Playhouse on Park Welcomes New Teaching Artist for Young Actor Training Program

Playhouse on Park is pleased to welcome teaching artist Gino Costabile for its Actor Performance Training Program beginning September 29.

This class is open to middle school students (grades 5-8) who desire to improve their acting and performance technique. The Actor Performance Training Program is sectioned into three units, allowing for in-depth study of various acting topics. Students will begin with improvisation then they will learn how to create characters through Shakespearean text. For the final unit, students will be asked to incorporate what they have learned throughout the year into a devised theatre piece. The program will conclude with a showcase where they perform their original ensemble-generated performance.

Gino is an actor, writer, director and teaching artist. He is a Connecticut native and has worked both in New York and Los Angeles as an actor. He has also taught at The Public Theater in NYC. Gino earned his BFA from the University of Connecticut and his MFA from the Actor's Studio Drama School at Pace University in NYC. He is thrilled to be teaching at Playhouse on Park. Favorite past roles include: Edmund in King Lear, MacBeth in MacBeth, Kyle in I'm Connecticut, Michael in Dancing at Lughnasa, Don Pedro in Much Ado About Nothing, and Dylan Thomas in Dylan among many others. Gino is also a screenwriter and his first independent feature film, Penumbra, has just finished shooting in Los Angeles.

The Actor Performance Training Program is for sixth through eight grade students, plus fifth grade students who have already taken a Playhouse on Park acting class and have permission from the instructor. The class takes place every Tuesday at the Playhouse from 5:30 pm-7:00 pm. The Actor Performance Training Program runs from September 29-May 24, 2016. Tuition is $600, which includes a 10% savings. Or, tuition may be paid in two installments of $330. Registration fee is $15.

Registration is now open! For more information, please visit www.playhouseonpark.org, and navigate to Education Programs for registration forms. Or call the box office at 860-523-5900 x10 to register. Playhouse on Park is located at 244 Park Road, West Hartford, CT 06119.