Meet the Talent: Broadway Actor

Meet the Talent: Broadway Actor

Get to know what it’s like to be a Broadway actor. You’ll spend an hour with a cast member of a Broadway show and learn about their journey to becoming a successful performer. Get the inside story on the audition and rehearsal process, find out what the day-to-day life of a professional actor in NYC is like, and learn about what really goes on backstage during a show. This seminar will give you a new perspective on the life of an actor as you start to fully appreciate the challenges and rewards they experience as they work towards their professional goals.

Experience will include:

Discussion with a Broadway actor
Insights into the profession
Open forum Q&A

Seminar length: 1 hour

You Only Live Once – Never Danced, Sang or Acted before? No problem!

Never danced, sang or acted before? No problem! We’ll teach you an easy to learn, fun section from a Broadway show. Leave feeling like a star! Beginners are welcome. Take on the challenges that every performer must face and have fun!

Experience will include:

Beginner dance, singing and acting exercises
Basic steps and songs used in the selected Broadway show
Q&A with a cast member

Seminar length: 1.5 hours

Breaking Down the Casting Process

What is the casting process really about? This seminar addresses “myths” about the casting process and answers all of the questions that you have, as you come to a better understanding of exactly what happens in the audition room. Topics will include what happens between an audition and a callback and between a callback and getting the job, how an actor can effectively submit him/herself to a casting office, and what does being “Kept on File” mean? Plus, you’ll learn about what a creative team looks for in an audition, and what are some of the reasons that one person gets called back and/or cast over another?

Experience will include:

Discussion about the casting process and what really happens when you are not in the audition room
Tips on how to best present yourself to a casting director and creative team
Q&A / discussion with a NY casting director or creative team member

Seminar length: 1 hour

Script Writing: From Script to Stage

How does a script go from page to stage? What’s the route for a playwright who gets their show on Broadway? Meet and professional writer and discuss the process, craft, art, and business of writing for the stage. Immerse yourself in the world of a professional writer and get a glimpse of the many different ways a script goes from being read by possible producers to the Great White Way.

Experience will include:

Understanding how to know whether a story or script has what it takes to become a great show
Learning about the process involved in writing a script and the road to seeing it performed
Find out how writers can get their story produced
Examples of the many different options writers can take to getting their stories produced
Q&A session

Seminar length: 1 hour

From the Director’s Chair

How do you become a professional stage director and what does the job entail? Meet and discuss the business and art of directing with a Broadway or off-Broadway director or an associate director. When you spend an hour with this member of the creative team of a show you’ll hear about their personal journey to becoming a successful director. Learn from their experience, as you’re treated to stories about their past jobs, learn how they approach directing a show and working with actors, and discover what they look for when casting a production. There’s also the opportunity to ask questions about your own career goals and get advice and insights from someone who fully understands the business.

Experience will include:

A Discussion with a professional director about the art and craft
Insights into becoming a director
Q&A

Seminar length: 1 hour

Behind the Scenes: Stage Management

The stage manager is the ultimate communicator, diplomat, and problem solver in the theatre. They must ensure that everything runs as smoothly as possible throughout the entire production process, and once a show opens, they are charged with “maintaining its artistic integrity.” Yet the audience never sees these very important individuals. Discover what stage management is about, find out about the numerous tasks they are charged with before and during a show, and understand why a play or musical cannot go on without them.

Experience will include:

An inside look at the role that stage managers play in the creation of a Broadway show.
A consideration of a stage manager’s duties throughout the run of a show.
Tips on how to pursue a career in Stage Management
Q&A with a Stage Manager

Seminar length: 1 hour

Dance Audition Technique for Singers and Actors

The dance call for the singer or actor can be frightening, overwhelming, and a dealmaker or breaker. In this seminar, a Broadway performer, dance captain, or choreographer will share tips and techniques that actors and singers can use to shine in their dance call. Learn how to retain choreography, adapt to different choreographic styles, and improve confidence when dancing in small groups. Look, feel, and perform better in your next dance or movement call.

Experience will include:

Techniques to build confidence and presentation in a movement call
Choreography taught by a Broadway Performer, Dance Captain or Choreographer
Mock audition to implement learned techniques
Q&A / discussion about the movement audition process

Seminar Length: 1.5 hours

Acting Through a Song

If you want to be in a Broadway show and have a career as a musical theatre performer, it’s not enough to have great singing technique and skill. You’ll need to know how to convey emotion and a story through your performance of a song’s music and lyrics. This experience teaches singers how to break down a song to make it into a “scene to music,” acting techniques for musical theatre, and interpretive methods. All aspects of this experience are designed to help participants work towards creating a show-stopping performance.

