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Alumni of the Academy For Classical Acting

Started in the fall of 2000, the ACA has over eighty alumni putting their training and talents to use all over the country. Below are some of the actors who have attended ACA over the last five years. Listed are their acting credits since graduating from the program as well as thoughts on their time spent as an Academy student.

James Beaman – Class of 2004

"Attending ACA was, without question, the best thing I have ever done for myself and my work. The experience restored in me a passion for exploration and for craft; renewed my love for language and for the classical work I had always dreamed of doing; and defined for me forever what it means to be a truly committed and responsible artist. The ACA experience, this intense one year immersion, has made me a better prepared, more disciplined and focused actor. It's all about preparation, preparation, preparation; not just scratching the surface of this material but digging deep. For me, this training was about EMPOWERMENT. The training I received at ACA has given me the core strength, physical and vocal flexibility, and sheer boldness to be a commanding presence. The guidance and nurturing of this faculty is an amazing gift and the way in which they challenge you to exceed your personal potential is what makes this one year such a pivotal moment for an actor."
Credits since graduation: As You Like It, The Shakespeare Theatre and The Kennedy Center Theatre Lab; Romeo & Juliet, Lion Theatre.

Craig Bentley – Class of 2002

"What I learned at the ACA has profoundly influenced the way that I now audition, rehearse and perform. As a matter of fact, it continues to do so with each new audition or production. The focus on the text and how we investigate what is on the page is so important for Shakespeare as well as contemporary playwrights. I now look at texts more deeply and with a keener eye than ever before. The issue of size and really exploring the material physically so that there is a deep, true connection between the text and the body is invaluable. The first job that I had after graduation was performing in a one-person show in which I impersonated more than 40 different characters. The physical work that we did in mask and clown class carried me through what could have been a terrifying experience and turned it into a joyful, creative one. I used the tools that I learned from each member of the faculty throughout the rehearsal process and felt their support with each performance."
Credits since graduation: The SantaLand Diaries, National Tour; Blood Wedding, The Theatre at Riverside Church; Art, Millbrook Playhouse; The Nerd, Cortland Repertory Theatre; The SantaLand Diaries, The Lake, Hamlet, Mill Mountain Theatre; The SantaLand Diaries, Idaho Repertory Theatre.

Tymberlee Chanel – Class of 2003

"Before attending the ACA, I was intimidated at auditions; not by the talent of other performers, but by the names of the training institutions on their resumes. I was afraid of what they knew and what I didn’t. I don’t have that fear anymore. I attended an institution with instructors of the highest caliber, who specialized in cultivating the kind of talent I wanted to possess. I feel empowered and complete now, mentally and physically. As a result, I enjoy the freedom, fearlessness and confidence that allow me to do whatever I want. I am free of my inhibitions and so my possibilities are exciting and endless."
Credits since graduation: The Importance of Being Earnest, Piano Lesson, Arena Stage; Color Me Dark, Kennedy Center Theatre Lab; Jitney, Indiana Rep; The Game of Love and Chance, Folger Shakespeare Theatre.

Sheila Hennessey – Class of 2003

"The Academy challenged me in every way: mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually. It tapped reservoirs of creative energy and courage that I wasn't sure I had, gave me a "toolkit" of skills and knowledge, and took me to a completely new level professionally."
Credits since graduation: A Midsummer Night's Dream, Henry IV Parts 1 and 2, The Shakespeare Theatre; Silent Heroes, Source Theatre; The Wire, HBO Television; host of Art News Media on PBS Television.

Marcus Kyd – Class of 2001

"At the Academy, I learned that there is much more I can access as an artist and how to do that. I suffered from pretty severe vocal damage and the Academy helped me recondition my voice and expand my vocal ability. With the guidance of movement and combat teachers, I strengthened my body for more demanding stage work. The intricate textual studies opened so many more possibilities than I had imagined (in Shakespeare and beyond). The mask work, quite possibly the greatest gift I have known as an artist, solidifies the training in a laboratory where physicality meets sound and sense. I have always been and will always be an artist. Now I am also a craftsman."
Credits since graduation: The Winter's Tale, Center Stage; Agamemnon & His Daughters, Arena Stage; Shear Madness, The Kennedy Center; Cyrano de Bergerac, The Kennedy Center's Theatre Lab; One Good Marriage, Metro Stage; Imitations for Saxophone, Arena Stage, co-founder of Taffety Punk Theatre Company; The Chairs, Round House Theatre.

