Acting for the Camera
Students will receive an introduction to acting for the camera through hands-on film projects and practical lessons. We’ll explore the different nuances and challenges of film acting versus stage acting. Students will have the opportunity to both film and be filmed. Lessons include camera technique and skills, continuity, and props on screen. Students will have the chance to complete a variety of projects such as commercials, single-shot scenes, multi-camera scenes, and voiceover work.
Laughing with the Bard
Students will learn just how funny (and punny) William Shakespeare was. This class will focus on Shakespeare’s comedies and how he used language to spread laughter in times of both darkness and light. Students will leave with introductory knowledge of a small selection of comedies: The Comedy of Errors, Love’s Labor’s Lost, and The Taming of the Shrew. Activities will include scene performances, pun analysis, and joke dissection. Prerequisite: students must have a funny bone.
Introduction to Directing
This class will provide students with the building blocks to begin stage directing. Students will be asked to direct and be directed by their peers in small group settings for short scenes with challenging circumstances. Students can expect to both act and direct in this class, though the focus will be on improving directing skills. Additional activities will include analyzing scripts, auditioning and casting, blocking a scene, and designing a production.
Play-Writing
Endeavor into the world of writing and workshop in a class that focuses on developing characters, crafting scenes, and producing engaging 10-minute plays for the stage. We’ll spend time reading and discussing plays, creatively writing from inspiring prompts, and workshopping each other’s pieces in a constructive and group-oriented manner. Once the writing and editing is done, we’ll put the plays on their feet through staged readings. A wonderful chance to get the creativity flowing and to see your ideas come to life on the page and under the lights!
The Art of S.T.E.M.
Ever wonder how our anatomy allows us to dance, or how computer code makes the art we see on screen, or even how exactly musical instruments create sound? If you have a love of biology and ballet, of chemistry and ceramics, of physics and performance then this is the class for you! We’ll delve into the realm of science to find out how art is made and to make art through science ourselves. Lab coat not required, but creativity is a must!
Hands-on Creating (Painting, Board Games, and Clay)
In this hands-on class, students have the chance to try their hands at a different tactile, creative activity each week. Pick up a brush for paint projects in Week 1 (or we might just use our fingers instead)! Design and play your own Board Game in Week 2. Mold, shape, and squish your way through some clay-based projects in Week 3. Bust out your smock, bring your out-of-the-box thinking, and get ready to paint, play, and clay your way through the summer!
Musical Theatre
Calling all prospective Broadway stars! This class will give students the freedom to perform just about anything their hearts desire. Class instruction will focus on developing vocal, acting, and movement skills. Students will put it all into practice in solos, duets, and group numbers. Some class time will also be dedicated to workshopping performances and receiving feedback from peers and instructors. Get those jazz hands ready.
Dancing Through History
Go back in time in a class that focuses on the dance titans of yesterday to understand the dance world today. Each week, we’ll look at the unique styles and lives of three different pioneers of modern dance, and get the chance to dance just like they did. Students will learn some background information about each artist before getting a thorough introduction into that artist’s pieces, technique, and legacy. We’ll end each week with students creating their own choreography inspired by the dancers we’ve studied.
Choreography for All
Ever wondered how dances are put together? If you have an interest in making your own dances and want to know more about how choreographers make movement, then this class is perfect for you. Students will learn about all the aspects that comprise a piece, including composition, spatial awareness, repetition, unison, and more! We’ll end each week having completed a fully choreographed and set dance piece! The only requirement: creativity.
Beginning Knitting and Sewing
Want to learn how to knit? Make a nice warm scarf or hat for… July? This class introduces the basics of the knit stitch and purl stitch in the first week, the second week will focus on using sewing techniques on your knit item, and the third week we will hand stitch and learn how to sew buttons!
Adventures in Creative Writing
Have you ever wanted to write a story as engrossing as one from your favorite author? Do you love to create new worlds with your words? If you have an interest in molding characters, reading great works, and uncovering plot twists, then Creative Writing is the class for you! Each week, we will explore multiple aspects of Creative Writing as an art form, from prose to poetry to creative nonfiction, working our way up to building an involved story of your own unique creation. All you need is a pen and paper to make something great!
Theater Play and Improvisation
You’re stranded on a deserted island with nothing but your classmate and a fishing net. Suddenly, killer crabs attack! What do you do? Think on your feet and be creative! Theater improvisation is one of the most fun ways to explore acting and truly play around with theater. You will learn to be spontaneous, think outside the box, and abandon all hesitations in the name of improv. Through warm-ups, exercises, and games, we will explore the rich world of theater improvisation, eventually building up to improvising entire scenes together, while certainly having lots of laughs along the way!