1. University of Washington
Seattle, Washington
The UW Professional Actor Training Program (PATP) is a nationally recognized three year conservatory training program, leading to a Master of Fine Arts in Acting degree. It prepares actors for the professional world of theatre, film, television and digital media. The training emphasizes acting technique, performance skills and imaginative creativity.
Students who hold or will hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution may apply. Most applicants have undergraduate degrees in theatre, but it is not essential. All must demonstrate outstanding talent to be admitted.
Admission is based on a private fifteen minute audition and interview with the head of the PATP, scheduled only after the appropriate application forms and fees have been received.
Audtionees should prepare the following:
A two-minute monologue from a modern prose play.
A two-minute Shakespearean verse monologue.
Approximately 16 bars of a song, a cappella or with auditionee-provided accompaniment.
2.American Conservatory Theatre
San Francisco, California
The essence of A.C.T.'s actor training lies in the synergy between our professional company and our conservatory. Within the A.C.T. artistic community, professionals and students are constantly learning from each other—M.F.A. Program actors audition for and perform in A.C.T. productions, and establish valuable mentor relationships with the artists, producers, literary staff, and other professionals who make theater happen. A.C.T. is unique among large professional theater companies in that it employs a core "company" of actors, and these artists are the M.F.A. Program actors' living link to the professional theater world. In turn, M.F.A. Program actors may serve as mentors to younger artists in the renowned A.C.T. Young Conservatory through teaching opportunities or performing onstage together in new works or in A.C.T.'s annual production of A Christmas Carol.
Enrollment in the M.F.A. Program is by audition and interview only. Applicants must be high school graduates or equivalent. Applicants who hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university are eligible to receive a master of fine arts degree in acting upon successful completion of the three years of training. Applicants who do not hold an accredited bachelor's degree receive a certificate in acting upon successful completion of the three years of training.
For the 2009–10 academic year, approximately eight students will be selected from over 300 applicants. Approximately 90% of admitted firstyear students receive some form of financial aid. The average age of students entering the M.F.A. Program is 24.
Applicants must prepare two audition selections that provide a contrast in mood and tone (one from a classical verse play and one from a contemporary play). Sonnets, poems, songs, and other nondramatic materials are not acceptable. Please limit selections to a total of four minutes to allow time for an interview.
3.University of California, Irvine
Irvine, California
UCI's graduate acting program is a highly demanding, three-year curriculum that trains its actors for all three years (more about this in a moment). This training is centered on a core curriculum - in acting (for both stage and camera), voice, speech, and movement - held Monday through Thursday from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm for all nine quarters of residence. In its rigor and professional standards, therefore, UCI's program functions as a conservatory, but we also take the Master of Fine Arts degree seriously, and therefore our program also includes seminars in script analysis, acting theory, acting pedagogy and in dramatic theory or criticism. We do not believe in producing actors who bear the stamp of their training so vividly that they display their training rather than the personal truth of the actor/character they play on stage.
Once we have received a completed application form and $70 application fee, the Drama Office will contact you to schedule an audition location and time.
Remember that your two contrasting audition monologues should total no more than three minutes, and that one should be classical, preferably in verse.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Friday, April 24, 2009
Project 5: Teaching
Secondary Level:
What are the basic requirements for becoming a teacher in Texas?
*You must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. Texas institutions do not offer a degree in education. Every teacher must have an academic major, as well as teacher training courses. The only exemption from the degree requirement is for individuals seeking Career and Technology certification to teach certain courses, such as welding or computer-aided drafting.
*You must complete teacher training through an approved program. These programs are offered through colleges and universities, school districts, regional service centers, community colleges, and other entities.
*You must successfully complete the appropriate teacher certification tests for the subject and grade level you wish to teach. For a list of the certification tests and information on which tests are required, click here.
*A teacher who holds an appropriate Texas classroom teaching certificate and a bachelor's degree may add classroom certification areas by successfully completing the appropriate certification examination(s) for the area(s) sought. Certification by examination is not available for:
initial certification;
career and technology certification based on skill and work experience;
a class of certificate other than classroom teacher (e.g.School Counselor,Principal,Superintendent, Learning Resources/School Librarian, Educational Diagnostician);
a certificate for which no certification examination has been developed.
