Berkeley Rep's School of Theatre Kicks off Fall Session With Sunday Sampler Starting 9/13

This autumn, while audiences flock to Berkeley Repertory Theatre for the world premiere of American Idiot, theatre enthusiasts can also enjoy dozens of ingenious classes at its School of Theatre. And they can get a taste of what's available at the new Sunday Sampler starting at 1:00 PM on September 13.

"Our new Sunday Sampler is an opportunity to try out the classes we offer for youth, teens, and adults - free of charge!" declares Rachel Fink, director of the School of Theatre. "Bring your family, bring a friend, or treat yourself to the wide variety of programming offered at our School, including acting, improvisation, stage combat, and clowning. Taught by professional theatre artists, our classes offer people of all ages and abilities an opportunity to explore the craft of theatre so they experience the joy of dynamic engagement with their own creativity."

The Sunday Sampler is free and open to youth, teens, adults, and families. Following a brief introduction at 1:00 PM, participants may sample three different classes from a menu of options at 1:20 PM, 2:00 PM, and 2:30 PM. Like all activities at Berkeley Rep's School of Theatre, the Sampler is held next door to the Thrust Stage in the Nevo Education Center, at 2071 Addison Street in downtown Berkeley.

The Berkeley Rep School of Theatre offers an interactive environment where students immerse themselves in all aspects of the craft and artistry of theatre. All classes meet weekly for two to three hours with instructors who are nationally recognized teaching artists and theatre professionals. The fall session, which begins on September 21, features the following fun activities:

Classes for kids (kindergarten through grade 5) include Acting Up: Magical Masks & More, Outer Space Adventure, Performance Workshop, and the Time Machine.

Classes for middle-schoolers (grades 6 through 9) include Improvisation, Musical Theatre: Into the Woods, and Performance Ensemble, as well as private voice lessons.

Classes for teens (grades 9-12) include Acting Violence (stage combat certification in either the single rapier or the small sword), On-Camera Acting, Teen Performance Lab: A Midsummer Night's Dream, and an Audition Lab preparing youth for high-school and college auditions, as well as private voice lessons.

Classes for adults include Acting (beginning through advanced), Acting Violence, Auditioning for Musical Theatre, Basics of Music for Theatre Practitioners, British and Irish Dialects, Clowning, How to Audition, Improvisation (beginning and intermediate), Improvisation Performance Lab, Performance Art, Performance Lab: Samuel Beckett, Playwriting, and Voice for Emerging and Working Actors, as well as one-on-one audition coaching.

Berkeley Rep's School of Theatre provides a wide array of programming for individuals of all ages. In addition to classes for youth and adults, the School offers Target® Story Builders, a drama workshop for elementary-school classrooms; the Student Matinee Series for middle- and high-school students; in-school residencies; teacher training; and a variety of outreach programs that encourage lifelong learning through hands-on, cross-curricular, in-class workshops. The School also hosts the Teen Council, which allows youth to participate in all aspects of the dramatic process: on stage, backstage, and in front of the stage. Housed in the Nevo Education Center, the Berkeley Rep School of Theatre is supported by the Mosse Foundation for Arts and Education.

For more information on the Sunday Sampler, or complete details about the fall session, call (510) 647-2972 or visit berkeleyrep.org.

 

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