CINCINNATI, Jan. 13, 2017 – Cincinnati Shakespeare Company is rounding out its 2016-2017 educational program with a new series of adult classes. The classes run on selected Monday nights from January 23 to May 15 at 6:30-8:00 at CSC’s current home theater at 719 Race St, and will be taught by members of the CSC’s Resident Ensemble. There is something for everyone, with class topics ranging from the playful, such as Theatre Games, Improv, and Period Dance, to the more widely applicable, including Voice for Life and Movement for Life.
Teachers will include many recent stars of the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company stage: Miranda McGee, Darnell Pierre Benjamin, Sara Clark, and Sylvester Little Jr, while the Improv classes will be taught local Cincinnati teaching artist, by Dave Powell.
This series of classes for adults will complement CSC’s range of youth programming, including the year-long educational initiative PROJECT38 and the long-running acting classes for teens, Groundlings and Groundlings Junior. The series is an expansion of the previous popular adult classes which prompted an adult student to comment: “Just finished my third program–already signed up for two more–I am learning so much, and I’m having way too much fun in the process!”
The classes can be purchased individually for $50/class, in a 5 class pass for $225 ($45/class), or, the best deal, a 10 class pass for $400 ($40/class) and participate in all of the classes!
Registration can be done easily online here: www.cincyshakes.com/acting-classes-2/
Additional descriptions of each class are below:
Students are encouraged to take one or both of each class section as different topics will be covered in each week!
THEATRE GAMES
January 30th, February 6th ; Taught by Miranda McGee. Class meets 6:30-8pm.
“Ay, that way goes the game!” You know why actors are such a fun-loving, playful, immature bunch? It’s because they’re always playing games! Believe it or not, games are fundamental part of most theatre training. They’re a way of connecting to one’s impulses, building rapport with others, and besides that, they’re just plain fun. Whether you’re a teacher looking for some fun new classroom activities, or just a dilettante looking to let out their inner child, a couple of rounds of Zip Zap Zop or Jewel Thief is good for what ails you. Come and remember how good it feels to just play.
PERIOD DANCE
February 20th and 27th ; Taught by Darnell Pierre Benjamin. Class meets 6:30-8pm.
“Take hands with me and rock the ground!” Dance was a huge part of Elizabethan theatre, integrated into almost every single performance. Now you can learn the most stylish steps the sixteenth century had to offer. Doesn’t matter if you don’t know a jig from a caper, a cinquepace from a bergamask, by the end of this class, you’ll be ready to take it super-retro the next time you’re at a club or ‘round a maypole. Each class will delve into a different set of dances, so come to one or both!
VOICE FOR LIFE
March 13th and 27th; Taught by Sara Clark. Class meets 6:30-8pm.
“God buy you, and God mend your voices.” Ever notice how an infant can scream for hours on end without getting hoarse, but two hours at a Wilco concert, and you sound like Harvey Firestein? That’s because through the course of our lives, we can pick up a slew of bad vocal habits that damage our voices. This class will look at proper use and maintenance of the vocal instrument to allow you to get the most out of your pipes, whether onstage or off.
MOVEMENT FOR LIFE
April 10th and 17th; Taught by Sylvester Little Jr. Class meets 6:30-8pm.
“When the mind’s free, the body’s delicate.” Just like with the voice, over the course of our lives we tend to pick up a number of physical habits and quirks. Some of these become so ingrained that we are not even aware of them, and can be detrimental to the body in the long run. This class will explore ways to be mindful of how we physically move through every day life, ways to realign the body, and ways to let go of the stresses we unconsciously carry.
IMPROV
May 1st and 15th; Taught by Dave Powell. Class meets 6:30-8pm.
“And let your clowns speak no more than is set down for them.” Come experience the unique and giddy thrill that comes with creating on the fly. In the hands of an experienced improv artist you’ll learn about the fine art of “yes and”-ing and the infinite possibilities that it opens up. The skills involved in improvisation are useful in any number of real world situations, and in addition it’s just a whole lotta fun!
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About Cincinnati Shakespeare Company:
Cincinnati Shakespeare Company is a professional theatre company dedicated to bringing Shakespeare and the classics to life for audiences of all ages. Currently located in the heart of downtown Cincinnati, CSC produces a dozen mainstage productions each season. In the summer of 2017, the theater will relocate to the Otto M. Budig Theater, a brand new facility in OTR. CSC’s repertoire is made up of the works of William Shakespeare, literary adaptations, and contemporary classics. CSC performs on a Small Professional Theatre contract with Actors’ Equity Association. Cincinnati Shakespeare is a member of the Theater Communications Group and the Shakespeare Theater Association. Cincinnati Shakespeare Company’s Education and Outreach Programs reached over 50,000 young people and underserved community members each season by taking Shakespeare into schools, parks, community centers and by hosting educational matinees of mainstage productions. In 2015, CSC was proud to become one of the first five theaters in the United States to “Complete the Canon” by producing all 38 plays by William Shakespeare. CSC is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization and all donations are tax deductible. Cincinnati Shakespeare Company is proud to be Cincinnati’s stage for the classics!
About The 2016-2017 Season:
This season is generously sponsored by The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation. Cincinnati Shakespeare Company receives operating support from The Ohio Arts Council, the Shubert Foundation and is supported, in part, by the generosity of thousands of individuals and businesses that give annually to ArtsWave. The Ohio Arts Council helped fund this program/organization with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. Production dates and information on the season are available online at www.cincyshakes.com.
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