Street Theatre, Traveling Jewish Theatre, Word for Word, Pacific Repertory Theatre, Sierra Repertory Theatre, Central Works, Pacific Alliance Stage Company and the San Francisco and Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festivals. Michael earned an MFA from the University of Washington and has taught at the Berkeley Rep School of Theatre and Napa Valley College.
Michael Storm has been the artistic director of TheatreFIRST for three years and has overseen the production of six plays, including one Bay Area premiere, one co-production world premiere and multiple staged readings. He has been acting, directing, teaching and producing theatre for over 20 years in the Bay Area. He has also performed with the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Berkeley Rep, Cal Shakes, Crowded Fire and Napa Valley Repertory Theatre, among others. Recent directing credits include Anton in Show Business and Stones in his Pockets with TheatreFIRST, The Hermit Bird with Virago Theatre Company and Every Christmas Story Ever Told with San Jose Stage Company. Michael received his training at UC Irvine and the University of Alabama’s MFA Program.
MON 7–10pm • 7/2, 7/9, 7/16, 7/23, 7/30, 8/6 • $260 (Storm)
THU 7–10pm • 7/5, 7/12, 7/19, 7/26, 8/2, 8/9 • $260 (Navarra)
Acting (Intermediate)
Instructor: Marvin Greene
Students analyze and perform scenes straight from dramatic literature. Special emphasis is placed on encouraging the actor to focus his/her intelligence and imagination on making dramatically effective choices by playing provocative actions, discovering the event within the scene and finding creative obstacles. Prerequisite: Prior acting experience or previous acting classes at the School of Theatre or other reputable theatre studio that stressed the fundamentals of text analysis, beat breakdown and character objectives. May be repeated.
Marvin Greene is a professional actor and has performed with major regional theatres such as ACT, Aurora Theatre, Long Wharf Theatre and San Jose Rep. Marvin has been an instructor at ACT since 1994 and also teaches at UC Berkeley and at the Academy of Art College in San Francisco.
WED 7–10pm • 7/11, 7/18, 7/25, 8/1, 8/8, 8/15 • $260
Comedy Scene Study (Intermediate/Advanced)
Instructor: Deborah Eubanks
This class focuses on the farcical style of comedy known as “coarse acting.” This zany, comedic genre is best embodied by Shakespeare’s well-known comedic characters, Bottom and Dogberry, both replete with malapropisms, unabashed arrogance and a total inability to laugh at themselves. Students will work on scenes from Streuth by Michael Green, A Midwinter’s Tale by Kenneth Branagh and Much Ado about Nothing and A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Shakespeare.
Deborah Eubanks majored in theatre arts at Harold Pinter Studios in 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 the Bay Area for 16 years. Deborah has taught at ACT, San Francisco Shakespeare Festival and USF.
THU 7–10pm • 7/5, 7/12, 7/19, 7/26, 8/2, 8/9 • $260
Acting Shakespeare (Intermediate/Advanced)
Instructor: Julian López-Morillas
This summer, Henry V, King John and A Midsummer Night’s Dream are being performed in the Bay Area. This three-week intensive class coincides with these local productions, giving students the opportunity to see the text they’re studying come to life on stage. Students will study the stories, characters, relationships, themes and language (including iambic pentameter, scansion, prose, rhetoric and figures of speech), and explore the imaginative worlds and distinctive qualities of each of these plays. Students will work on short scenes, monologues and soliloquies from these works. Learn how to choose strong, exciting and varied actions and how to harness the power of sound, imagery and rhythm.
Julian López-Morillas is well known in the Bay Area as a professional actor and director specializing in Shakespeare. He holds the rare distinction of having appeared in professional productions of all 38 of Shakespeare’s plays, and has directed some 20 of them. He had a long association with California Shakespeare Theatre and served as its Associate Artistic Director for several years. Julian has taught Shakespeare as literature at Mills College and classical acting technique at UC Berkeley, San Jose State, Foothill College, Solano College and Dominican College.
MON & WED 7–10pm • 7/2, 7/9, 7/11, 7/16, 7/18, 7/23 • $260
Acting (Advanced)
Instructor: Ken Kelleher
Acting (Advanced) is an intensive scene-study course for people with previous acting training and/or experience. The class focuses on solidifying technique, deepening internal connection and strengthening textual analysis skills. Scenes are drawn from a variety of styles and genres. Students should expect to spend substantial rehearsal time outside of class. For acceptance into this class, students must submit a resume to school@berkeleyrep.org for consideration. May be repeated.
