Totem Pole Playhouse To Open The Totem Pole Playhouse Academy With Intensive Workshop In Film And TV Acting

Totem Pole Playhouse, America's beloved summer theatre located in Caledonia State Park between Gettysburg and Chambersburg, PA, has announced the opening of the Totem Pole Playhouse Academy. The new performing arts training center will be housed in the Playhouse's recently renovated rehearsal space named after Totem Pole's former Artistic Producer and Directors, Carl Schurr and Wil Love.

The Academy was made possible by a generous grant from Sharon Trew Cline Magraw Foundation, which supports community-focused organizations with an emphasis on education, wellness, progressive causes, and the arts.

The Academy will open November 10th with a special weekend intensive for Film & Television On-Camera Audition Technique.

The two-day workshop will run 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm on both Saturday, November 10th and Sunday, November 11th at a total cost of $225.00. Participants will learn how to audition on-camera for commercials, TV series, and film work. Included in the program will be what to expect when you walk into the audition room, how to prepare, breaking down a script and industry terms. Participants will practice mock auditions using scripts from actual film, TV, and commercial productions. They will be introduced to several vital industry resources with information on acquiring an agent, professional headshots, actor resumes, and how to approach professional on-camera auditions. All students will be given a copy of their work on an SD card, along with a notebook, as part of their tuition. The 8-hour workshop is open to ages 16 and older. Class size will be limited to fifteen in order to allow all students ample time on-camera. The deadline for applications is November 1st and acceptance will be on a first-come, first-served basis.

Totem Pole Playhouse Producing Artistic Director, Rowan Joseph, will teach the course. Joseph has an extensive background in film, commercial, and television series work. He most recently appeared on the Emmy Award-winning HBO series, Veep, opposite Julia Louis Dreyfus and Hugh Laurie. His other TV credits include roles on Gilmore Girls, Boston Legal, Breakout Kings, Arrest & Trial and a recurring role on the HBO series Treme. His film credits include The Campaign with Will Ferrell, The Princess Diaries 2 with Anne Hathaway, Raising Helen with Kate Hudson, Grudge Match starring Robert DeNiro and Sylvester Stallone and several independent films, National Lampoon's Snatched with Andrew McCarthy, Barefoot with Evan Rachel Wood and Chronic Town at the Sundance Film Festival. Joseph has worked with or appeared in films starring eleven Oscar Award-winning best actors: Helen Mirren, Julie Andrews, Kathy Bates, Jamie Foxx, Shirley MacLaine, Julia Roberts, Robert DeNiro, Anthony Hopkins, F. Murray Abraham, Geraldine Page, and Katharine Hepburn

.To sign up for the workshop, email Shane Partlow at spartlow@totempoleplayhouse.org or for more information call the Totem Pole Playhouse office Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at (717) 352-2164 ext. 1007.