Berkeley Rep Offers Winter Class Sessions Starting 1/10

Berkeley Repertory Theatre rings in the New Year with new classes for kids, teens, and adults. Among the original offerings, Erica Blue invites moms to explore their creativity and individuality in a workshop called Mothering on the Edge of Art, while Ron Campbell reinforces those resolutions to work off extra pounds with Theatre of Sweat, an aerobics class to exercise theatrical demons. The winter session at Berkeley Rep's School of Theatre begins January 10 - and new discounts make classes more affordable than ever.

"This year, we know that many people are making careful choices about how to spend their money," remarks Susan Medak, managing director of Berkeley Rep. "That's why we've reaffirmed our commitment to make activities at the School of Theatre accessible to our community, and designed our winter line-up of classes with an eye toward value. We offer payment plans, financial aid for youth and teens, and several new ways to save."

The School of Theatre has several special offers for the holidays. This session, some classes will meet for short five-week terms, with a five-week follow-up that takes the action to the next level. Signing up for both classes in advance cuts the cost of tuition by more than 20 percent! This discount applies when registering for both improv classes, both voice classes, or both workshops on Acting Violence. Even better, sign up for any class in the winter schedule, and save 20 percent on two tickets to one of the first shows in 2009: In the Next Room (or the vibrator play) or Crime and Punishment.

The winter session offers something for students of all ages and all levels, from beginners to professionals. The Berkeley Rep School of Theatre offers an interactive environment where students immerse themselves in all aspects of the craft and artistry of theatre, learning the commitment and technique necessary for artistic excellence. All classes meet weekly for two to three hours with instructors who are nationally recognized teaching artists and theatre professionals:
* Classes for children include Witches & Wizards (for kids in kindergarten and first grade), Acting Up... Show Time! (for grades two through four), and a Performance Workshop with Marilet Martinez (for fourth- and fifth-graders).

* Classes for middle-school students include Improvisation and Musical Theatre: Swing, Song & Shakespeare, a new class taught by Rebecca Castelli that blends acting, singing, and dancing to bring the Bard into the Big Band era.

* Classes for teens include a Shakespeare Lab on Romeo and Juliet, a Teen Performance Lab on Tennessee Williams, and two classes with Dave Maier that offer certification in stage combat, Acting Violence: Broadsword and Acting Violence: Unarmed.

Classes for adults include Acting (beginning through advanced), Acting Shakespeare Today, and Acting Techniques for Confidence in Corporate and Courtroom Worlds. Stage combat enthusiasts can sign up for Acting Violence: Broadsword, Acting Violence: Unarmed, and Combat for Couples. There are three opportunities to study improv - Beginning Improvisation, Intermediate Improvisation, and Improv Performance Lab - as well as two voice classes, Dialects and the International Phonetic Alphabet and Voice for Emerging and Working Actors. Other offerings include Creating Original Physical Theatre, Mothering on the Edge of Art, Playwriting, Theatre of Sweat, and an Audition Preparation Intensive for the Theatre Bay Area Generals led by Amy Potozkin, Berkeley Rep's casting director.

Audition coaches for adults and private voice teachers for youth are also available. All classes take place next door to the Theatre in the Nevo Education Center at 2071 Addison Street in downtown Berkeley.

The Berkeley Rep 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; the Playmaking Project for high-school students and incarcerated youth; in-school residencies; teacher training; and a variety of outreach activities that encourage lifelong learning. 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 complete details - including schedules, faculty bios, course descriptions, and registration information - call 510.647.2972 or visit www.berkeleyrep.org/school.

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