Act One offers a number of Special Programs designed to provide more specialed assistance and training to individuals and groups as well as to help support and give back to the local Durham Region community.

Currently these programs are:

1. Personal Coaching
2. Personal Vocal Lessons
3. "Discover Drama" Program for Durham area Elementary Schools
4. "Connecting With Community Theatre" Program
5. "Charity On-Stage" Program
   
   

• Selecting, analyzing and preparing a new monologue or providing a fresh twist on an existing one for an upcoming audition.

• Revewing and rehearsing audition scenarios and techniques.

• Pursuing more detailed, in-depth character development and performance options to enhance formal rehearsal and performance quality and success.

• Additional formal rehearsing and development of songs and/or dance numbers for music theatre-type productions.

• Quick "crash-course" assistance with developing, enhancing or practising a skit or performance number for an upcoming talent/variety show for your workplace, charity event or other function.

• Developing a training program for those with irregular and irratic schedules.

• Providing instruction and training for those who may initially be uncomfortable with groups of strangers and /or prefer to try things out in a more personal setting.

• For those seeking assistance with very specialized theatrical or acting techniques or issues.

• For those who simply wish to develop more confidence in whatever in-public or performance activity they will be engaged in.

Coaching Rates:

Actual rates are very dependent upon the nature of the coaching required and the numbers attending each session, but in general, the details are as follows:

• Base rates will usually be between $20-$30 per hour for individual one-on-one coaching..

• Rates will increase by $10/hr for a second person (the combined rate for coaching 2 people at the same time would be $30-$40/hr) and $5/hr for each additional person. Personal coaching sessions are capped at 4 people.

• For larger group rates, please contact Act One directly.
  

• All rates are provided based on instruction taking place at Act One's location. Sessions can be off-premise with special arrangement. A travel expense fee may be levied depending upon distance. Any such fee will be solely to cover the cost of the travel involved.
  

• All fees are subject to taxes where applicable (HST).

• Coaching sessions must be a minimum 1/2 hr and can be made longer in minimum 1/2hr increments.Act One actually recommends 45 minute sessions for students under age 10 and 1 hour sessions for older individuals. (Except in the case of larger group sessions or deadline pressures, Act One does not recommend coaching sessions of longer than 2hrs. A student will normally find two 1hr sessions, seperated by at least a day or two for personal review, will be more beneficial than one solid 2-hr session. This is however entirely up to student request and instructor discretion).
  
  

Due to the popularity of Act One's Musical Theatre Vocal Instructor, Michelle Morrow, with the students, Act One was asked about the possibility of Michelle offering private vocal lessons to help individual students further their vocal training. As a result of these requests, in 2008-09, Act One has arranged for Michelle to offer private 1/2 hour vocal lessons on Fridays and Sundays. Act One continues to help Michelle offer this program again in 2010-11.

The details are as follows:

Special Note About Lesson Availability

At the present time all of Michelle's time slots are booked. There is the possibility that Michelle may open up new lesson slots in the mid-October time frame. If you would be interested in being contacted should any new lesson slots become available, please e-amil the school and we will be happy to put your name on the waiting list.

Student Performance Opportunities

During the school year, vocal students will have a number of opportunities to perform live. These are entirely optional and each student is free to decide which of them they wish to participate in. The extact choice of song and performance style for each opportunity will be the student's choice, in consultation with Michelle.

Live Studio Recording Experience

In an effort to help expand Act One's vocal students' music experience and reward their effort, in 2009-10 Act One partnered with Pickering's own Light of DAE recording studio to offer Vocal program students the opportunity to learn how live studio recording works. Every vocal student will have the option at the end of each year to spend one hour in the recording studio to have one of their songs recorded to CD.

This is entirely optional for each student and they do not have to decide until March 2011 if they wish to participate. For those that do, there will be an additionl $40 studio fee that will go directly to cover the cost of a production engineer and the studio for the hour. Light of DAE is a Pickering-based, non-profit recording studio that relies almost exclusively on community donations and sponsorship to fund its services to Durham youth.

Lesson rates for 2010-11 are $18.00 ($15.93 +13% HST) per 1/2 hour lesson.

Lesson Cancellation Policy

Act One and Michelle understand that today's lifestyles can be hectic and unexpected conflict will arise from time to time. We try to be as flexible as possible but in fairness to Michelle we have set a minimum 24hr advance notice deadline on notifying Michelle that a student will not be available for a regularly scheduled lesson. Students or their families notifying Michelle by e-mail (students will be provided with the address once lessons commence) at least 24 hours in advance that they will have to miss a lesson, will not be charged for that time.

Notification later than that or failure to notify Michelle at all may result in the student being charged for the lesson time regardless of attendance or absence. We have tried to balance the needs of the students with fairness for the instructor. We hope you can agree with this. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact the school.

For more information or to reserve a lesson time slot please contact the Act One school office at (905) 420-8129 or info@actonedrama.com.

Act One is committed to both participating in and supporting Community Theatre in and around the Durham Region. Through its owner and Artisitic Director, Act One enjoys long-term relationships with many of the groups and organizations operating withing this area. In recognition of this relationship and the important contribution they make to our community, Act One is pleased to offer the following options to prospective and current Act One students and their families:

Community Theatre Member Discount

Act One is pleased to offer a 5% discount off registration fees for any workshop or course taken by a student who either is or is directly-related to a current, active member of a recognized community theatre group. Directly-related applies to being the child or sibling of another person who is the current, active community theatre member. To qualify for this discount, the prospective student simply needs to provide a copy of their applicable membership card or a simple, signed note from a member of the group's executive.

This 5% discount is applied after all other applicable discounts and adjustments and will be in effect for each and every course or workshop registered for.

To determine whether a group is considered a recognized community theatre group, the group should be a member of the Association of Community Theatres of Central Ontario (ACT-CO). You can view the list of current ACT-CO member groups by clicking here.

Act One has receieved gracious support from many areas over the past years. In recognition of its current success and future promise, the school is now trying to give something back to the community at-large. Every year Act One presents year-end performances showcasing the accomplishments and skills of the students as reflected in the work they have mastered. Beginning this year, Act One is also presenting a Christmas Show for the families and friends of its Full-Year program students.

For all these productions, a nominal admission fee is charged. Most of the proceeds go towards covering the cost of presenting these shows, however Act One ensures that a portion of all proceeds are placed into the Act One School of Drama Charity fund. In the month prior to the performances, the school's students are asked to nominate their favorite charities and one of the nominees is selected as the recipient of that season's charity portion of the performance admission proceeds.

Following completion of the performances, a cheque is drawn on the Act One Charity Fund and is presented to the nominated charity on behalf of and in the name of the staff and students of Act One School of Drama.

Charity On-Stage Recipients:

For 2006-07: Sick Kids Foundation
For 2007-08: VIDES Canada
......................Batten Disease Support and Research Association.
For 2008-09: Salvation Army
For 2009-10: Sick Kids Foundation
......................Red Cross Haitian Refief Fund