Philip Geller FY – 80 hours

This course will explore the fundamentals of acting through relationships. We will go through various aspects of creating and nurturing relationships. As they are fundamental to acting and many aspects of Indigenous ways of knowing. We will merge our understanding of relationality and reciprocity to theatre and performance technique. We will draw on western acting traditions such as Checkov, Stanislavski, Complicité, Lecoq, Uta Hagen and others; reclaiming and recalibrating them through our own bodies and the stories they hold. We will draw on our own traditional and cultural knowledge to supplement these teachings.

Julia Aplin FY – 40 hours

This course is an introduction to movement as a form of self-care for the actor. We will practice exercises to build a strong body capable of the demands of the profession. We will introduce concepts and practice exercises for mobility, endurance and strength while honoring the integrity of the whole person in the community.

Jane Luk HY – 18 hours

The basic fundamentals of Improvisation: Accepting Offers vs. Blocking (Denying of offers), Giving and Taking Focus in Scenes; Justifying Offers and Character creation based on simple offers (i.e. Voice, Emotion) will be explored through exercises and theatre games. The skills of spontaneity, listening, trust and making strong choices will be put into practice to strengthen and hone the practice of improvisation.

Marie Gaudet & Guests FY – 40 hours

This singing workshop will be used to develop the individual voice and will focus on the following aspects: to gain comfort with their singing style and self-expression, hand drumming rhythms, relaxation, and to learn a variety of songs and from one another and to create a song in a group setting. A safe and comfortable atmosphere will be created by smudging with sacred medicines before and throughout (if needed) each session. At no time will a student's "singing abilities" be judged or graded. However, attendance and participation are a must. Evaluation will be based on attendance, attitude, and application.

Ed Roy FY – 40 hours

This course provides an introduction to Shakespearean theatre by doing scene studies with Shakespeare text.

Lisa Cromarty & Cat Montgomery FY – 80 hours

This course provides an introduction to the vocal instrument and the sequence of voice production. The goal of this course is to establish a complete understanding of the workings of the voice and how it is one of the key tools for the actor. Each class features five areas of learning which reflect the order of voice production itself: relaxation, breathing, resonance, articulation and vocal variety. While the exploration of this area is primarily physical, once we venture into the area of vocal variety, attention is also paid to analysis of text and punctuation. Evaluation is based on attendance, attitude, application and a final exam.

Jim Warren HY + W – 74 hours

This course carries forward from the previous year of Physical Theatre training – exploring how physicality informs character development and text. Through structured scenarios and improv each actor will develop characters by exploring the techniques of neutral mask, commedia, clown and buffoon. This course is designed to allow the young artist maximum personal expression within a disciplined context. The objective is to endow the creator with given and concrete tools to actualize their own images and stories. Evaluation of this course is based on attendance, class participation and various assignments.

Cat Montgomery FY – 29 hrs private for each student

These individual sessions will develop the students’ awareness of his/her own singing voice and the application of individual vocal exercises. Students will be taught alignment and breathing related to singing, personal warm-ups, relaxation/centering and diaphragmatic breathing. The classes will include vocal anatomy and physiology and how it relates to creating sound. Focus will also be on resonance/projection, articulation, pitch, tone and ear training; improvisation and composition and building repertoire.

Ange Loft FY – 80 hours

Students will become familiar with story generation through creative prompts for movement, vocalization, and thematic conversation. Blending contemporary stories, personal narratives and traditional storytelling methodologies students will experiment with form, content, and gesture to uncover shared experiences and hone their unique storyteller voice. Drawing heavily on the practices of Spiderwoman theatre, aspects of Storyweaving creative process are introduced alongside generative writing prompts, oral history gathering, and arts-based research for storymaking. Work samples from iconic Indigenous storymakers will serve as inspiration for select thematic explorations, exposing students to the multitude of entry points to story generation. Collective works in progress will be shared at the semester-end showcase.

April Nicolle HY – 18 hours

Over eight classes we will be visiting and interviewing various individuals in different aspects of production. With each individual you will find out information about where they work, how they started in theatre and what aspect or aspects of theatre they are currently working in. Evaluation for this course will be based on attendance (50%), class involvement (25%) and written assignments (25%). The written assignments will consist of 500 word essays based on the information covered in each interview. The essays will be due each following week. There will be a 2% deduction for each day the essay is past the due date.

Ed Roy HY – 20 hours

This class introduces students to some of the key moments in the history of Western theatre. We will read a selection of plays and study the theatrical contexts for which these scripts were written: the kinds of theatres they were acted in, the performance styles they take for granted, the audience attitudes they anticipate. We will also look at the life of these canonical works and ask how old plays remain vital in modern theatre and what it means to stage a text from a different historical era on a modern stage. Screenings of recordings of five modern productions will be arranged. A key goal of this course will be to familiarize students with the basic techniques of analyzing written drama and its staged performances.

