Theatre Festival Workshops

Acting On Camera. Simon Provan (Wisconsin Lutheran College). While the foundations for acting on stage and on camera are very much related, the approach to being a truthful performer varies greatly between the two. This workshop will focus on how to bring a truthful performance when acting on camera, especially in the close-up shot. Performers will walk away from this workshop equipped with skills and techniques that can be used in any acting on camera setting.

Acting the Song and College Musical Theatre Prep. Andrew Abrams. Aspiring musical theatre students will learn how to act their musical theatre songs through monologuing, identifying objectives, focal points, the use of the “other”, intentions, discoveries, and tactic changes. Andrew will also coach singing technique where appropriate and answer questions about any musical theatre program college prep work that you are currently working towards. Acting the song is and should be fun! Will be able to work with 6-8 students but is still very useful to observe.

Audition Workshop: Discovering the Power of Discovery. Neil Scharnick (Carthage). Successful audition monologues seem spontaneous and “in-the-moment”–not like prepared speeches. This workshop will provide tools for students looking to bring freshness and life to their monologues by focusing on the sense of “discovery”–and how little discoveries made throughout the piece keep it from seeming stale or rehearsed. Students will also learn how to identify the best monologues for them. First students to arrive can workshop pieces they’ve prepared; student and teacher observers are welcome!

Basics of Safe Swashbuckling. Ron Parker (Appleton North HS). Using wooden practice swords, students will learn the fundamentals of swordplay for the stage including the proper positions, stances, footwork, attacks and parries necessary to create an effective and safe armed combat scene on stage. Participants will also learn some basic terminology as well as a brief overview of the history of the sword.

Comedy Improv–Of the Student, By the Student, and For the Student. Ron Parker (Appleton North HS). Students will learn basic techniques of performing improv from members of IMPROVEDY–Appleton North’s popular comedy improvisational troupe. Participants will be introduced to and play a variety of games that teach various improv skills. Learn how to start your own successful improv troupe at your school!

Dive Into Dialects. Sara Griffin (UW-Whitewater). An overview of how to approach learning dialects through a study of received pronunciation.

Entrepreneurship in the Arts. Megan Matthews (UW-Whitewater). Have you ever thought about how to make a living as an artist? How what you offer is unique, how it can be used in a variety of environments, and how to promote it? Have you thought about what kind of a budget you want to have as an artist, and what resources you would need to support your life goals? This session will cover the basics of entrepreneurship for creative disciplines, using Design Thinking and the Business Model Canvas.

Managing Arts Organizations. Megan Matthews (UW-Whitewater). Arts Management is an exciting blend of arts and business, to use education, talents, and passion in the nonprofit, profit and government sectors. Arts managers are responsible for finance and marketing, developing programs, managing facilities, writing grants, and managing personnel to support artists and arts agencies. Jobs can be found with special event companies, state government agencies, K-12 programs, universities, local arts agencies, regional service organizations, galleries, museums, symphonies and theaters, to name a few.

Michael Chekhov and the Dramatic Imagination. James Reilly (YouthPLAYS). Do you remember what it was like playing pretend? Did you have an imaginary friend as a child? Did a book ever make you feel like you were “really there”? All of these questions share one key ingredient: the Dramatic Imagination. Artists are unified by their desire to create and underneath that desire is the bright and beautiful canvas of the imagination. In this workshop, Chicago actor James Reilly will begin to uncover a vibrant approach to performing that will add depth to the work and teach you how to find emotional safety onstage and off. Come ready to move!

Motion capture performance & stage combat. Trevor Rees (UW-Whitewater). This workshop will provide participants with an understanding and hands on experience within the world of motion capture performance. Skills learned include and aren’t limited to: acting, stage combat, stunt performance, character work, movement exploration, and studio etiquette based in the world of motion capture.

Musical Theater Dance Styles. Nancy Weiss McQuide (UW-Milwaukee). Musical theatre utilizes multiple dance styles ( jazz, tap, hip hop, swing, etc. Learn some basics of these styles in this fun workshop, and be ready for your future auditions and performances. No previous dance experience required.

Power Dynamics, Consent, and Boundary Work – Intimacy Direction Best Practices for Safety, Equity and Inclusion in the Rehearsal Room. Jennifer Dobby (Carroll University). Creating a culture of consent, boundaries, and acknowledged power dynamics is an integral part of building a safe and effective rehearsal environment for all theatre artists. This workshop will introduce foundational aspects of Intimacy Direction, which will include theoretical and practical applications of consent/boundary work best practices, and the acknowledgement and alleviation of inherent power dynamics, within a rehearsal room or acting classroom.

Punches, Slaps, and Kicks, Oh My! The Basics of Unarmed Stage Combat. Ron Parker (Appleton North HS). Students will learn the fundamentals of unarmed stage combat focusing on safety and the creation of “realistic illusion” and storytelling. Participants will learn a basic punch, kick, slap, choke, strike, and pull, as time permits. Various knaps (simulating the sound of and unarmed attack on stage) will be explored as well as basic unarmed combat vocabulary.

Shakespeare Crash Course. Sara Griffin (UW-Whitewater). An overview of the most important aspects of performing Shakespeare- scansion, rhetoric, and text analysis.