Community College Level:
Brevard Community College is currently seeking applications for the full-time position of Theatre Instructor on the Cocoa Campus in Cocoa, Florida. The starting date for this position is August 2009.The minimum qualifications for the position include:
* Master's degree in Theatre from a regionally-accredited institution* OR Master's degree from a regionally-accredited institution with 18 graduate semester hours in Theatre.
* Educational and professional acting and directing experience is required.
* Experienced directing musical theatre.
* Knowledge of stagecraft, technical theatre, and appropriate technology is desired
* Demonstrated commitment to diversity
* Official transcripts of all collegiate work will be required to be considered beyond the application phase.
Senior College/University Level:
Central Washington University in Ellensburg, WA is accepting applications to fill current and future full-time, part-time, quarterly and annual appointment lecturer positions to teach classes in the courses/subject areas listed below. This list is not all inclusive: acting, directing movement, voice, and other courses/subject areas may become available within the department.
Required Quals: Master's Degree
Preferred Quals: Experience teaching at the college level
Faculty Specialization Area: Performance Areas
Position Type: Faculty Non Tenure Department: Theatre Arts
Appointment: Full-Time/Part-Time
*Higher Ed Jobs.com
Friday, April 17, 2009
Project #5: The Profession
UNION REQUIRED PRINCIPLE
1. The Glass Menagerie/ AEA
John Drew Theatre at Guild Hall East Hampton
Long Island, NY May 5, 2009
Seeking:Equity actors (m/f). See Breakdown for details.
Preparation:Please prepare a brief monologue.Please bring a picture and resume, stapled together.
Laura Wingfield:AVAILABLE. Woman, 23. An off-center, delicate and ineffably damaged quality.
http://www.actorsequity.org/CastingCall/browse_notice.asp?NoticeID=18500&NoticeType=1
2. Love, Janis/ AEA
Zachary Scott Theatre
Austin, TX- April 25, 2009
2. Love, Janis/ AEA
Zachary Scott Theatre
Austin, TX- April 25, 2009
Seeking: Caucasian female able to play 18-27
Preparation:There will be sides to read at the audition. Please bring headshot & resume.
We are holding auditions for the 'speaking' Janis Joplin role in Love, Janis. In the show Janis is portrayed by two persons, one who sings and one who relates the letters that Janis wrote home to her parents. We are seeking someone who can characterize the emotional truth and authenticty of the character rather than a Janis 'impersonator'. The essential point of the role is to show the private Janis that the public did not get to see. http://www.actorsequity.org/CastingCall/browse_notice.asp?NoticeID=18447&NoticeType=1
NON UNION PRINCIPLE
3. The Taming of the Shrew/ AEA
Summer Theatre of New Canaan,New Canaan, CT
Nola Studios/ 250 West 54th Street /New York, NY
May 9,2009
Seeking:Actors (m/f). See Breakdown for details.
Preparation:Please prepare a brief Shakespeare monologue.Please bring a recent picture and resume, stapled together.Katherine:The “shrew”. Sharp-tongued, quick-tempered and delightfully fierce./OR/ Bianca:Soft-spoken, sweet and unassuming.
http://www.actorsequity.org/CastingCall/browse_notice.asp?NoticeID=18535&NoticeType=14. Loyola Productions is casting extras for The Real Deal, a series of short films about a group of high school students in their senior year facing a major world event which forces them to question who they are and what role they are going to play in the world they are about to go into.
Dan DeSantis, prod. Shoot starts Apr. 15
Seeking—Students: males and females, 18-24, all ethnicities, to play junior and senior high school students; Parents and Guests: males and females, 18+, all ethnicities.
http://casting.backstage.com/JobSeeker/ViewJob.asp?JobID=CXhP8ko802Bsl2xAQmTQfjmlEQ01
Friday, April 3, 2009
Unconventional Theatre
Water Fools: Aquatic Fantasmagoria
Performed by Ilotopie, a group based in France, currently performing.Direction not specified.