Ken Kelleher is artistic director of Pacific Repertory Theatre and resident director at the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival. He has been a director in the Bay Area for the past 25 years, having worked at San Jose Rep, San Jose Stage Company, TheatreWorks, Sacramento Theatre Company and Cal Shakes.
MON 7–10pm • 7/2, 7/9, 7/16, 7/23, 7/30, 8/6 • $260
On-Camera Acting
Instructor: Michael Navarra
Learn how to give truthful and authentic performances on camera. This class gives beginning and experienced students a professional approach to acting that covers cold reading, scene study and on-camera acting skills. Scenes will be recorded using digital cameras and will be available for students to keep for their records. Full attendance is required, as students will be paired up with scene partners and set to shoot on specific dates.
Michael Navarra works as a SAG/AEA actor in both theatre and film. He has played leading roles with TheatreWorks, B Street Theatre, Traveling Jewish Theatre, Word for Word, Pacific Repertory Theatre, Sierra Repertory Theatre, Central Works, Pacific Alliance Stage Company and the San Francisco and Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festivals. Michael earned an MFA from the University of Washington and has taught at the Berkeley Rep School of Theatre and Napa Valley College.
TUE 7–10pm • 7/3, 7/10, 7/17, 7/24, 7/31, 8/7 • $260
Voice-over Acting
Instructor: Sally Clawson
This voice-over class introduces and establishes the skills required to perform different genres of voice acting. In this three-week intensive, beginning and professional actors learn the techniques and artistry of reading commercial, narration and character copy. Students also learn professional microphone techniques, home-recording tips and how to read authentically. Voice-over lessons will be recorded for students to keep for their records.
Sally Clawson is a SAG-AFTRA actor in both voice over and on-camera. She has been voicing commercials, industrials and video games for over ten years. A partial list of her clients include McDonald’s, Toyota, PG&E, Sprint, Macy’s, Apple, Yahoo, Dolby, EA Games, Telltale Games and Lucas Arts. Sally earned an MFA from Mills College. She has taught at Cal Shakes and is currently on the faculty of Voice One.
MON & WED 7–10pm • 7/25, 7/30, 8/1, 8/6, 8/8, 8/13 • $285
Acting Shakespeare (Intermediate/Advanced)
Instructor: Julian López-Morillas
We approach Shakespeare’s text from the starting point of its rhythmic, sound and image qualities as well as its character and dramatic values, stressing the richness of the author’s text and the many strands of understanding and technique that must come together for the actor to fully to exploit its meaning. Only a comprehensive approach that comes to grips with the complexity of Shakespeare’s dramatic writing can unlock the full potential of his language.
Julian López-Morillas is well known in the Bay Area as a professional actor and director specializing in Shakespeare. He holds the rare distinction of having appeared in professional productions of all 38 of Shakespeare’s plays, and has directed some 20 of them. He had a long association with California Shakespeare Theater and served as its Associate Artistic Director for several years. Julian has taught Shakespeare as literature at Mills College and classical acting technique at UC Berkeley, San Jose State, Foothill College, Solano College and Dominican College.
MON 7–10pm • 5/7, 5/14, 5/21, 6/4, 6/11 • $210
Acting (Advanced)
Instructor: Ken Kelleher
Acting (Advanced) is an intensive scene-study course for students with previous acting training and/or experience. The class focuses on solidifying technique, deepening internal connection and strengthening textual analysis skills. Scenes are drawn from a variety of styles and genres, and students should expect to spend substantial rehearsal time outside of class. For acceptance into this class, students must submit a resume to school@berkeleyrep.org for consideration.
Ken Kelleher is artistic director of Pacific Repertory Theatre and resident director at the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival. He has been a director in the Bay Area for the past 25 years, having worked at San Jose Rep, San Jose Stage Company, TheatreWorks, Sacramento Theatre Company and Cal Shakes.
MON 7–10pm • 5/7, 5/14, 5/21, 6/4, 6/11 • $210
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improvisation
Improvisation (Beginning/Intermediate)
Instructor: Diane Rachel
Gain experience and understanding of the philosophies and fundamentals of improvisational theatre using a Keith Johnstone (IMPRO)-based practice in this six-week class. Through playful interactive theatre games and storytelling, students are introduced to the elements of spontaneity, listening, accepting and responding. This methodology helps students access their imaginations, free their inhibitions and increase their confidence. This class, taught by a professional improviser, focuses on skills that enhance the student’s creative path. Principles explored include being present to the moment, letting go of the inner critic and strengthening creative impulses. May be repeated.