Stephen Patrick Martin – Class of 2001

"My experience at the Academy for Classical Acting enlarged my perspective on both my chosen craft and life in general. My heart and mind were expanded and blown open to make room for "complicitè", "clown", "fire/water/air", "gliding", "Y-buzz", "inhibiting", "constructive rest", "teasers", "specificity", "visceral choices" and much more. Imparted to me over the intense year of total immersion was a vast array of implements and tools that I will always be able to apply in the wonderful process of creating a believable character. I feel certain that some of the friendships I made will last my lifetime. My year at the Academy did as much as anything could to pave effectively my pathway to a fulfilling professional acting career."
Credits since graduation: Hamlet, Ghosts, The Winter's Tale, The Little Foxes, Lady Windermere's Fan, The Shakespeare Theatre; The Winter's Tale, Center Stage, Agamemnon & His Daughters, Arena Stage; The Grapes of Wrath, Ford's Theatre; A Christmas Carol, Fords Theatre; Unspoken Prayers, Horizon Theatre; Julius Caesar, Baltimore Shakespeare Festival.

Robert McClure – Class of 2003

"The Academy, with some of today's most distinguished working theatre artists, provided me with a greater sense of freedom and awareness in my process. The environment at the Academy was one that constantly challenged me to use my full self in the present, all while working with some of the world's greatest material. A foundation in classical training now allows me to commit fully my voice, body, mind and spirit which is also necessary with contemporary playwrights. What the ACA has given me is an awareness of what I am capable of accomplishing when those tools are used with confidence, openness, ease and imagination."
Credits since graduation: A Streetcar Named Desire, Mr. Roberts, The Kennedy Center; Shakespeare in Hollywood, Arena Stage; Life of Galileo, The Studio Theatre; Proof, Everyman Theatre; The Architect & The Emperor of Assyria, The Gene Frankel Theatre.

Fletcher McTaggart – Class of 2002

"The greatest thing I learned at the ACA, and there were many things, both physical and emotional, was the combination of movement, text and scene work. This combination led me to understand and execute true generosity for my fellow actors, and for myself, onstage and off. I believe this generosity is a large part of the staff's approach to all the students and to their professional lives."
Credits since graduation: As You Like It, American Dreams, The Acting Company; Rose Rage, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre and Duke Theatre (NYC).

Alex Miller – Class of 2003

"Since attending the Academy I have become a more complete theatre artist. I have improved dramatically in all aspects of my craft and owe a lot of my recent professional success directly to attending this spectacular program. It is truly one of the top training establishments in the nation if not the world."
Credits since graduation: The Most Dangerous Game, Chamber Repertory Theatre of Boston; Arcadia, Rep Stage; As You Like It, The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey; Merchant of Venice, Twelfth Night, Texas Shakespeare Festival; The Homecoming, Great Plains Theatre Festival.

Paul Nicholas – Class of 2003

"ACA gave me a whole new perspective on my life, and therefore my craft. Thanks to the lessons of the program, I was able to enhance the way I physically and emotionally carry myself through the world and therefore improve my approach to the process of discovering & developing a character, a scene, a story."
Credits since graduation: Beauty of the Father, Seattle Rep; Yellowman, Everyman Theatre (Greater Baltimore Theatre Award nomination for best actor); Flyin' West, Alliance Theatre and Lincoln Theatre (D.C.); Starving, Woolly Mammoth Theatre; Law and Order:SVU (recurring role).