The way Ilotopies performs can be paralleled to modern graffiti artists. The troupe of technicians and actors appear suddenly at unlikely performance areas and create large-scale spectacles coupled with music, technical feats and amazing artistry. Conventionality is challenged through the guerrilla nature of Ilotopie's performances and subsequently has earned a cult-like following.
Faust
Performed by the Majak theatre group, and Jezek and Cizek
Prague, Czech Republic (August 2007)
Both venue and company receive the unconventional nod in this production of Faust. While outdoor theatre seems passe, few companies would venture to utilize an empty reservoir for performance space, as witnessed here. In addition, the troupe is primarily comprised of homeless people. The fusion of professionals and homeless makes for a very dynamic experience but nonetheless, fairly unusual.
http://www.radio.cz/en/article/94499
http://www.radio.cz/en/article/94499
(Jakub Balaban plays the devil)
Baby Balloon
Performed by Oily Cart Theatre Company(founded by Tim Webb) who strives to connect with youth and those with disabilities.
April 2008 ("Baby Balloon" production still to the right.)
To accommodate their intended audiences, Oily Cart tends to produce material in an unconventional light. In the instance of Baby Balloon, the guests (who range in age from a few months to two years old) are exposed to sensory overload in the form of music,dancing, rattles and outstanding light effects. Baby Balloon aims to motivate young children to speak, develop and use their imaginations more freely and at a much younger age. In the future, the troupe plans to perform in a hydrotherapy pool alongside their audience. http://www.communitycare.co.uk/Articles/2008/04/23/107974/sensory-theatre-for-disabled-children.html
The BacchaePerformed by the Screaming Weenies, directed and produced by Ilena Lee Cramer in Vancouver, BC 2005.
(production poster to the left)
The Weenies transformed a cramped space above a bakery into a theatre to house their performance of the Bacchae. The space itself appears unconventional with it's lack of seating and odd rave-like location, complete with a bar and DJ, Tracey D. The Greek mythology inspired opera is not without surprises itself- utilizing rap, large projection screens and "pharmaceutical grade smoke", making it an opera you could just maybe suede your boyfriend to attend.
Swoon!Performed by a Melbourne based theatre company called Strange Fruit, currently touring .
Strange Fruit cast members have to set their fears aside in order to attend their blocking rehearsals. While the dialogue mute show centers around very universal themes, the actors circle each other on 4 meter stilts! Combining stunning acrobatics and a unique pole design, the actors float well above traditional audience sight lines to create beautiful scenes. The lack of words coupled with the sky high performance makes this unconventional as well as a must-see.
( a scene from Swoon! pictured right)
http://www.strangefruit.net.au/files/Brochure.pdf
Friday, February 20, 2009
Too Hot to Handle
The Fantasticks by Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones
New York City
Opened in 1960
Currently Playing
Few would believe that the musical Fantasticks was once subject to a fuss. However,the familiar number titled "Abductions" began as "the Rape Ballet". El Gallo, a pseudo- narrator, described various types of rape that were possible. As the word developed in popular perception, an alternative version was composed.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fantasticks#Controversy
Laramie Project byLas Vegas Academy (High School)
Protest held by Westboro Church Group from Topeka, Kansas
Led by Pastor Fred Phelps, 2004
The West Boro Baptist Church Group has led several protests across the country concerning Matthew Shepard and those that remember him. Pastor Fred Phelps even appears in programs of the Laramie Project as a minor character resulting from his involvement at Matthew Shepard's funeral in 1998. The church group's primary claim is the show promotes homosexuality and mantains their views on their chief website http://www.godhatesfags.com/tesfags.com/. The magnet school responded by conducting impromptu performances and staging nonconfrontational protests of their own, while the media coverage of Phelp's efforts led to full houses honoring Matthew Shepard's life.
