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theatre
| 12/9/2009 11:25:00 AM Email this article • Print this article |
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The Actor’s Workshop presents its fall showcase at Risley Theatre. Shown are Eric Carlson and Aphra Kline. (Photo by Rachel Philipson) |
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Mad about Meisner: Actor's Workshop hosts fall showcase
Jim Catalano
Arts Editor
The Actor's Workshop of Ithaca will host its annual fall showcase at Cornell's Risley Theatre this week, with a 6 p.m. show on Friday, Dec. 11 and shows at 5 and 7:30 p.m., Dec. 12.
"At the showcase, we'll be treating the community to two nights of theatrical tapas," says Eliza VanCort, director of the Actor's Workshop. "In each of the shows, the actors will be different, as will the material: cutting-edge dramatic and comedic one-act plays, improv and monologues. What I love about these shows is that there is something for everyone. If you love comedy, you'll find it; if you love drama, suspense, romance, you'll find that, too. It's a cornucopia of theatrical genres!"
VanCort's school specializes in teaching the Meisner Technique, an approach to acting developed by Sanford Meisner of The Group Theatre. The core of the training is the repetition exercise. Over five semesters, students learn skills flexible enough to handle any acting role.
Founded in 2001, VanCort's school attracts people from all walks of life. "We have 18-year-olds planning on pursuing theater training alongside retired school teachers," she says. "In my current class, we have a retired man who spent his career in the armed services doing a scene with a professor of biology and ecology at Cornell.
"Some people come into the class with huge amounts of experience, and some were a tree in their third-grade play," she continues. "But none has studied the Technique before, so Meisner becomes the great equalizer. No one is bored and feels out of their league. They're all striving to learn something new together."
Be sure to arrive early to get a seat, as previous showcases have often been sold out. For more information, visit actorsworkshop.biz, or call 339-9999.
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Suicide has recently come to Ithaca in a very public, and at times controversial, way. This past academic year, after three years with no suicides, Cornell experienced what is known in the scientific community as a "suicide cluster." OK, so maybe you're like me and you thought this whole JetBlue flight attendant story was good for maybe one news cycle.  |