Diane Rachel has been performing and teaching at BATS Improv since 1989. She created a specialty long-form program with a focus on intimate acting and stage combat, which has attracted an international following. She has led workshops in Melbourne, Paris, Amsterdam and Helsinki and has taught at ACT and Stanford. Diane is a founding member of San Francisco improv group True Fiction Magazine.
TUE 7–10pm • 7/3, 7/10, 7/17, 7/24, 7/31, 8/7 • $260
Improvisation: Four Favorite Genres (Intermediate/Advanced)
Instructor: Diane Rachel
Open your mind to the infinite possibilities of improvised theatre. Students delve into the more potent possibilities of improv, while exploring the nuance of style in storytelling and continued development of spontaneity and dynamic play. The focus of this class is on four specific genres: musical, horror, romance and action-adventure. Students practice improvised singing with a musician, stage combat techniques and how to create intimacy and action-packed scenes without the aid of a million-dollar budget.
Please see teacher bio above.
WED 7–10pm • 7/11, 7/18, 7/25, 8/1, 8/8, 8/15 • $260
Improv for Mental Health Practitioners
Instructor: Rebecca Stockley
Improv can free you from the constraints of being such a good grown-up. Shake off the day and free yourself to play. Show up, play, have fun and be bad. We’ll explore the principles of improvisation: the power of saying “yes,” embracing failure and responding spontaneously. If you enjoy role play, especially if you enjoy playing the role of the client, this is the class for you.
Rebecca Stockley is co-founder of BATS Improv in San Francisco. She has been teaching and performing improv since the mid ‘80s and has created improvisation training for numerous theatre training programs. Rebecca attended the University of Washington Professional Actor Training Program, and her company brings improvisation to business training, working with companies as diverse as Nordstrom, Apple Inc. and Pixar Animation Studios.
THU 7–9pm • 5/10, 5/17, 5/24, 5/31, 6/7 • $150
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physical theatre / voice
Acting Violence: Theatrical Combatant Certification—Level 1 Unarmed
Ages 16 and up
Instructor: Dave Maier
Learn to take a punch! Unarmed combat is the most common form of violence found in theatre. Increase your skill set and versatility while honing your craft as an actor. This class will cover falls, slaps, punches, hair pulls, fighting with found objects and other theatrical techniques essential to creating the illusion of violence. Students will rehearse and perform a scene containing unarmed violence. Additionally, students will have the opportunity to take a skills proficiency test for recognition as a Theatrical Combatant with Dueling Arts International. This class is a perfect precursor to all other theatrical violence techniques and it also provides training for teachers who want to utilize stage combat in the classroom.
Dave Maier has composed fights for Berkeley Rep, ACT, Shotgun Players, Cal Shakes, Shakespeare Santa Cruz, La Jolla Playhouse, the Cutting Ball Theatre, SF Playhouse, Impact Theatre and Berkeley Opera. He is a full instructor of theatrical combat with Dueling Arts International and outreach coordinator at Berkeley Rep School of Theatre.
MON 7–10pm • 7/2, 7/9, 7/16, 7/23, 7/30, 8/6 • $260
Physical Comedy
Instructor: Ben Johnson
Explore the ancient and irreverent art of physical comedy. Whether they’re found on stage, screen or sitting around the Paleolithic campfire, physical comedians have always used their unique set of nonverbal skills to upend the social order and provide laughter when it’s needed most. We will spend our time together expanding the depth and versatility of your performer’s toolkit by playing with a mixed bag of physical storytelling, dance, slapstick, acrobatics and variety skills. Students will use their bodies and imaginations to tell stories that are often comedic, occasionally dramatic and always engaging.
Ben Johnson has worked as a professional performer and teacher since 1997. He has performed at ACT in Scapin, including understudying Bill Irwin. He has also appeared as a featured clown in Cirque du Soleil’s Alegria, as Merrick in The Elephant Man and as a company member of BATS Improv. Ben holds a MA in teaching from Brown University and has taught for the Berkeley Rep School of Theatre, BATS Improv, Cal Shakes, Pixar University, TheatreWorks, Mills College, Berkeley Playhouse, UCSD, URI, Wheaton College, the ArtsLiteracy Project at Brown University and at public and private schools in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and California.