Marie Shell – Class of 2002

"Attending the ACA was the best thing I ever did for myself, both personally and professionally. The training changed me physically, vocally and provided me with so many new and exciting avenues to approaching my craft and my life. I now have a process, a way of working and a trust in myself, which will belong to me forever and guide me through any difficult situation onstage, backstage or off-stage. Quite simply, my training has given me an edge in the marketplace. When I walk into an audition now, I know that I can hold my own with any actor, director or script. I have the confidence and skills I need to book a job - and I have been booking them! I have worked non-stop since graduating! I look back at my time at ACA and know that I accomplished something important; this sense of accomplishment will remain with me for the rest of my life."
Credits since graduation: The Merry Wives of Windsor, Don Juan, Marin Shakespeare Company; The Prisoner of Second Avenue, California Conservatory Theatre; Steel Magnolias, Willows Theatre Company; My Fair Lady, Sierra Repertory Theatre; All My Sons, Theatre Works; The Odd Couple, Pacific Alliance Stage Company.

Foster Solomon – Class of 2002

"The most important change that came over me by going to the ACA was my loss of fear. The rigorous training put me through every acting challenge imaginable but I always felt that I was in a safe environment. Therefore, I was able to push emotional and physical boundaries within myself that I had been too afraid to do before. When I came out on the other side, "real world" acting challenges paled in comparison."
Credits since graduation: Directing: To Kill a Mockingbird, Barksdale Theatre; Acting: The Return to Morality, Rep Stage; Lobby Hero, TheatreGym; Top Dog/Underdog, TheatreGym.

Stewart Walker – Class of 2003

"I would not trade my year at the ACA for anything at all. I suspected when I applied that the program would be a wonderful experience, one that would enrich me as an actor, but I never guessed it would change my life, my work habits and how I view myself as a professional actor. In all these ways my life has changed and improved immeasurably. The ACA could not have a more enthusiastic and grateful supporter of its work, methods of teaching and creation of a nourishing theatrical community; whether or not I am gainfully employed as an actor at any given time."
Credits since graduation: King Lear, Indiana Repertory Theatre and Syracuse Stage (co-production).

Richard Watson – Class of 2001

"The ACA has changed my approach to the text. I have learned a new level of specificity for words and sounds within words. At ACA, I was influenced most by the exploration of the less confident and fearful aspects of my own acting technique."
Credits since graduation: Cyrano de Bergerac, The Island of Dr. Moreau, Orlando Shakespeare Festival; Gaslight, Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival; The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui, Cornell University; Titus Adronicus, Milwaukee Shakespeare Festival, Much Ado About Nothing, Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival; Man of La Mancha, Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival; The West End Horror, Lady Windermere’s Fan, Anything to Declare, Asolo Theatre Company.

Susan Wilder – Class of 2001

"It is so hard to say what has been most significant, the year changed my work and my life, but I think the most apparent change has been tremendous vocal flexibility. In every show, both classical and modern, I have done since leaving ACA there has been some very satisfying mention of my vocal clarity, strength, richness and musicality from vastly different roles. My prior breathiness was one of the elements that I felt limited me onstage and all the work at ACA helped me find, free and use a widely expanded voice. It is like after all these years of professional work, ACA handed me the manual so I could say, "That's what I can do!" Attending ACA was an incredible gift."
Credits since graduation: Ivanov, The Studio Theatre; King Lear, Lincoln Center Theatre, The Magic Fire, Wilma Theater (Barrymore nomination for Best Supporting Actress); Hack, CBS Television Series; Hay Fever, Gretna Theatre; Much Ado About Nothing, Marin Shakespeare Festival; A Midsummer Night's Dream, Philadelphia Shakespeare Festival; The Constant Wife, Coconut Grove Playhouse and The Walnut Street Theatre.

Gail Winar – Class of 2004

"The Academy challenged me, in a supportive and nurturing way, to candidly assess my abilities as an actor. Confronting those truths was often painful, but addressing them, and conquering them was exhilarating. The Academy helped me strengthen my vocal and physical skills; recognize and address bad habits; cultivate a deeper understanding and appreciation of language and storytelling; integrate emotional honesty with intelligent analysis of the text; embrace innovative methodologies to explore creative process and expression; and perhaps most importantly, develop my daring imagination and confidence as an artist."
Credits since graduation: Pericles, The Shakespeare Theatre; Beyond Gravity, New Jersey Repertory Company.

For more information, please call 888.ACA.7004.