As long as a class is not full, Act One can accept new students into most of its classes for the second (Winter) term, commencing the week of January 30, 2012. Course formats are planned to permit easy and comfortable integration of both novice and experienced students into the classes. This is accomplished by using the first three weeks of the second term as an opportunity for both existing and new students to review the concepts presented in the first half and practise new theatre games, before the class turns its focus to rehearsal-format instruction in mid-February.

Depending on studio availability, we may also often able to offer a limited number of one term (ie. 18-20 week) classes in other potentially more convenient time slots. Due to the lack of preparation time Winter Term enrolment students will not be able to participate in the Winter Cabaret performance. They will however perform fully in the year-end class production and have the option of participation in the March 2012 "Weekend of Monologues".

For information on our currently running and Winter Term only classes please consult the individual course outlines below.

Please note the following details:

1. Courses highlighted with RED are new for the 2012 Winter Term.
2. For new Winter Term classes the first day of class is the same as the course start date.
3. For existing classes, the first day of Winter Term classes will be explicitedly indicated.
4. For all existing 36-week classes, to avoid undue disruption of the existing class, unless there is explicit instructor permission, the maximum number of new Winter Term students permitted to join a single class is two (2), regardless of space availability.
   
   
   For more information on the program in general and the Winter Term course fees, please click here.
   
   

1. Registration Period: Registration for our second term commences January 9, 2012 and will continue until Sunday, February 12, 2012. All new students must be able to commence classes no later than the week starting Saturday, February 11, 2012. After that classes are closed for the year as the year-end productions will have been selected based on the class sizes and mix as of the February 12, 2012 week. Click here for the registration form.

2. Course Duration: As many second term students are integrated with existing classes, the length of the second term for each class may vary slightly, depending upon if there were any cancellations (ie. due to weather, etc) in first term. Class specifics will be available at time of registration. All classes will end by June 30, 2012.

3. Class Performances: Students registering for our Winter Term will take part in our year-end productions. All Act One performances are open to familiy and friends of the students. A nominal admission fee may apply. The Year-End performances are individual productions presented by each class independently.

Year-End performances are traditionally scheduled to take place during the last or second to last class of the school term (typically mid-to late June). Final decisions on the date for each class performance will be made by the instructors, in consultation with their students in late April.

First day of Winter Term classes: February 9/12

First day of Winter Term classes: February 6/12

First day of Winter Term classes: February 11/12

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Performances:

Program & Fee Information

The Performance Class course for 2012 has been re-designed for younger students (ie aged 16) with significant previous theatrical training and those students aged 17-18 (whether new to drama or with previosu experience) who are looking to maximize their experience in the rehearsal, production and performance aspects of theatre. Teaching is centred around the continuous developement and rehearsing of performance pieces, with an emphasis on providing the students with additional performance opportunities above the normally scheduled Act One shows. Students will obtain a wider and deeper exposuire to the different styles of theatre than is possible in a regular class.

Students will work on and perform one full class performance piece each term, in addition to requirements for the Winter Cabaret and Weekend of Monologues. Students will also receive comprehensive audition and monologue instruction in preparation for any outside opportunities. The class will also benefit from guest instructors from time to time over the class year who will oversee 1 or 2 classes each and bring a wider variety of different skills and perspectives on various important acting concepts and techniques.

Please note that admission to the Performance Class is limited to a maximum of 10 students. Admission may require students to audition. If required, student auditions will be scheduled prior to the first week of classes. Interested students are requested to contact the school for more information or to book an audition slot.

An actor's voice is one of the most important tools they have. Every day we use our voices to convey emotion, intent and information. Whether one is performing or simply taking part in social gatherings, public speaking, scholastic or work-related activities, how effectively we communicate impacts everything we do. Radio has been an integral part of our society for generations. There was a time, before the advent of television, when live broadcasting was one of the primary sources of entertainment. Entire families would gather around the radio to listen to the latest news or to hear live radio theatre complete with music, sound effects and wonderful character voices. Today, radio, whether for news, entertainment or in commercials, is still an important component of our lives.Voice acting has also taken on a new level of importance again with the evolution of CGI in film and television and the need for voice overs to lend animation a realistic, human quality.

In this class, students will learn the basics of voice work including improved breathing, vocal warm ups, widening vocal range and techniques for tackling accents and creating "characters" in an audience's ear. They will learn about the radio industry and how to create sound effects (foley) for radio and film using household items. As part of their year's work they will create and recrod their own short radio show.

For the year-end project students will write and design repalcement voice tracks for film or television show of their choice and then go into a studio to record it. The course objective is to expose the students to college and university level concepts, create a familiarity with the workings of the professional voice industry and provide them with the skills and knowledge to confidently use their own voices to create a wonderful atmosphere of word and sound.

Please note that this is an advanced class. Students will be introduced to and gain experience in the equivalent of first and second year post-secondary level material. It is recommended that interested students have a minimum 1-2 years previous theatrical training or live performance experience.

Studio Fee Notice

Act One has partnered with Pickering's own Light of DAE recording studio to allow students in the Voice Over class to gain live studio experience as part of their year-end performance process. Students will spend a number of hours in the Light of DAE studio recording the final versions of their year end class work.

Please note that there is an additional $50.00 recording studio fee that must be added to the course fee for this class. This fee goes entirely to Light of DAE, which is a non-profit organization established to benefit Durham-area youth. It relies almost 100% on community donations and sponsorships. This fee will help Light of DAE continue to provide a unique and valuable service to our region.

TBA

At its core, drama is all about story-telling. Whether based in fact or the product of one's imagination, every successful play starts with the playwright having a story they want to tell. No matter how compelling the story, it is the structure of the play itself that goes a long way towards determining whether the events and characters portrayed within it successfully capture an audience's attention. This course will serve as an introduction to the techniques and processes needed by aspiring playwrights seeking to acquire the understanding and skills necessary to bring their own ideas to life on stage.   

Topics will include:

• Developing Ideas: Where the ideas for good stories come from and how they are developed
• An Introduction to the One-Act Play including  examples of finished one-act play script writing
• An Introduction to Story, Plot and Character Development
• Stage Geography: acquainting participants with the “space” where traditional theatre is performed and how to use it effectively in "shaping" your story
• Writing Scene Descriptions: an examination of the descriptive passages that precede scenes in play script writing
• Writing Dialogue and Stage Directions helps to understand the relationships between characters, and between characters and plot
• Theatre Personnel: The functions of non-acting personnel in traditional theatre can have just as much impact on the presentation of a play as any of the on-stage actors. This section discusses how they need to be considered in the development of any successful theatrical work.

Live Performance of Playwrights' Work: As the course progresses, participants will create their own short scenes to put their class experiences to practical use. Near the end of the course, participants will ahve the opportunity to workshop their scenes with other students from the school, culmulating with the chance to see their work performed on Act One's studio stage at the end of June in front of a live audience.

Additional Course Requirements: To permit effective use of class time, participants will need a laptop computer complete with word processing software.

First day of Winter Term classes: February 7/12

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February 7/12
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TBA

Sunday

Aaron Kyte
Michelle Morrow
Nicholas Nasrallah

Winter Cabaret
Jan 27 28, or 29 - 2012
Weekend of Monologues(Note: MT 7-10 does not participate in this show event due to their focus on their year-end musical production)
Year-End Show
June 17 or June 24, 2012