Experience will include:

How to combine acting and singing techniques to create a complete performance
Understand how to tell a story with a song
Q&A with a cast member or musical director

Seminar length: 1.5 hours

Mastering Cold Readings

Learn how to develop a strong character, generate focus, reduce anxiety, and make a positive impression in a matter of minutes with this cold reading seminar. Participants will learn tips and tricks of the trade that will enable them to develop the essential cold reading skills necessary to effectively act in a scene without a week’s worth of preparation. This is a must-have tool for any actor.

Experience will include:

Cold reading techniques
Mock audition presentation with feedback
Q&A with professional actor or director

Seminar length: 1.5 hours

Acting for the Comedic Actor

Whether you’re looking to hone your comedic chops or strengthen your overall acting skills, this seminar offers useful tips and techniques utilized in the world of comedy that can transform you as an actor. Participants will learn the art of comedic timing, how to use improv in comedy, and the importance comedic techniques have for those who want to be well-rounded, working actors.

Experience will include:

Comedy acting technique exercises
Different career path options for comedic actors
Q&A Session with a performer or comedy writer

Seminar length: 1.5 hours

Sketch Comedy: Writing and Performance

How do actors and writers create great sketch comedy like the type seen on SNL? In this seminar, as an actor, you will learn how to write and develop a sketch comedy scene, discover how to use comedic acting techniques, and get useful tips on how to pursue a career in sketch comedy, which is being used more and more in Broadway and off-Broadway productions.

Experience will include:

Sketch comedy technique exercises
Writing and developing a sketch comedy scene
Q&A Session with a sketch comedy writer or performer

Seminar length: 1.5 hours

Acting Improvisation Technique

Improvisation is a crucial part of the creative process for many actors both in stage and film. Many successful actors, including Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Tina Fey, and Stephen Colbert, have used their experiences learned in improv clubs to catapult to stardom. In this acting seminar, you will work with a professional to learn how to use improvisational acting techniques to create unique material, develop a character, and convey emotion.

Experience will include:

Improv and technique exercises
Instruction on how to use improvisation
Q&A Session

Seminar length: 1.5 hours

The Art of Stage Combat

Stage combat skills can transform you from being an actor to a multifaceted performer. From a simple slap to a complex sword fight, making conflict look easy and natural on stage and ensuring it’s done in a safe manner are invaluable tools for any actor. This seminar will equip participants with professional techniques that are used to choreograph stage combat moments and scenes in a variety of Broadway shows.

Experience will include:

Stage combat technique exercises
Participation in a choreographed stage combat moment
Q&A with a fight captain

Seminar length: 1.5 hours

Scene Study

In this acting experience, participants will discover how to break down a scene in order to develop a believable character. With our Scene Study experience, you’ll explore the different skills that actors require to work well with a variety of scene partners and learn how to find the perfect scene for each audition or performance.

Experience will include:

Work on scenes from Broadway shows
Q&A / discussion about the process of breaking down and preparing a scene

Seminar Length: 1.5 hours

Acting Audition Technique

Auditioning for a role is an art unto itself. Mastering auditioning technique is a skill that transforms a talented performer into a working actor. In this seminar, participants will learn how to break down a text, understand and effectively portray a character, and make strong choices that will ensure a confident, professional acting audition. Learn how to get that callback and nail that role.

Experience will include:

Acting audition technique exercises
Audition material used by currently working NYC actors
Q&A / discussion about the audition process, including how to prepare for an audition, what to bring, what auditions are worth attending, and how to follow up after an audition

Seminar Length: 1.5 hours

Improving Your Acting Technique

Acting technique is the foundation for consistently great performances. Our master faculty members have created some of the most effective exercises and methodologies focused on improving acting technique and performance quality. This flexible seminar can cover acting styles ranging from Shakespeare to Chekhov and from classical theatre to contemporary Broadway styles. Scene work and/or monologue techniques may be utilized in this experience.

Experience can include:

Acting technique exercises that can be applied to various styles
Audition material used by currently working NYC actors
Q&A with NYC actor or acting teacher

Seminar length: 1.5 hours

Broadway Acts

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For a stage actor in America, Broadway is considered to be the ultimate goal. Have you dreamt of acting in a Broadway show? Do you know what it takes to do so? Here’s your chance to start making those dreams of acting on Broadway come true! Work with a Broadway performer or cast member on scenes from a currently running or past Broadway show. This experience will include exercises and techniques that some of NYC’s top actors use to prepare for their performances and auditions.

Experience will include:

Acting exercises and techniques
Scene work from selected Broadway show
Q&A with a cast member or performer

Seminar length: 1.5 hours