EDUCATION STATION - January 2010
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Teen Players Julia Ostmann and Akshay Sharma rehearse a scene in class.
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Junior and Teen Players to Present The Velveteen Rabbit and After Juliet
The Junior and Teen Players are two groups of very excited young actors because Theatre Conservatory Director Hisa Takakuwa has announced the plays they will perform in the Nicholas Studio this spring—and they are wonderful selections.
The Junior Players will present The Velveteen Rabbit, based on the children’s classic by Margery Williams, adapted for the stage by Thomas Olson (March 20-21 and 27-28); and the Teen Players will present Sharman MacDonald’s After Juliet (May 29-30 and June 4, 5-6), the story of the Capulets and Montagues following the deaths of the young lovers.
The Players were chosen by audition to be part of their performance ensembles after at least two years of actor training. They will spend class time from now on working on their roles, under the direction of Mercy Vasquez (The Velveteen Rabbit) and Takakuwa (After Juliet).
According to Takakuwa, “We take it slowly during this process, not just rehearsing the plays but working on interpretation, character, script analysis—all of the things the students have studied during class time. It’s an exciting process, which requires extra rehearsals as we get closer to the public performances. They’re willing to devote more time because they are our most dedicated students—and, of course, getting onstage to perform is the highlight.”
Junior Players are Brooke Boukather, Rachel Charny, Chelsea Davis, Ally Hickok, William Hopper, Christopher Huntley, Jaclyn Martin, Grace O’Brien, Jamie Ostmann, Karoline Ribak, Demie Santone and Juliet Weaver.
Teen Players are Nick Slimmer, Ellis Beardsley, Connor Dugard, Lauren Gardner, Valentina Gehley, Julia Jech, Julia Ostmann, Akshay Sharma, Rachel Teague, Max Weinberg and Elizabeth Wilson.
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Acting for the Camera teacher Jill Newton, left, gives students some pointers.
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Come Inside this Winter for
Adult Acting Classes
Orange County’s chilly-rainy season usually occurs around the time SCR’s Theatre Conservatory begins its winter session of acting classes for adults. New and continuing students step inside the Education Department’s cozy classrooms, where they spend weeknights at play.
Well, some classes are more playful than others. For instance, Greg Atkins’ Beginning Improvisation is way playful, while Adult Acting Program Director Karen Hensel’s Actors Workshop is more serious, and other classes fall somewhere in between.
But they’re all taught by working professionals and carefully developed according to students’ needs: beginning levels are available for those who wish to build up communication skills or just overcome shyness, meet new people and gain a little spontaneity in their lives; on the other hand, serious students will be able to advance their training through progressively more intense sessions, and many of those who complete the advanced classes go on to SCR’s Professional Acting Program, an eight-week summer session for career-minded actors.
In other words, there’s something for everyone. And the good news is that students may now register online at SCR’s website, where detailed information is available about each of the nine classes offered in the winter session (January 11-March 3, 2010). Check it out.
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Professional Actor Training students Oscar Gubelman, Christopher Hyde, Elizabeth Nolan and Jaycob Hunter in the 2009 production of A Christmas Carol.
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Calling All Pros
SCR’s Professional Actor Training Program will hold its annual eight-week summer session June 7-July 31, 2010. Applications are available online, and auditions begin February 1, under the supervision of Director Karen Hensel, who accepts no more than 30 students to insure individualized training.
Professional actor training at SCR began in 1970 and has become nationally renowned as a crucial step in career preparation for serious acting students. Hensel has headed the program since 1986 and is a working actor, writer and teacher. She was seen most recently as Mrs. Fezziwig in A Christmas Carol and in the continuing role of Doris Collins in CBS’ “The Young and the Restless."
Information about the Professional Actor Training Program is available here, and the Education Department staff is available by phone during working hours to answer any questions potential students may have about the program at (714) 708-5549.
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