Broadway opening of Miss Saigon by Frank Chin, March 1991
Protests led by Pan Asian Reperatory Theatre (comprised of 15 Asian- American community organizations) in support of Equity's position against Cameron Mackintosh
When Miss Saigon made the move from London to New York, controversy ensued over the casting of the principal character. Equity argued casting British Jonathan Pryce and "painting him yellow" to portray an Eurasian pimp would affront the Asian community. Mackintosh then accused Equity of reverse discrimination and stated Jonathan Pryce was chosen on the basis of talent. The feud ended when Mackintosh threatened to cancel the expected success of Miss Saigon, though objection to race, stereotypes and sexism rendered in the show continued.
Oh! Calcutta! by Kenneth Tynan
Off-Broadway Production
New York City, 1969
A bold move for the end of the sixties, Tynan's Oh! Calcutta! featured full nudity, both male and female, coupled with simulated sex acts. The producer, Hilard Elkins, ensured the avant garde revue's survival by investigating it's legal limitations. Ultimately, this controversy earned Oh! Calcutta! more notoreity and translated into a smash hit.
Manhattan Theatre Club's production of
Terrence McNally's Corpus Christi
New York City, 1998
Dubbed the "Gay- Jesus" play, McNally's Corpus Christi produced by MTC resulted in total uproar from several communities. The show draws parallels from growing up gay in Corpus Christi,TX to a Jesus-esque figure who knew Judas in the "biblical" sense. Numerous publications helped usher in bomb threats, boycotts and threw the theatre into a battle zone between civil liberties groups and the Catholic League, among others. MTC cancelled the opening but eventually reinstated Corpus Christi the same year.
Goodman Theatre's production of O'Neill's The Emperor JonesChicago, Janurary 2009
The Third World Press, an African- American activist group, issued an email hours before the sold out Emperor Jones in hopes of a boycott. They deemed the image of the lead actress painted black and sporting a large, red pout racist and insulting. The Goodman's use of masks reminiscient of Japanese style theatre is accused of evoking minstrelsy which depicted African- Americans poorly pre- Civil Rights era.
Street Performer "Reverend Billy", real name Bill Talen arrested.
New York City, July 2007
A composite of an evangelical minister, Elvis impersonater, street performer and political activist- Reverend Billy was arrested during his act by NYPD. While reciting the first ammendment accompanied by a choir in Union Square, Bill Talen was incarcerrated on charges of harrassment. Numerous activists came to the Reverend's aid and the charges were later dropped. New York's very own version of Kinky, Bill is currently campaigning for mayor.
Washington State University's production of
My Name is Rachel Corrie
Seattle, 2008
This production chronicles a young female student, Rachel Corrie, a peace activist, that is run over by a bull dozer in her attempt to save Palestinian homes. Obviously, the Israeli/ Palestinian conflict is no stranger to controversy and unfortunately, neither is Rachel Corrie. Jewish Federations and Palestinian activists head up the heart of the conflict, displaying graphic banners to theatre- goers in attempt to sway patrons away from the play.
Karen FinleyPerformance Artist
Finley's performances typically start as rants in various voices and conclude with her, nude, and covered in familiar sticky substances. Her act caught the attention of Senator Helms who paraded her as the poster child in pursuit of eliminating the NEA 4. Finley banned together with other artists in hopes of retaining a grant- when it was denied, the group took the case before the Supreme Court, and lost.
New York City
Feburary 21, 1900
Olga Nethersole's Production of Sapho by Clyde Fitch
Raided
This play toured many American cities before arriving in New York and along the way had earned a certain reputation. New York officials were warned of the show and issued a warning to Nethersole and the Wallacks Theatre. Her indictment credits her with " in a certain entertainment of the stage, commonly called "Sapho," in a lewd, indecent, obscene, filthy, scandalous and disgusting manner, make divers lewd, indecent, filthy, scandalous and disgusting motions and assume lewd, indecent, obscene, filthy, scandalous postures and attitudes, and repeat and utter indecent, obscene, filthy, scandalous and disgusting words and conversations, all of which grievously offended public decency." The primary outcome of this entire ordeal? A rush for tickets to "Sapho".