WED 7–10pm • 7/11, 7/18, 7/25, 8/1, 8/8, 8/15 • $260
Movement for Actors: Creating Physical Language
Instructor: Renzo Ampuero
Gain resources for devising physical performance and improve your body- and spatial-awareness through an exploration of the Viewpoints technique and Laban Movement Analysis. This introductory course helps students develop a working knowledge of these disciplines. Students apply core concepts to their work individually and as an ensemble, participating in peer-reviewed performances.
Renzo Ampuero is an actor engaged with the intersections of physical theatre, dance and other creative disciplines. Originally from Peru and recently relocated to San Francisco, Renzo has performed in New York, Cambridge, Moscow and Sao Paulo. He has collaborated with playwright Ellen McLaughlin in the development of new plays and is a member of La Criatura Theater Company in New York. Renzo has an MFA from American Repertory Theater at Harvard University.
THU 7–10pm • 7/5, 7/12, 7/19, 7/26, 8/2, 8/9 • $260
Alexander Technique and Linklater Voice
Instructors: Lisa Anne Porter and Elyse Shafarman
This workshop offers an enriched experience for actors seeking vocal freedom, postural improvement and an easy, more connected desire to communicate. Through the Alexander Technique, students learn a systematic method to relax, align and free themselves from limiting tension habits. With a new degree of physical control and ease in place, students move more quickly and deeply into the material developed by Kristin Linklater to free the actor’s natural voice. Learn exercises that provide a freer, deeper, fuller breath connection and a stronger, more dynamic vocal range that truly reveals thoughts and feelings, rather than portraying them.
Lisa Anne Porter is a designated Linklater voice instructor and is currently teaching at UC Davis. She has also taught at ACT, Cal Shakes, Shakespeare & Company, Syracuse University and Naropa University. She has performed with numerous repertory companies and Shakespeare festivals including ACT, SF Shakes, Cal Shakes and Shakespeare Santa Cruz.
Elyse Shafarman has an MA in physiological psychology and is an AmSAT Certified Alexander Technique Teacher. Elyse teaches the Alexander Technique to actors in training at ACT’s MFA program and has a private practice in San Francisco and Berkeley. Her background includes a 10-year career as a modern dancer and training in a wide array of movement disciplines including Gyrotonics, Svaroopa Yoga, Body-Mind Centering and Feldenkrais. Over the past seven years, she has taught Alexander Technique at schools and worksites throughout the Bay Area, including ACT’s Summer Training Congress, Elephant Pharmacy, The French American International High School, Pricewaterhouse Coopers and San Francisco State University.
TUE 7–10pm • 7/3, 7/10, 7/17, 7/24, 7/31, 8/7 • $260
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playwriting / filmmaking / directing
Summer Playwriting Workshop
Instructor: Gary Graves
This program is for playwrights who are interested in an intensive developmental workshop period of six weeks, followed by a staged reading of the work in an open workshop setting. This very successful program, now in its seventh season, is an exciting way to take a script to the next stage. Writers must be prepared to take the lead in the staging of their own plays, as this workshop includes a hands-on production component. Secondly, writers will participate in the readings of fellow students within the group and are responsible for generating an audience for themselves and their peers. The culminating reading series amounts to the presentation of eight new plays in four days. It’s an exhilarating experience, but a demanding one. Consent of the instructor is required prior to enrollment. For submission guidelines and availability, please email school@berkeleyrep.org or call 510 647–2972. Limited to eight students.
Gary Graves is a company co-director of Central Works Theater Ensemble in Berkeley. Now in its twelfth season, Central Works is dedicated to the development of new works for the theatre. He has written and directed numerous productions with Central Works, at U.C. Berkeley, Hardback Theater and American Theater Arts in Los Angeles. He holds an MFA in Playwriting from Southern Illinois University and a PhD in directing from U.C. Berkeley.
SAT 10am–2pm • 7/7, 7/14, 7/21, 7/28, 8/4, 8/11 • $500
In addition, the course includes a staged-reading showcase of students’ new work presented from Thursday, August 16 to Sunday, August 19.
