ACTING UP NEWSLETTER - FEBRUARY 2006
After
a 12 month break, Acting Up returns to Mt Martha House with weekend
one and two day drama workshops for adults aged 15 years and
up.
The historic property, based in Mt Martha, Victoria is a delightful setting for classes, with large grounds for students to use during breaks and within easy reach of Mt Martha Village, which has a varied selection of cafes and food outlets. And, Mt Martha Beach is only a five minute walk from the property!
Workshops
scheduled for 2006 include The Business of Auditioning, The Actor
on Screen, The Basics of Acting, and Mastering the Monologue,
amongst others.
We are delighted to be retuning to The House, and are looking forward to holding the various workshops we have planned over 2006 in this wonderful venue.
If you’re interested in finding out more about Mt Martha House call (03) 5974 2297 or visit http://www.salmac.com/mtmarthahouse/
March Workshop:
The Basics of Acting
- Tues 14 & Wed 15 March, 2006
A class designed for beginners, or those who have not yet trained, but are interested in learning the basic techniques required for acting with naturalism - a technique used for all screen work, as well as a majority of stage productions.
Using a combination of the Stanislavski and Chekov methods, students will work on scenes during the workshop which will then be put on tape.
Students will be asked to prepare a scene, selected by the tutor prior to the class (which will be sent to them when they book a place).
Bookings: 0410 798 514 or email
Date: Tues 14 & Wed 15 March 2006
Times: 7 to 10pm (both days)
Venue: Mt Martha House, Crn The Esplanade
& Dominion Roads, Mt Martha VIC 3934
Tutor: Sally McLean
Length
of Workshop: 2 days
Max No.
of Students: 12
Cost: $120 Full/$90 Conc.
Age group:
15 years and up
March Workshop:
The Business of Auditioning (TV)
- Saturday, March 18, 2005
Auditions. The one thing nearly every actor dreads most, and yet we must all go through them. This workshop is designed to dispel the myths and non-effective habits we all form to get through this sometimes anxious, yet ultimately necessary experience. We can't make you enjoy auditioning, but we can certainly help you feel more confident when doing them!
The morning will be spent preparing an audition scene, discussion of the professional audition process as a whole & CV and headshot preparation (the "tools" of the trade).
In the afternoon, the students will undertake an audition with established and well-respected Melbourne Film & Television Casting Director, Jo Rippon (Casting Director for: Wicked Science, Scooter Secret Agent, Ocean Girl, Pirate Island, Fergus McPhail, Backberner, My Brother Jack, The Wog Boy, etc), concluding with feedback on their work.
Students will be asked to learn a scene, selected by the tutors prior to the class (which will be sent to them when they book a place).
Students will work with Jo on their audition technique for television, and have the chance to ask questions about the audition process and working on screen. Students will then put a scene on tape for their own reference.
Workshop: The Business of Auditioning (TV)
Date: Sat 18 March, 2006
Times: 10am to 4pm
Venue: Mt Martha House,
Crn The Esplanade & Dominion Roads, Mt Martha VIC 3934
Tutor: Sally McLean &
Jo Rippon
Length of Workshop: 1 day
Max No. of Students: 12
Cost: $120 Full/$90 Conc.
Age group: 15 years and
up
March Workshop:
So, You Want To Be In A Soap?
- Saturday, 13 May, 2006
This workshop will explore the realities
and techniques for acting on a serial drama (be it as a regular
cast member or guest actor) conducted by Marisa Warrington, who came from a Shakespearean theatre background
before landing a regular role on a soap for two years. Marisa
will give you the low-down on how to approach television from
a theatre actor's perspective - from every angle!
Students will be asked to learn a scene, selected by the tutors prior to the class (which will be sent to them when they book a place).
A graduate of the National Theatre Drama School (Melbourne), Marisa is probably best known to Australian and UK television audiences for her regular role as "Sindi Watts" on Neighbours.
Less well known is her training with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) in Stratford on Avon and The Barbican Theatre, London and with The Actors Centre and Cicely Berry, also in London in 2000, as well as her work playing lead roles with the Australian Shakespeare Company and the Melbourne Theatre Company (MTC).
She has played the recurring role of "Lara" on Blue Heelers, was a regular on The Eric Bana Show, played the guest characters of "Robin Dawson" and "Wendy Scott" on Neighbours (prior to her reincarnation as Sindi!) and was also a regular on Good Morning Australia.
More recently, she has played the roles of "Columbia" in The Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Regent Theatre, Melbourne and played the lead role in The Inner Sanctum by Adam Zwar for La Mama Theatre.
Additionally, Marisa's television commercial roles include ads for Telstra, Tennis Australia, Mitsubishi, Helga's.
Workshop: So, You Want To Be In A Soap?
Date: Sat 13 May, 2006
Times: 10am to 4pm
Venue: Mt Martha House,
Crn The Esplanade & Dominion Roads, Mt Martha VIC 3934
Tutor: Sally McLean &
Marisa Warrington
Length of Workshop: 1 day
Max No. of Students: 12
Cost: $120 Full/$90 Conc.
