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Canberra Today 14°/16° | Friday, March 29, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

Popular acting course in its 25th year

CANBERRA theatre director and acting teacher, Peter Wilkins, can proudly boast that his popular “Acting for the Fun of It” course is now in its 25th year.

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“Acting for the Fun of It” was introduced back in 1990 to offer opportunities for members of the community to develop their creativity through classes in a variety of acting techniques.

Courses are offered according to request and there are generally two or three six week courses each year. They are “Acting For the Fun of It 1,” an introductory course for beginners, “An Actor Prepares” (the title of Konstantin Stanislavski’s famous book) , a study of acting techniques, characterisation and text analysis through the exploration of establishes text extracts, “Brush Up Your Shakespeare”, a study of Hamlet’s “advice to the Players” through practical exercises on monologues and scenes from popular Shakespearian comedies and tragedies and “Audition Techniques” for those actors specifically interested in auditioning for tertiary institutions and drama schools like NIDA, WAAPA and the VCA.

Since the course’s inception in Canberra in 1990, hundreds of people have participated in a variety of courses in order to meet friends, build confidence and learn acting techniques for personal and professional development.

Now Wilkins is offering “An Actor Prepares from this Sunday August 10 to Sunday September 14 in six sessions. The course will involve a selection of play extracts. Classes will consist of vocal, physical and text and character interpretation exercises. Participants will also explore different approaches to building character with reference to major theatre directors such as Stanislavski, Bertolt Brecht and Peter Brook. Extracts will be performed on the final night of the course.

Although the aim of the course is to develop performance skills and approaches to rehearsal and performance of major texts by world playwrights from Shakespeare to Beckett as well as an Australian playwright, the texts will be chosen in consultation with the participants.

The course normally assumes that participants will have developed basic skills through “Acting for the Fun of It 1” or equivalent courses, but Wilkins says the course is also suitable for people with little or no experience in performance, though it explores text and character in depth.

“Acting for the Fun of It”, at ImproACT Studios above Kathmandu opposite the Canberra Casino on Allara St, 7-9pm on Sunday nights, August 10-Sept 14. Inquiries or bookings to peterwilkins@grapevine.com.au or 0408 034 373. Closing date for the enrolment is Friday, August 8. Cost: $150 for wage earners and $100 for concession card holders.

 

 

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Helen Musa

Helen Musa

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