Acting Diploma

Term 1:

Acting Fundamentals

You will develop the precursors to acting: relaxation; trust; exuberance; discipline; response to criticism; a playful attitude; and the ability to work as part of an ensemble. You will learn the fundamentals of acting, including: concentration; pursuing an objective with actions; listening and responding; and working from moment-to-moment, using both improvised and scripted scenes.

Voice

Through physical and vocal exercises, you will begin to release your voice from habitual tensions and develop breath connection, support and stamina. You will begin to learn how to project your voice without strain, using the principles of general and specific resonance and develop vocal range. Articulation work will enable you to approach text with greater specificity, accuracy and muscularity.

Movement

This unit will allow you to explore and develop movement/physical vocabularies and begin to understand the significant role the body plays in expression. You will become aware of your physicality through experiential anatomy, articulation of the body parts, alignment of the spine and the three body weights. you will explore connection to breath, presence in space, neutrality and it's relevance to an acting training.

Term 2

The Actor and The Text

This module will allow you to apply your acquired skills from Acting Fundamentals to script work. You will learn a clear process, including active and textual analysis, which will allow you to explore and realise monologues, duologues and scenes effectively.

Character

This module explores the creation of character in both textual and devised settings. The creation of character is fundamental to all forms of acting therefore you will concentrate not only on naturalistic character but also archetypes, commedia dell'arte and Brechtian characters. Using the techniques and methods of various practitioners you will develop and sustain your own character.

Devising and theatre-making

This module will give you the tools to start to develop ideas into ensemble-based performance. The acting industry is increasingly reliant on actors who can devise, write and perform in autonomous ways; you will create work using a variety of sound, light and text based stimuli.

Term 3

Performance Project: Rehearse and Perform

This unit culminates in a production wherein you will have gone through a full rehearsal process taking into account the text, character and knowledge of prominent 20th Century practitioners and their acting systems. The use of your acting, voice and movement skills will be evaluated in both the rehearsal process and final performance. You will be cast in extracts from a play and have an intensive rehearsal schedule. You will be expected to attend all rehearsal and also work in your own time. You will apply systems of rehearsal to your work, learn movement and be expected to take and adapt well to direction. You will perform the show in front of an invited audience.