Age group: 15 years and
up
April Workshop: Mastering the Monologue - Sat 8 April, 2006
Some people will tell you that monologues are a thing of the past and you don't need to work on them. This is far from true - theatre companies such as the MTC expect you to use monologues in their general auditions, some film auditions ask the same thing and, let's face it, plays still have set monologues in the text - and that's something that began with Shakespeare and will continue for the foreseeable future.
This workshop has been developed to assist actors with the art of performing monologues - be it for auditions or on stage as part of a play. The final product will be put on tape for the students at the end of the workshop.
Students will be asked to learn a monologue, selected by the tutor prior to the class.
Date: Sat 8 April, 2006
Times: 10am to 4pm
Venue: Mt Martha House,
Crn The Esplanade & Dominion Roads, Mt Martha VIC 3934
Tutor: Sally McLean
Length of Workshop: 1 day
Max No. of Students: 12
Cost: $120 Full/$90 Conc.
Age group: 15 years and
up
For full details about the above workshops, please contact us:
Phone: 0410 798 514 | Email:
actingup@salmac.com
or visit our website: www.salmac.com/masterclasses
2006 fees for Acting Up workshops
With everyone’s budgets getting tighter and tighter, Acting Up has heeded the feedback from a recent market research survey we undertook at the end of 2005, and have REDUCED our workshop fees for 2006.
Now, students only have to pay $120 per workshop (reduced from $150) and, if they are holders of a Concession or Student card, the price drops to $90 per workshop (only available on proof of concession).
To ensure we don’t run at a loss, we will now be running three workshops a month, rather than two. Better for you and busier for us!
So, with classes that you won’t get anywhere else and real value for money, get in touch with us to find out more!
Ph: 0410 798 514
Email: actingup@salmac.com
Web: www.salmac.com/masterclasses
Update from Acting Up Creative Director, Sally McLean
I know that things appear rather grim on the
acting front in Melbourne with the recent axing of Blue Heelers
(which was announced in January) and the announced drop in funding
for the ABC, thereby reducing the number of hours of drama programming
they will produce over the next 12 months, but things are never
as bad as they seem.
The industry always ebbs and flows, and there are several projects I’m hearing about which will help turn the current situation around.
That said, as much as I support Australian stories being made for Australian audiences (as this is important to us culturally and helps define our sense of identity), I also know that the current reality is that a lot of American television series and films are being made here, or will be made here in the next few months - possibly more so than local productions.
With that in mind, I strongly encourage all Australian actors to learn to master the General American accent, in order to be ready for work on US productions filming here.
Now, before you jump at me and tell me there’s no such thing as a Gen-Am accent, let me assure you that there is, and even American actors are now having to learn it. It’s the accent you hear in just about every current Hollywood film and television series. Have a listen the next time you’re watching CSI or Desperate Housewives and you’ll notice that there are very few regional American accents being used these days - unless the character specifically requires the need for one.
I bring this up, as I had the great pleasure of working with Dr. Bruce Shapiro over January, polishing up my General American accent, and learnt a lot about both the American and Australian industries in relation to American work coming over here.
Bruce is in Melbourne working as the Dialect Coach for Nightmares & Dreamscapes, the US television series currently filming at Docklands Studios. If you haven’t got a copy of his book Speaking American, published by Currency Press, then I highly recommend you do so. It is especially designed for Australians who wish to learn an American accent, is well written, comprehensive and comes with lessons on CD. Bruce is also an American, so you’re getting the info from an authentic source. You can get your copy from any good bookshop – price is around $30.
I believe he may be running another workshop at TAFTA Productions (run by John Orcsik) in Melbourne mid-year - fees will be around the $400 mark. Feel free to get in touch with me if you want to find out more about it and I’ll pass on John’s contact info to you.
Things are moving along at Acting Up - workshops on the slate so far include The Basics of Acting in March, Mastering the Monologue and Playing the Bard (Understanding Shakespeare) in April and The Actor on Screen (with Richard Sarell) and The Business of Auditioning (Film) with Dina Mann in May.
We are also in the midst of organising The Business of Being an Actor Seminar, which is scheduled to take place over a weekend in June.
This seminar will host a range of professionals from the Industry, including Casting Directors, Agents, Actors, Directors and Producers, who will hold a series of talks and workshops about the acting biz for interested students and actors.
Details and costs will be made available on our website late March and in our next newsletter.
So, until next time, keep dreaming, keep taking action on your dreams and I look forward to seeing you at one of our workshops during the coming year.
Cheers for now,
Sally McLean
Creative Director
Salmac Productions &
Incogntia Enterprises
http://www.salmac.com/
http://www.salmac.com/incognita
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Hon. Patron: Sir Nigel
Hawthorne
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Acting Up
Contact Info:
Mobile: 0410 798 514
| Email: actingup (at)
salmac.com
Web: www.salmac.com/masterclasses