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.dgillan.screaming.net/stage/otherpics/sapho.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.dgillan.screaming.net/stage/th-sapho.html&usg=__RY0pP_MOxqRMdawup1cdPavpXZ0=&h=220&w=145&sz=27&hl=en&start=37&tbnid=cauN1Xm9Ep6WXM:&tbnh=107&tbnw=71&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dsapho%26gbv%3D2%26ndsp%3D20%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26start%3D20
Friday, February 6, 2009
Stages of Development and Criticism
Broadway
"With its futuristic vision, Angels is a spiritual survival kit for the 21st century. And laughter is among its primary tools."
http://www.lexisnexis.com/us/lnacademic/returnTo.do?returnToKey=20_T5717929993
USA Today's review, while brief, notably remarks on the unexpected pathos "Angels in America" simulates. The solo snag of the production seems to be the conclusion, and only named due to the lack of Part Two. Broadway sifted through the L.A. production and brought with it a show designed to profoundly remark on contemporary issues.
http://www.lexisnexis.com/us/lnacademic/returnTo.do?returnToKey=20_T5717929993
USA Today's review, while brief, notably remarks on the unexpected pathos "Angels in America" simulates. The solo snag of the production seems to be the conclusion, and only named due to the lack of Part Two. Broadway sifted through the L.A. production and brought with it a show designed to profoundly remark on contemporary issues.
HBO Mini- Series
"It's not that the joke isn't funny, but that the insularity of the film steals its outward aspect. The joke gets stuck inside the world of the story, and any opportunity for viewers to connect with it is overshadowed by the camera's insistence on its humor."
http://www.slate.com/id/2092434/
Peck admires Kushner's "Angels in America"- not it's ho-hum translation to the screen. Much of the disappointment lies in the production's inattention to the script's basic intent. Camera usage that could typically enhance a stage production seems to hinder the underlying rhythm of language along with the actor's relationships. Beyond some poor technical decisions, HBO's portrayal suffers from the fact that sensitivities to matters of 1985 and 1993 are somewhat muffled in year 2003.
Professional
"Angels in America is a must-see play. Despite the twenty years since its release, it rings true in today's political and social climate. The relationships it depicts, and its themes of human frailty, mortality, moral choices, and political corruption, all transcend time."
http://blogcritics.org/archives/2008/02/01/154041.php
Hard primarily applauds the ambition of Boston Theatre Works for undertaking Kushner's "Angels in America" that has been absent from stage nearly ten years. His praise implies the script rather than the production, particularly the language of the text and the insight it provides into the character's psyches. The simplicity of the set gives the necessary precedence to the powerful messages in "Angels.." that enthrall many generations.
College
"This production of Part I of Angels In America is superbly directed by Stuart Meltzer. Difficult scenic and acting transitions flow seamlessly from start to finish."
://www.talkinbroadway.com/regional/sfla/sfla136.html
://www.talkinbroadway.com/regional/sfla/sfla136.html
Lariviere catalogues the core issues staged in "Angels in America" and how they correlate to everyday America. The minimalist design provides no distraction from the performances of various actors whom he critiques. All aspects of the production receive approval including tasteful nudity leaving him to prompt a challenge to other theatre venues.
Pre-Broadway
""Angels in America" has no theatrical precedent that I can think of. It has something of the dark freedom expressed in novels of magic realism, but it's not a novel. It's an occasionally uproarious, often brutal and sorrowful circus with what might be called novelistic tendencies and a theatrical heart."
Canby contrasts the Broadway bound "Angels in America" between the New York and London performances, offering awareness to the differences in theatre among the two cultures. The New York production vibe comes across more loose(but without nudity) to the carefully staged London performance. In addition, he also compares audiences of the two performances, applauding Kushner for appealing to an array of theatre-goers.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Project #1 Goodman Theatre
The Goodman Theatre:
1.Radio Golf
by:August Wilson
"crackle of a bustling comedy crossed with an old-fashioned melodrama"http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/09/theater/reviews/09radio.html
"final work of his great 10-drama cycle about African-Americans in the 20th century"
http://theater2.nytimes.com/2005/04/30/theater/reviews/30golf.html
2.Rabbit Hole
by:David Lindsay-Abaire
"once called kitchen-sink dramas."