Ed Roy FY – 20 hours

This class introduces students to some of the key elements in how to use and interact with digital media, storytelling and theatre creation. It culminates in the production of an individual digital theatre piece by each student.

Alejandro Ronceria FY – 80 hours

This course is designed to give students an opportunity to use their contemporary and traditional dance training in tandem. Students will investigate the music and dance styles in both the contemporary and Indigenous dance canon, and will choreograph their own dances for the March Showcase. Evaluation for this course is based on attendance, commitment & focus, professional growth and creativity.

Richard Comeau FY – 40 hours

Introduction of Stage Combat will focus on body awareness and body movement that incorporates martial arts technique and theatrical stunt drops and falls. The course will also be an introduction to basic hand to hand combat techniques including slaps, basic throws and grabs and then will continue with body awareness techniques and introduce choreographed hand to hand combat scenarios and choreography. Evaluation of this course is based on attendance, participation and on ability to learn and retain choreography.

April Nicolle HY – 22 hours

This hands-on course creates a prompt book with all elements of stage management, including: scene breakdown, blocking, props, costumes, set, sound cues, lighting cues, rehearsal schedule, rehearsal notes and show reports. Students then use the skills learned to carry out a function as it relates to the Year-End Show. Evaluation for this course is based on participation, dedication, willingness to work as a team and understanding of the production process.

Tahirih Vejdani FY – 40 hours

This singing workshop is built so that each participant will gain a deep knowledge and trust of their vocal and performance abilities. Through solid technique combined with singing games and choral work, each student will stretch and grow into the best of their abilities. Students will gain basic knowledge of solid breathing and voice production techniques including a good warm-up they can use in the future. Evaluation for this course is based on attendance, commitment and professional growth.

Gabriella Caruso HY – 22 hours

A maquette is a model design. It is a useful and in some instances essential component to test out the scale and viability of stage design. Students will be asked to design and build their own maquettes. Evaluation for this course is based on attendance, commitment & focus, professional growth and creativity.

Denise Bolduc & Guests HY – 18 hours

This course offers an overview of the evolution of Indigenous Theatre in North America. We will examine traditional oratory, ceremony, communal responsibility and social construct in order to identify and define the requisite elements of drama. A brief examination of Western paradigms will serve to highlight parallel evolution, and to examine artistic intent and the authorial devices that serve those objectives. Evaluation for this course is based on attendance, journals, group and individual presentations.

TBD HY – 42 hours

This course creates the opportunity for first year students to gain a greater understanding of all elements of theatrical production. The mentoring project begins with guest speakers outlining the roles and responsibilities of all members of the production team including: production manager, stage manager, director, set designer, lighting designer, sound designer, and costume designer. Students are then partnered with a member of the production team to learn the skills needed to carry out a function as it relates to the year-end show. Evaluation for this course is based on participation, dedication, willingness to work as a team and understanding of the production process.

Ed Roy FY - 80 hours

This course will concentrate on the further development of basic acting skills, building on previous years’ teachings. Included will be work on the actor's instrument, creativity, imagination, observation and discipline through such exercises as those explored by Stanislavski and New York methods. The students will continue to work on simple texts through improvisational exercises. Text analysis and preparation of a role will be explored. The focus will be on process rather than the accomplishment of finished work. Students will prepare monologues and scenes and are required to do character studies, script breakdown and analysis as well as other assignments as appropriate. Evaluation is based on class participation, commitment to the work, completion of various assignments and personal progress.

Joe Di Mambro HY - 20 hours

Third Year students will work on scenes and monologues that can be recorded for an audition tape. Third Years will also focus on who the Casting and Talent Agents are (in Toronto) and the most successful approaches to finding a professional agent to represent them.

Ed Roy FY - 60 hours

These classes will cover the fundamentals of a ‘strong audition’. They will help the students select the best monologue and the best way to present it. There will be a focus on the right monologue, song, introductions, expression, projection, body language and movement. Also covered are cold readings, resumes and head shots. This class also supports students participating in the Theatre Ontario’s Audition Showcase. Evaluation for this course is based on attendance, commitment & focus, professional growth and creativity.

Jane Luk FY - 40 hours

This course will expand the general overview taught in Year 2. Its goal is to expand the students’ knowledge, skills and approach to independent planning and producing. Topics of study will include: developing artistic concepts; creative proposal writing; developing your creative team (design, production & technical); fundraising, budgeting; shopping your work to company artistic directors; investigating community art based opportunities; collaborations and international opportunities. Evaluation for this course is based on attendance, artistry and professionalism of assignments and professional growth.

