Berkeley Rep Hosts Classes For All Ages and An Intensive For Teens

School may be out, but fun is in session at Berkeley Rep's School of Theatre. Students of all ages are invited to take advantage of the long days by signing up for a variety of exciting and challenging classes in the summer session. Teens have a special opportunity to spend part of their holidays in a four-week Summer Intensive. Activities begin after the Fourth of July holiday.

"Berkeley Rep's School of Theatre has something for everyone this summer," says Rachel Fink, the School's director. "We are proud to announce several new offerings for adults to hone their craft and explore new creative avenues through classes like Acting Methods with Christopher Peak, Acting Shakespeare with Julian López-Morillas, Physical Comedy with Ben Johnson, and Telling a Story on Screen with filmmaker David Myers. In addition, the four-week summer intensive program is an amazing opportunity for teens and should not be missed."

The summer session features the following classes, which meet weekly for two to three hours with instructors who are nationally recognized artists and teachers:

Students beginning grades K-2: Acting Up... Make'em Laugh, Make'em Cry with Nancy Gold encourages children to learn to play and play to learn through a myriad of art forms including mime, masks, movement, clowning, improvisation, and juggling.
Students beginning grades 3-5: A performance workshop led by Ben Hanna focuses on Harry Potter. Children develop a performance piece based on the well-known wizard using movement, dialogue, music, improvisation, and character work.
Acting classes for adults: Students are encouraged to challenge themselves with an array of classes including Beginning Acting with Michael Navarra, Intermediate Acting with Marvin Greene, Advanced Acting with Robert Parsons, Acting Methods with Christopher Peak, Acting Shakespeare with Julian López-Morillas, Acting Violence: Rapier & Dagger with Dave Maier, and Physical Comedy with Ben Johnson.
Improv classes and workshops for adults: Classes exploring the development of creative impulses include Improvisation: The Art of Play and Advanced Improvisation: Four Favorite Genres. Intensive, artistic experiences are also offered in three diverse workshops: Elyse Shafarman's Alexander Technique and James Wagner's Cultivating Stage Presence and Audition as Meditation, Audition as Magic.
Writing and voice classes for adults: Special classes designed to develop the artist's voice include British Dialects with Deborah Eubanks, Voice for Emerging and Working Actors with Lisa Anne Porter, Summer Playwriting Workshop with Gary Graves, and Telling a Story on Screen with David Myers.

There's something for teens as well: the Summer Theatre Intensive provides a fun-filled, enriching, affordable camp for teenagers - right here in Berkeley. Participants work with master teachers to learn basic theatrical techniques such as acting and improvisation, and they learn from Berkeley Rep's artisans about design disciplines such as costumes, lighting, props, and sound. They also select their own specialties with electives in topics such as directing, hip-hop, musical theatre, and playwriting. In a process that mirrors the method that Berkeley Rep applies to develop new plays, students work with a professional playwright to adapt their own original work. Those shows are performed for an invited audience of family and friends on one of the Theatre's renowned stages.

With different sessions for different ages, the Summer Theatre Intensive offers a rare opportunity for youth to open their imaginations. The first session, for students entering grades 6-8, takes place on weekdays from June 20 through July 15. The second session, for teens in grades 9-12, is held July 128 through August 12. Tuition is $1,150 for session 1 and $1,250 for session 2. The only requirement is an active mind open to imagination, collaboration, hard work, and, of course, lots of fun.

The Berkeley Rep School of Theatre is committed to working with local schools and community members to reinforce arts education as a community value and an integral part of the cultural fabric. By providing access and opportunities for participation in the arts, Berkeley Rep uses theatre as a means to challenge, thrill, and galvanize what is best in the human spirit. Major support for the School of Theatre's education programs is provided by American Express, Bank of America, and Target Corporation.

For more information, call (510) 647-2972, e-mail school@berkeleyrep.org, or visit berkeleyrep.org/school.