Make a Short Film
Instructor: Christopher Morrison
Learn everything you need to know about how to use what’s in your life right now to make a short film that is full of character and plot without spending a dime. We will work on how to examine your life to pull together everything you need to shoot your film—most of it is in your pocket right now! We will also work on “post production” including color correction and fixing sound issues. Short films are a great way to learn the craft of filmmaking without the expense of film school (or racking up credit card debt!). Shorts are in demand and can be screened anywhere from YouTube to the most prestigious film festivals around the world. Let’s get shooting!
Christopher Morrison is an award-winning writer, director and actor who has worked on over 100 theatrical productions and films. His shorts have appeared in festivals throughout the United States and …Less Than Kind, the award-winning short film he wrote and directed, premiered out of competition at the Cannes Film Festival in 2008 and is distributed by OUAT! Media. He has been commissioned for four feature scripts, multiple short scripts and a full-length play that premiered in Melbourne, Australia. He has a writing credit on American Cowslip, an indie film which features Cloris Leachman, Bruce Dern and Val Kilmer. Christopher’s theatrical directing has been seen on both coasts and in Chicago, and he has performed with Cirque du Soleil, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, The Huntington Theatre Company and California Shakespeare Theatre, to name a few.
THU 7–10pm • 7/5, 7/12, 7/19, 7/26, 8/2, 8/9 • $260
Directing: A Deeper Alchemy
Instructor: Patricia Miller
Creating theatre is like ancient alchemy: steeped in lore, mysterious operations and daily craft. Sharpen your toolbox and deepen your craft in order to manifest your inspired director’s vision. This dynamic, hands-on directing class is for theatre-makers (directors, actors, writers, choreographers) who have some experience in the “laboratory” of theatre/performance. Get the most from your material and your actor/collaborators. Students study practical foundation work from Brecht, Stanislavski, Boal, Lecoq, Brook, Barba and Bogart. Scene work addresses text genres, including naturalism and heightened forms, as well as physical, devised and postmodern material. The class culminates in a final showcase for invited guests.
Patricia Miller brings a diversity of experience to theatre directing, teaching and acting. Her work has been seen all over the U.K., including Edinburgh premieres, Europe and California. She has an MFA in directing from UC Davis. U.S. directing credits include The Magic Theatre, UC Riverside, UC Davis, Berkeley Rep School of Theatre and Teatro Zinzanni. U.K. directing credits include Mountview Theatre School, National Youth Theatre of Great Britain, New Playwrights Festival, Riverside Studios and the Edinburgh Festival. Patricia’s teaching credits include UC Riverside, UC Davis, Berkeley City College, San Francisco City College, California Shakespeare Festival, Aurora Theatre Education and the Berkeley Rep School of Theatre. She holds an MFA in directing from UC Davis.
TUE 7–10pm • 7/3, 7/10, 7/17, 7/24, 7/31, 8/7 • $260
Directing
Instructor: Patricia Miller
Directing is the act of making the invisible visible. It’s a dynamic dance between words and action; creativity and craft; actor, director and audience. This hands-on class is focused on manifesting your vision and building your director’s tool box, no matter what level of experience. Analyze text, create theatrical space, explore the rehearsal process and collaborate with actors. Practical experiments and scene work will culminate in a showcase for invited guests. We will reference important directors including Stanislavski, Brecht, Brook, Bogart and Lepage. Dive in, stimulate your creativity and hone your craft.
Patricia Miller brings a diversity of experience to theatre directing, teaching and acting. Her work has been seen all over the U.K., including Edinburgh premieres, Europe and California. She has an MFA in directing from UC Davis. U.S. directing credits include The Magic Theatre, UC Riverside, UC Davis, Berkeley Rep School of Theatre and Teatro Zinzanni. U.K. directing credits include Mountview Theatre School, National Youth Theatre of Great Britain, New Playwrights Festival, Riverside Studios and the Edinburgh Festival. Patricia’s teaching credits include UC Riverside, UC Davis, Berkeley City College, San Francisco City College, California Shakespeare Festival, Aurora Theatre Education and the Berkeley Rep School of Theatre. She holds an MFA in directing from UC Davis.
MON 7–10pm • 5/7, 5/14, 5/21, 6/4, 6/11 • $210
Introduction to Performance Art
Instructor: Erica Blue
Students examine the history of performance art, from early human rituals to Dadaists, as well as the most prominent performance artists of our time. Investigate site-specific work, durational material, Action Theater, happenings and solo work. As a group, we will visit the Performance Art Institute, First Friday Art Murmur in Oakland and other venues where performance art work is happening. Students will then begin to develop their own conceptual artistic philosophies to influence the creation of their own original pieces.
