Acting

acting training photo The goal of the acting curriculum at the ACA is to join the emotional, physical and imaginative life of a role with the technical skills needed to express that character to its fullest. This is achieved through rigorous foundation work and applying the basic tenets of acting to the acting of plays in verse; making strong choices that are grounded in the text, establishing a connection to the scene partner, listening and responding to what is happening in the scene.

A thorough and detailed process is established in order to bring the language to life through thoughtful text analysis, attention to the intricacies of meter and punctuation, clarity of changes in action (shifts or beat changes) and freeing up the imagination to create a wider variety of available choices. Using scenes and monologues, the students work closely with the instructors to bring their physical and vocal instruments to meet the demands of the material, and integrate the work done in other classes. In the fall term, the scenes focus on the tragedies and history plays; in the spring, comedies are introduced, along with a series of Master Classes with Michael Kahn on the Jacobeans. Throughout the year work continues on monologues from all of the plays.

The ACA faculty in Voice, Alexander Technique, Ear-training and Mask attend acting classes regularly in order to gain a greater awareness of progress and address aspects of the work in an integrated manner.