Posted: September 29, 2024.
Act One and its instructors hope that everyone is looking forward to a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving, and further down the October road, Halloween.
The topics below include both new announcements and some of the most common subject areas that we have been asked about over the past weeks:
While some may already know, based on a couple of students' recent questions, I realize that many current and former students and campers may not be aware that sadly, Marissa Blagrove passed away suddenly and unexpectedly, back in June of this year. In her six years with Act One, Marissa wore many hats: instructor, camp counsellor and later, camp director, but it was her tremendous love of drama and working with young performers, combined with her bottomless sense of humor and compassion, that I believe she will be remembered for most. It is never a pleasant task to make people aware of sad news like this, but I am certain there are many who had the privilege of working with her or being taught (or teased) by her, who would want to know. The world in general, and youth-based drama specifically, lost an incredibly passionate soul when Marissa left us. Prior to her passing, Marissa had used her experience here at Act One to become a Theatre Director with Young People’s Theatre, in downtown Toronto.
Her full obituary can be found on the New Haven Funeral Centre website.
Act One’s 2024/25 Fall Term classes are now underway. We realize that September can be a hectic month. A quick reminder that we can accept late registrations up until Thanksgiving week (Oct 20th), so long as there is still space in the desired class.
As always, previous students and/or Summer and March Break campers receive a 5% discount off class fees, if continuing on this year and all class fees are pro-rated for late starts.
You can find more detailed information on all classes on the school website. The on-line registration form can be accessed from here.
Whether for personal reasons or to take advantage of new career opportunities, Act One is always sad when instructors leave the school. At the same time, we are excited at the opportunity for our students to broaden their awareness of the wide range of approaches to drama and performance that new instructors can bring to the school. For 2024-25, Act One is thrilled to welcome three new instructors to the school’s teaching ranks.
The full bios of all Act One's teaching staff can be found on the school website on the Staff page.
Act One is happy to announce that it will be running a second Acting On Camera for Ages 11-13 class this year. It will run on Saturdays, from 3:00-4:30pm, starting on Oct 19th. We do not normally change our class schedule year-to-year but with the Tuesday On Camera for Ages 11-13 class being completely full and three additional students on the class waiting list, we are hoping adding this new class will allow the waiting list students plus any others who might have been discouraged by the Tuesday class being full, to still have the opportunity to explore film acting. This class will also be taught by Eduardo Camargo, Act One’s film instructor, and follow the same class format as Tuesday (just starting a few weeks later and running on Saturdays).
For anyone who might be interested, the school website has been updated with all class information. For those who may wish to see the short film projects of previous year classes, please visit the On Camera Short Film Gallery section of the school website.
A quick reminder that Act One’s 32-week classes all begin starting Oct 19th (the week after Thanksgiving). These include Act One’s adult programs, as well as some unique specialty classes that we are offering for the first time.
Offered on Sundays from 10:00-11:30am. A Musical Theatre dance class for performers who either don’t want or aren’t ready for a formal dance class.
Offered on Saturdays from 4:30-6:00pm. For young students who want to learn the key principles and industry best practices for successful script writing and storytelling for film and stage.
Offered on Sundays from 6:00-7:30pm. For those interested in a less formal, more social and fun improvisational experience or looking for an introduction to the world of Improvisation, with the long-term goal of progressing to more advanced and challenging concepts.
Offered on Sundays from 7:30-9:30pm. This class is for those interested in exploring Improvisation from an in-depth professional focus, either for personal growth or to enhance their performance range and opportunities.
More information on all Act One's classes can be found on the school website on the Classes page.
For 2023-24 students and 2024 campers, I am happy to announce that all 2023-24 year end show performance and 2024 summer camp videos have been completed and posted to the school website. The year end show videos have been posted to a private area of the website. Emails providing the link to stream them were sent to the families of all students in the relevant classes. If you do not recall seeing an e-mail, please check your junk mail folder and if not there, feel free to contact the school and we would be happy to resend it. The summer camp videos can all be accessed via the Student Gallery section of the website.
For anyone wishing to download one or more performance videos for their own personal use, please contact the school so that we can send you the applicable access link.
I hope the above information helps answer many of the common questions I have had over the past couple of weeks and keeps everyone updated with respect to Act One's upcoming activities, as this Fall Term begins.
If anyone has any questions regarding this update or any other topic, please feel free to contact the school.
Sincerely,
Mark Nathanielsz
Owner/Artistic Director