THE MEDIA THEATRE HAS WINTER ACTING CLASSES STARTING IN JANUARY

It's a New Year soon, and time to register for the Winter Session of Acting Classes at The Media Theatre. They begin again the weekend of January 10 and are produced and supervised by Media Music Theatre Company, the professional music theatre organization which is housed at The Media Theatre. The classes offer a semester of professional training for those just beginning or wishing to further their education. A new class for parents of students will be instructed by Jesse Cline, Artistic Director, and Dance Classes will begin soon.

Register Now for Media Theatre Acting Classes: www.mediatheatre.org

All acting classes are based on The Meisner Technique which follows the basic structure that ‘Acting is living as truthfully as one can under an imaginary circumstance.’ Within this curriculum there is no ‘character’ or pretense and actors are placed in an environment which allows them to be who they are, building self-awareness and self-esteem within their own unique personality. The idea of ‘copying’ someone else’s performance is pushed aside as actors create from within themselves to fulfill the required role they may be asked to portray.

The Media Theatre will continue to offer three levels of classes for children. The popular Children’s Class, for ages 6 and up, will meet on Saturday mornings at 9am beginning January 10 and continuing for ten weeks. This 10-week one-hour course is primarily for ages 6 to 9 who are just starting out or who have less stage experience than others in their age group. It features exercises for building basic speaking skills on stage (volume, diction), learning stage directions, and developing self-esteem. Fun improvisational style exercises are also utilized to build the concept that acting requires team work on occasion.

Level Two for Children will meet Tuesdays at 4:30 beginning January 13. This 10-week one-hour course is appropriate for children ages 8 to 11, or for those who have some onstage experience. The focus is primarily on student scene work to strengthen beginning acting skills. Theatre exercises are also implemented to enhance stage focus and discipline. Diction is a big part of this class, as well as following direction with one-on-one instruction within a group environment. 

Younger children, aged 4, 5, and 6, can get into the act with the Introduction to Theatre Class on Tuesdays at 3:30. The one hour weekly course is specifically designed for the youngest age group that has an interest in performing. The young children will learn by ‘Acting Out’ by 'talking to' a stuffed animal in which the topic of real conversation is approached. They may also be asked to act as if they are ‘walking in the rain or snow’ or to ‘show us how you deal with a pet dog or cat’. The class will instill within the students that being who they are is important and following instructions will be a major focus. Imagination will be a large ingredient of the Introduction to Theatre Class.

The Teen Acting Class will continue on Sundays at 6pm starting January 11. This eight-week 90-minute class is ideal for ages 12 and up. Each student is given one-on-one instruction within a group environment.  Focus is on stage skills, following direction,  scripted scene work with partners, and monologues. As the class progresses, the scene work or monologue is enhanced through continued study and performance. Improvisational Scene Work is also explored, and becomes a major part of the focus as the weeks progress, enhancing the ability to 'react quickly as you would without over-analyzing'.

The Adult Class will meet Sundays at 7:30. This eight-week 90-minute class is designed for the adult (18 and up) who wishes to explore acting for the first time or who wants to strengthen their stage skills. Scene study with partners and monologues are the focus.

Jesse Cline, the Artistic Director for the theatre company, will have a new class on Sundays at 6pm. The class is specifically designed for parents who currently have students enrolled at the theatre and is entitled "The Truth Is Everything". Cline will instruct the parents in the Meisner Technique so that they will be able to have a larger understanding of what their child or teen is experiencing in other classes. Cline will also continue to instruct and oversee the next semester of The New School, The Media Theatre's conservatory-style music theatre education program which focuses on acting, vocal music, and dance. There is availability for three students in the 2015 Winter New School. Call for interview or audition.

The other classes require no audition or interview. Roger Ricker, a stage veteran of over 85 productions and concerts at The Media Theatre, instructs the Children and Teen Classes. Tim Haney, who has been with the theatre since 1997, instructs the Adult Class.

The Media Theatre will begin offering Dance Classes in 2015. These classes, and all others, will take place at their new Education and Dance Center on State Street. Please call for information.

To register for the Acting Classes, please call 610-891-0100 or visit mediatheatre.org. Email rer764@gmail.com with specific questions or request information.