ADULT ACTING STUDIO

Acting Classes for the Professional Stream Actor

ACTING TRAINING

Designed for the actor looking to train or perform for the stage, or screen, professionally.

These courses will train with the assumption that student is looking to perform beyond a hobby.

Beginner to advanced courses offered.

ABOUT THE CLASS

This class seeks to help the artist (actor, director, writer, designer) create a multifaceted character from a piece of text in a time allotment that is like an average North American commercial rehearsal period.

A scene study class unlike any scene study in Canada!

“A unique course, unlike anything offered at other acting schools in Canada.” - Past Class Participant

All ethnicities, identifications, and abilities welcome. This workshop will be conducted as a safe space for working and will abide by the CAEA Code of Conduct.

SUMMARY

A comprehensive scene study beyond the classic take a scene and learn it. In this class we take a character and create it.

Using practical techniques and lesser known methods from Brazilian, German, Polish, Russian, and Canadian/American traditions, the actor will create a vibrant, original, layered character that will startle and inspire audiences. The actor will be shown how to embody character through voice, physicality, and thought. The actor will see how a text is the only resource required to create a fleshed performance. The actor will learn how their personal creativity and discipline is the only thing required to be successful in theatre. The actor will learn to embrace their unique voice.

THE TOOLS TO SURVIVE AS A WORKING ACTOR

Every acting school has a class that teaches the student about acting. What about survival as an actor? How do you survive and succeed in a world that underpays, mistreats, and ignores its artists.

This class will walk the participant through how to show what it is best about them in the soul crushing environment that is an audition, how to work with and not ruin your reputation, and what it means to be a respectful participant in a job.

Commercial Confidence is not a psychology course, there will be no breakdown-build up here. It is a boot camp that teaches the actor to value themselves and appreciate their uniqueness.

“This class gave me an appreciation of what it meant to be a professional, not only in acting, but in life” — Past Class Participant.

“The Perfect Class to learn the inside perspective on a world that I didn’t understand.” - Past Class Participant

Let’s face it, if you are an actor you must learn how to wrestle with Shakespeare. But many actors don’t enjoy this struggle. Some of them down right hate it. But it’s not Shakespeare’s fault.

This class is a fun, light, inclusive way to experiment with one of the mainstays of the Western Theatrical Canon: William Shakespeare.

In a few short sessions I will, with the aid of practical approaches, help the artist to see that Shakespeare and his contemporaries are as approachable as that darling cat who lives next store and licks your feet.

The class is in three parts and you don’t have to take one part to take another.

(P.S. You don’t have to hate Shakespeare to take this class. We welcome everyone! And there will be refreshments!)

ACTOR APPRECIATION

Storytelling 101

“Human beings are the story telling ape” – Terry Prattchet

What is a story? How do you tell it?

Are you an aspiring writer, playwright, tour guide, teacher? Someone who has to use story telling in business?

This is the course for you. Great for actors, writers, sales people, tour guides, teachers, human beings.

Since we’ve been on this planet, we’ve been telling stories; but there is a structure and a form to what an efficient story is and how it is presented.

In this class we will examine how ‘story’ works from the purpose to the presentation. The student will blend a variety of techniques in effort to create frames for larger complete works.

We will learn why a story works and why it doesn’t, what is a joke, and why if a joke is understood, a story is understood.

Designed for those looking to write, create, or use stories in daily life. Applications can be as far reaching as art shows to car sales.

public speaking

Speaking in front of crowds is one of the top ten phobias in Canada/US; but it is an essential skill business managers, project managers, startup founders, successful members of the world need today.

This class is a no nonsense, welcoming, solution to your public speaking anxieties.

This class strives to get you comfortable with speaking in front of large groups of people.

Unlike other public speaking classes, this class does not apply an unreasonable set of rules to follow, but rather focuses on your unique voice, and helps you get comfortable with using it.

A great class for those who have anxiety about speaking in front of groups.  

Have a presentation? This class is great.

Run a company but get tongue tied in front of your employees? We will untie your tongue.

Want to connect your mouth with you mind? We can make that connection.

“Easily digestible and nicely provided with a nice sense of humour. Helped me a lot. ” - Chloet Weiner, German Startup CEO (On Julian’s ability to share knowledge)

SCRIPTWORK

All performances begin with an idea. Ideas form the basis of the script.

This class opens up the detailed world of the script, performance text, the infrastructure.

If you ever wondered how actors remember all those lines, this class is for you.

This course will answer the question: how do you take those ideas and get them to a place to build a larger project?

Over twenty hours, the participant will learn the ins and out of interpreting a script. They will learn how to read out loud, with intonation, inspiration, and tune. They will learn what ideas we can learn from the words, the punctuation, the directions, and take the leap to the next step which is performance.

A great class for actors, performance enthusiasts, people who love to read, who do not love to read, and people who want to learn how to build better written materials for their employees.

intro to the stage

Recommended course to take before this one: Public Speaking or Scriptwork

What does it mean to be on the stage?

This class is a welcoming, relaxed way to get comfortable with being the centre of attention.

Great for those who’ve always wanted to be in the spotlight but didn’t know how.

This class is a 20hr introduction to the stage and performance. Students will learn the ins and outs of a performance space. They will learn how to stand comfortably in front of people.

- How to speak and be heard.

- How to hold focus

- What the parts of a stage are and what the goal of performance is.

- How to be comfortable as the centre of attention.

Great for: People interested in joining community theatre productions, teachers who want to enhance their teaching skills, salespeople looking to up their sales game, and theatre enthusiasts.

CHARACTER MOVEMENT

A movement course for none movers.

Want to learn about yourself? How you move in a space? Feeling stiff when deliver speeches, sales pitches, when you teach?

This course can help you with that.

The most important part of performance is not the lines, it is not the lights, or the look, it is the moves. Movement says everything. It says how much money you have, how well you feel, your age, if you have good or bad memories.

Over these 20 hours, the participant will learn how free their inner mover. This course is not designed for the experienced dancer (although a dancer will get a lot out of it) it is designed for the regular person.

The aim of this class is to get us more comfortable in our bodies. Great for wannabe performers, salespeople, people who work at a desk all day, people who stand in front of others, religious professionals and people who want to learn about themselves.

YOUR UNIQUE VOICE

You want to learn to write, to perform, to hold a room, to share what makes you you. This class will help you do that.

Great for all those who have a need to express themselves and do not know how to start.

There is a lie going-round that you have to meet certain high-handed rules to be successful in the arts; you have to look a certain way, speak a certain way, be a certain way. This is not true.

Performance is about confidence. Confidence to be who you are and say what you want to say.

This course is will help the participant find that uniqueness, that special something, and it will show you how to embrace it to become successful.

We will use physical exercises, vocal exercises, and much more to build confidence in what it means to be you.

This is a great course for anyone who wants to learn about themselves; who wants build confidence in what they do.   

“Julian is super helpful, knowledgeable, and patient. I learned so much.” – Gordon Hammel, Brantford, ON