Erica Blue has a BA in dance/theatre and child development from Sarah Lawrence College. She has taught and performed around the U.S. from La MaMa in New York to the Cleveland Performance Art Festival and won Best of the Fringe in San Francisco and Seattle. Now a mother of two boys, she has redoubled her enthusiasm for teaching young people how to explore their imaginations.
THU 7–10pm • 5/17, 5/24, 5/31, 6/7, 6/14 • $210
Solo Performance: The Art of Juggling the Truth
Instructor: Sara Felder
Devise original material for solo theatre in a supportive and fun environment. Students investigate characters, imagery, objects and different narrative voices, while finding the humor in the pain (and vice versa). Be prepared to experiment, fail, laugh and surprise yourself. Along the way, we will generate new material, try on different performance styles and, if we’re lucky, amuse the muse. This class is for all explorers, from first-timers to seasoned performers.
Sara Felder is a solo theatre artist, playwright, humorist, juggler, teacher and activist. Her solo plays have included the themes of Jewish same-sex marriage (June Bride), the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (Out of Sight), mental illness (Melancholy, A Comedy) and grief (A Queer Divine)—all comedies. Sara ran away with San Francisco’s Pickle Family Circus, was a featured act in Joel Grey’s Borscht Capades, toured Cuba with Jugglers for Peace, opened for Joan Rivers, taught juggling in California prisons and continues to perform and teach all over the world. She has taught performance and comedy at San Francisco State University, Drexel University, New College of California, Ko Theater Festival and Trillium Arts Collective, to name a few. A recipient of many commissions and awards, Sara most recently performed a four-month critically-acclaimed run of Out of Sight at the Marsh in San Francisco and Berkeley.
THU 7–10pm • 5/17, 5/24, 5/31, 6/7, 6/14 • $210
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technical theatre
Beginning Sewing
Instructors: Maggi Yule and Amy Bobeda
Bring your love for Project Runway, your curiosity for the art of sewing or your desire to sew the perfect hem to reality with our Beginning Sewing class. Focused on hand and machine techniques, the class will work through the standard processes of patterns, cutting, sewing and finishing. Students will complete the class with a finished project, a strong foundation in the craft and a readiness for projects of their own or for advancing to an intermediate course. Sewing machines and materials provided.
Amy Bobeda, a Bay Area native, attended both USC and UC Santa Cruz, where she studied theatre design and wig making. A long-standing employee of Shakespeare Santa Cruz, Amy is currently the costume fellow at Berkeley Rep and has worked with Cal Shakes, Bay Area Children’s Theatre, Berkeley Playhouse, Town Hall Theatre in Lafayette, Marin Academy, Shotgun Players and Playground. She makes wigs and facial hair for private clients and various productions.
Maggi Yule has been working in the costume industry for over 30 years. Originally from New York, she received a BFA from SUNY Purchase in Costume Design. Maggi worked in New York for many years designing costumes for theatre, film, television and industrial shows. Some of her credits include Tales from the Darkside, Short Attention Span Theatre with Jon Stewart and Little Caesar’s Pizza. Since moving to the Bay Area, Maggi has designed shows for Berkeley Rep, The Aurora Theatre, Bay Area Children’s Theatre, TheatreFirst and Town Hall Theatre in Lafayette. She has also designed costumes for industrial clients like BMW and Tibco. The Costume Director at Berkeley Rep for the past seven years, she enjoys the opportunity to work with School of Theatre students on a regular basis.
MON 5–7pm • 7/2, 7/9, 7/16, 7/23, 7/30, 8/6 • $150
Intermediate Sewing: Constructing Costumes
Instructors: Maggi Yule and Amy Bobeda
Students with a prior background in hand and machine sewing apply their knowledge to the world of costume construction. Perfectly timed to celebrate the Renaissance Faire and Dickens Faire, this class focuses on the construction of simple period garments, taking basic shapes and patterns and altering them into other period styles. This class is not only encouraged for those who want to apply their skills to costumes, but for anyone with prior experience who wishes to hone their skills in garment construction. Sewing machines and materials provided.
Please see instructor bios above.
