UCPAC Acting Academy to Kick Off Two Courses for Teens This January

Parents of teens ages 12-17 interested in the performing arts have a great option this winter to provide their children with an affordable and educational opportunity that won't compete for time with their regular schooling: the Union County Performing Arts Center's Acting Academy.

The Acting Academy is offering two distinct courses: On-Camera Teen Commercial Class and On-Camera Teen Film/TV Acting Technique.

Both courses will be held for two hours on Saturdays for the duration of six weeks and each costs $200. Students in both classes will have the chance to learn at the UCPAC's Hamilton Stage, a state-of-the-art facility that opened in 2012 and is an example of a professional performing arts space.

The On-Camera Teen Commercial Class will be held on Saturdays from 1 PM-3 PM, January 14 to February 18. In an introduction to TV commercial work, the students will learn how best to tackle one-line commercials and no-line commercials, with an emphasis on audition techniques, script analysis, emotional execution, taking direction and working with props, cue cards and partners. By the end of the program, the teens will also be able to boast increased self confidence and personal marketing skills.

On-Camera Teen Film/TV Acting Technique will take place Saturdays from 3 PM-5 PM during the same date range of January 14 to February 18, making it possible for teens to sign up for both classes should they choose to do so. This class will focus on on-camera acting in the form of film and television and will lay out for students the difference between this and acting on stage. The main topics of this program include motivation/intention, character development, secrets, inner thoughts/substitution, inner monologue/subtext, overall and scene objectives and how one utilizes the "6Ws" in a scene. Students will be able to share their accomplishments in the class in the form of recordings made for their friends and family.

Kristin Barber, who has prior experience both as a talent agent in New York City and as a teacher for Weist-Barron School's ACTeen Program, will be the instructor for both classes. Barber specializes in acting classes for children and teens, including film acting technique, commercials and commercial audition technique. She now manages children, teens, and adults for theater, film, TV and commercials.

Parents may register their teens online at ucpac.org (under the "Classes" tab), by calling the box office at (732) 499-8226, or in person at the box office. The box office is located at 1601 Irving Street, Rahway, NJ, and is open Tuesdays through Saturdays 11 AM-5 PM with extended hours on Thursdays: 11 AM-8 PM. The Hamilton Stage, where the classes will take place, is located at 360 Hamilton Street, Rahway, NJ and is easily accessible to major roads and public transportation.