Orlando Shakes Now Offering Adult Master Classes

Acting master classes for adult performers now offered by Orlando Shakes in partnership with UCF's professional teaching artists. Actors of all skill levels are invited to brush up their acting skills by joining professional instructors for a Zoom class. Orlando Shakes master classes include options on a variety of topics ranging from Shakespeare to audition technique.

"We are excited to bring people together (virtually) to learn, grow, and make the most of this performing hiatus," said Jim Helsinger, Orlando Shakes' artistic director, who will be teaching multiple courses on Shakespeare in the coming weeks. "We want these classes to not only bring the joy of learning now during this COVID crisis, but also to serve as tools for actors and audiences when we are able to safely return to the stage."

ABOUT ADULT CLASSES

What's Your Story: Storytelling for Seniors

Sharing our stories is one way we offer comfort and understanding. What is your story? How do you tell it? This class taught will offer some exercises and activities meant to generate and focus ideas for getting started. Suitable for a practiced storyteller or someone just curious about how to begin. Class size is limited and is offered for those 55 and older. Supplies: some good old pen and paper.

Date: May 23

Time: Saturday, 2:00-3:30pm

Tuition: $20

Instructor: Suzanne O'Donnell

Putting Shakespeare Into Your Own Words

This class introduces the concept of paraphrasing to create emotional and physical connections to Shakespeare's text. Putting it into your own words is a powerful tool and the first step to understanding and acting Shakespeare's words.

Date: May 30

Time: Saturday,11:00-1:00pm

Tuition: $20

Instructor: Jim Helsinger

Speak the Speech: Audition Workout

In this ongoing class, actors will work on performing Shakespeare speeches for auditions.. Speeches will be provided. Students may attend as many sessions as they wish.

Available Dates: May 30, June 6, 13, or 20

Time: Saturdays, 2:00-4:00pm

Tuition: $20/per session

Instructor: Anne Hering

Secrets of the Folio

Learn the power of using Shakespeare's First Folio, published in 1623! This class introduces you to the advantages of using the First Folio's punctuation, variant spelling, and capitalization to spice up your performance.

Date: June 6

Time: Saturday, 11:00am-1:00pm

Tuition: $20

Instructor: Jim Helsinger

Breathing Shakespeare

Where do I breathe between all these words??? Explore both grammatical and verse line breath to get the full power of how you may use breath to improve understanding and emotional connection to the text.

Date: June 13

Time: Saturday, 11:00am-1:00pm

Tuition: $20

Instructor: Jim Helsinger

Shakespeare's Rhetorical Tricks

Delve into Shakespeare's rhetorical tricks and tropes including inflection, repetition, antithesis, ladders, puns, word reversal, malapropisms and more! Learn how to take the audience through your characters emotions as you compare/contrast words, sounds and thoughts.

Date: June 20

Time: Saturday, 11:00-1:00pm

Tuition: $20

Instructor: Jim Helsinger

Scanning Shakespeare (3 week intensive)

In this three week class, Artistic Director Jim Helsinger will lead you through the power of using Shakespeare's iambic pentameter. Explore and learn how to use iambs, trochees, anapests, short and shared lines, feminine endings and more to get the most out of your acting.

Dates: June 27, 11, or 18

Time: Saturday, 11:00-1:00pm

Tuition: $60

Instructor: Jim Helsinger