MON 7:30–9:30pm • 7/2, 7/9, 7/16, 7/23, 7/30, 8/6 • $150
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workshops
Alexander Technique
Instructor: Elyse Shafarman
Banish tension from your body and your life. Habitual tension interferes with balanced movement and the simple act of breathing. The Alexander Technique is a time-honored method used by actors to attain control and comfort in their bodies. In this one-day workshop, you will undo years of ingrained postural habit. You will stop working hard and start moving effortlessly. Effective movement frees your acting skills and enriches your performance. As you stop responding to the world in a habitual manner, new avenues of physical ease and creativity open up. Discover the Alexander Technique. Let your body’s physical genius emerge!
Elyse Shafarman has an MA in physiological psychology and is an AmSAT Certified Alexander Technique Teacher. Elyse teaches the Alexander Technique to actors in training at ACT’s MFA program and has a private practice in San Francisco and Berkeley. Her background includes a 10-year career as a modern dancer and training in a wide array of movement disciplines including Gyrotonics, Svaroopa Yoga, Body-Mind Centering and Feldenkrais. Over the past seven years, she has taught Alexander Technique at schools and worksites throughout the Bay Area, including ACT’s Summer Training Congress, Elephant Pharmacy, The French American International High School, Pricewaterhouse Coopers and San Francisco State University.
SAT 11:30am–5:30pm • 7/21 • $75
Voice for Business Professionals
Instructor: Deborah Eubanks
This class focuses on the voice as a critical tool of communication and effective leadership. Identify the factors that are keeping you from having a confident, free, clear and personable way of communicating. Be more charismatic in times of conflict, and negotiate with empathy. The class gives students the tools for excelling in public speaking whether in presentations, board meetings or teleconferences. Develop a communication style that feels natural and unrehearsed, conveys the passion of your intentions and draws the listener to your point of view.
Deborah Eubanks majored in theatre arts at Harold Pinter Studios in 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 the Bay Area for 16 years. Deborah has taught at ACT, San Francisco Shakespeare Festival and USF.
SAT 10am–3pm • 8/4, 8/11 • $150
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spring class schedule
(Enrollment for the spring classes is closed.)
Acting (Beginning)
MON 7–9pm • 4/2, 4/9, 4/16, 4/23, 4/30, 5/7, 5/14, 5/21, 6/4, 6/11 (Navarra)
WED 7–9pm • 4/4, 4/11, 4/18, 4/25, 5/2, 5/9, 5/16, 5/23, 5/30, 6/6 (Johnson)
Acting (Intermediate)
WED 7–10pm • 4/4, 4/11, 4/18, 4/25, 5/2, 5/9, 5/16, 5/23, 5/30, 6/6
Acting (Intermediate/Advanced)
MON 7–10pm • 4/9, 4/16, 4/23, 4/30, 5/7, 5/14, 5/21, 6/4, 6/11
On-Camera Acting
TUE 7–10pm • 4/3, 4/10, 4/17, 4/24, 5/1, 5/8, 5/15, 5/22, 5/29, 6/5
Improvisation (Beginning)
TUE 7–10pm • 4/3, 4/10, 4/17, 4/24, 5/1, 5/8, 5/15, 5/22, 5/29, 6/5
Improvisation (Intermediate)
TUE 7–10pm • 4/3, 4/10, 4/17, 4/24, 5/1, 5/8, 5/15, 5/22, 5/29, 6/5
Improvisation Performance Lab
WED 7–10pm • 4/4, 4/11, 4/18, 4/25, 5/2 (performance), 5/9, 5/16, 5/23, 5/30, 6/1 (performance)
Alexander Technique and Linklater Voice
WED 7–10pm • 4/4, 4/11, 4/18, 4/25, 5/2, 5/9, 5/16, 5/23, 5/30, 6/6
Playwriting
TUE 7–10pm • 4/3, 4/10, 4/17, 4/24, 5/1, 5/8, 5/15, 5/22, 5/29, 6/5
“The instructor gave incredibly insightful direction during scene work. He also did a great job of creating a community.”
—Student, Acting (Beginning), Fall 2011
“The teacher allowed actors and non-actors the same opportunity to learn and be creative. She fostered an openness among everyone and found something good and creative within each student.”
—Student, Improvisation (Beginning), Fall 2011
school of theatre
major sponsors
The S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation / The Mosse Foundation for Education and the Arts / The Woodlawn Foundation