Instructor TBD - 40 hours

This singing workshop is built so that each participant will gain a deep knowledge and trust of their vocal and performance abilities. Third Year Students will continue their training in solid vocal music technique combined with choral work. Third Year Students will learn how to create choral pieces from existing and original non-choral material and how to insert solo pieces within choral song. They will also learn how to conduct an ensemble singing group and will conduct an ensemble vocal piece as part of their year-end evaluation. Evaluation for this course is based on attendance, commitment and exercises.

Instructor TBD - 40 hours

Students will be introduced to the fundamental principles of improvisation and will engage in various theatre sports and exercises to refine their craft. Evaluation for this course is based on attendance and participation.

Alejandro Ronceria FY - 80 hours

This course is designed to give students an opportunity to use their contemporary and traditional dance training in tandem. Students will investigate the music and dance styles in both the contemporary and Indigenous dance canon, and will choreograph their own dances for year end. Evaluation for this course is based on attendance, commitment & focus, professional growth and creativity.

Jim Warren HY - 40 hours

This course carries forward from the previous year of Physical Theatre training – exploring how physicality informs character development and text. Through structured scenarios and improv each actor will develop characters by exploring the techniques of neutral mask, commedia, clown and buffoon. This course is designed to allow the young artist maximum personal expression within a disciplined context. The objective is to endow the creator with given and concrete tools to actualize their own images and stories. Evaluation of this course is based on attendance, class participation and various assignments.

Cat Montgomery FY - 20 hours

These individual sessions will develop the students’ awareness of his/her own singing voice and the application of individual vocal exercises. Students will be taught alignment and breathing related to singing, personal warm-ups, relaxation/centering and diaphragmatic breathing. The classes will include vocal anatomy and physiology and how it relates to creating sound. Focus will also be on resonance/projection, articulation, pitch, tone and ear training; improvisation and composition and building repertoire.

Instructor TBD - 80 hours

This course will concentrate on reading and analyzing the texts of Indigenous playwrights. Further development of basic acting skills; students will continue to work on texts through improvisational exercises, text analysis and character exploration & development. The focus will be on process rather than the accomplishment of finished work. Students will prepare monologues and scenes, and are required to do character studies, script breakdown and analysis as well as other assignments as appropriate. Evaluation is based on class participation, commitment to the work, completion of various assignments and personal progress.

Instructor TBD - 40 hours

This class is an actor’s guide to what you need to know to de-mystify and make playing Shakespeare fun and accessible. We will explore, in depth, a variety of text tools including rhetorical devices, metre, and using the language. We will focus on the Elizabethan era and the students will expect to have a basic understanding of the history of the time. Students will be expected to have requested preparation completed each class. They will need to memorize pieces of text, prepare material for presentations and be focused and attentive during studio time.

Ed Roy FY - 140 hours

This course will provide students with the experience of creating and/or writing a short one-person show through exercises to generate ideas and fire the imagination. These exercises will include: discussion, dramaturgical feedback, sessions with guest artists and time to write. Evaluation is based on attendance, participation, completion of work and artistic progress.

Instructor TBD - 40 hours

Moving forward, Stage Combat in the third year will incorporate more complex weaponry elements, sword-play use and scripted choreography. Evaluation of this course is based on attendance, participation and on ability to learn and retain choreography.

Alejandro Ronceria - 183 hours

The students will take their own stories and then learn to present the stories using ensemble and character building techniques. Indigenous Performance is created from a collective tribal centre and the process of story presentation will come out of ensemble building in the classroom. The student explores the transformation of the mind, body and spirit through the integration of sound and movement along with exercises to develop ensemble skills. This approach to teaching is uniquely Indigenous, looking at performance as an integral part of Indigenous society. This process brings the students’ individual stories together, weaving them to create a rich theatrical tapestry, resulting in a presentation. Story Creation is a theatrical technique that helps to develop and enhance one’s skills and ability to express oneself creatively. Evaluation for this course is based on attendance, commitment, focus, professional growth, creativity and the ability to work within an ensemble.

Instructor TBD - 80 hours

During the second year of training, the vocal instrument is introduced to a lifetime of honing skills. A routine of warm ups, including the all-important recognition of dealing with a surfeit of adrenaline at times of performance, becomes the daily diet of the working actor. Detailed text study establishes a secure foundation with which to vocally transform words from the page to the stage. Evaluation is based on attendance, attitude, application and a final exam.

Ed Roy - 210 hours

The year-end production creates the opportunity for students to develop their performance skills in a professional environment. The production emulates the professional environment by working with professional playwrights, directors, designers and technicians. The students are evaluated by the Director and/or the Artistic Director for their professionalism in rehearsal (attendance, being on time, being prepared etc.), artistry and professional growth.