"a bittersweet drama about finding hope in the lowest moments of our lives "
http://www.curtainup.com/rabbithole.html
http://www.curtainup.com/rabbithole.html
3.Desire Under the Elms
by:Eugene O'Neil
"is enthralling. It builds, and one is swept up with it. What could come out as ludicrous melodrama has a larger-than-life passion"
"unabashedly sexual and overtly expressionistic revival of Eugene O'Neill's embryonic American tragedy from 1924."
4.Frank's Home
by:Richard Nelson
"bafflingly banal drama"
"dreary drama"
5.Talking Pictures
by:Horton Foote
"richly layered comedy with a heart as big as the Lone Star State itself"http://www.theatermania.com/chicago/reviews/02-2008/talking-pictures_12699.html
"gently loopy comedy written in the mid-1980's"
6.In the Continuum
by:Danai Gurira and Nikkole Salter
"a kaleidoscopic portrait of two black women... whose lives are suddenly upended by H.I.V. diagnoses."
the play charges the stage with rare political immediacy. But the triumph of Continuum is that this achievement is a by-product of the play's dramatic intimacy"http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/12/03/224916.php
7.Mirror of the Invisible World
by:Mary Zimmerman
"leisurely storytelling extravaganza"
"stunning, visually powerful fable"
8.Massacre (Sing to your Children)
by:Jose Rivera
"disturbing new drama"
"overwritten and underdeveloped new morality play"
9.Rock n' Roll
by:Tom Stoppard
"extraordinary, epic drama of politics, persecution and protest"
"great political play "
10.Vigils
by:Noah Haidle
" nicely balanced comedy that wraps up tightly"
"fantasy play"
Northwestern University Theatre
1.Tartuffe
by:Moliere
"spirited comic fable"
http://theater2.nytimes.com/mem/theater/treview.html?res=9807E2D7113EF933A25752C0A9659C8B63
"is a swirl of comic escapades around the titular character"http://tech.mit.edu/V120/N23/Tartuffe.23a.html
2.Ghetto
by:Joshua Sobol
"a Holocaust Drama With Music"
"Part cabaret, part musical, chillingly dramatic with a Brechtian theatricality"
3. How Can You Run with a Shell on Your Back?
by:Michael Mahler and Alan Shmucker
"The exuberant and zestful musical reveals the simple and timeless fables through tunefully fun musical allegories."
" An Aesop's Fables Musical "
4.The Illusion
by:Tony Kushner
"eminently playable, witty adaptation"
"sublime marriage of archetypal farce and contemporary irony."
http://www.rorschachtheatre.com/default.aspx?webpage=illusion
5.Indians
by:Arthur Kopit
"experimental, absurdist piece that eschews conventional plotting and characterization."
"nineteenth century groundbreaking drama"
6.Marisol
by:Jose Rivera
"thought-provoking, dramatic commentary"
"potent blend of naturalism and surrealism—often called magic realism"
http://www.abqjournal.com/abqnews/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2668:review-marisol-by-josivera&catid=28:entertainment-reviews&Itemid=45
http://www.abqjournal.com/abqnews/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2668:review-marisol-by-josivera&catid=28:entertainment-reviews&Itemid=45
7.Danny and the Deep Blue Sea
by:John Patrick Shanley
"factitious fairy tale."
"off-kilter love story"
8.The Sins of Sor Juana
by:Karen Zacarias
"drama about the life and work of 17th Century Mexican scholar, nun, poet and writer Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz."
"historic fantasy of self-determination and self-expression."
9.Spunk
by:George C. Wolfe
"anthology of Zora Neale Hurston folk tales narrated and acted out by the characters and the Guitar Man and Blues Speak Woman who transform the tales into a mini-musical."
"three short stories have been adapted for the stage and folded into a bluesy musical framework"
10.Women of Lockerbie
by: Deborah Brevoort
"elegy of unrelieved grief. There's anger, but no humor.."http://www.curtainup.com/womenoflockerbie.html
"stunning display of raw emotion, a powerhouse drama"http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117932920.html?categoryid=33&cs=1
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