Acting MFA

Create powerful performances and dynamic characters by expanding your body's abilities. Using the Alexander Technique, you will analyze your filmed scene work to increase body awareness, identify habitual behaviors, and free yourself from physical tension.

Free your authentic speaking voice through relaxation, breath awareness, and developing resonance and range. Learn to release through unlocking physical, mental, emotional and vocal blocks. Work with the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) for Neutral American Speech.

Continuing your work from ACT 606, you will build a full vocal and articulation warm-up that expands your vocal range through 3-4 octaves of speaking pitches. Explore contemporary and classical texts and scenes and learn more advanced IPA notation as a foundation for dialect work.

Apply what you learned in ACT 620 to plays, screenplays, and television. You'll use physical and vocal expression to craft dynamic characters and tell stories without being held back by bad habits.

Develop a disciplined and dynamic acting practice. Through a progressive series of partner exercises, you will refine your active listening skills, heighten your attention, and generate reflexive and truthful responses - the key to authentic acting.

Go deeper and find more variation in your instrument. You'll work on being fully present in the moment and explore and expand your range through emotional preparation and continued interconnected partner exercises.

Create dynamic characters and performances. In this scene study class, work with a range of material and rehearsal techniques while refining your skills as a professional actor.

Work on classical scenes and monologues. Craft complex, truthful and historically accurate characters from Shakespeare by learning specific physical behaviors, styles of speech and cultural inflections of this time period.

Learn to develop improvisations into scripted material. Dive into a range of genres as you write, shape, and perform original sketches. (This course is cross-listed with ACT 423.)

You cannot "fake it" on camera. Learn to play on camera in an authentic, relaxed, and engaging way, working with contemporary scenes from film and TV. Acting for film/TV presents a unique set of technical challenges. Learn what works! Practice a range of vocal/physical expression and cultivate the intensity of your inner life. Know what works (and what doesn't) for different shot choices. Learn to play your intentions with clarity and nuance. (This class is part of the Acting for Camera series.)

Actors, directors, and writers will work together to analyze screenplays collaboratively in a professional context. Focus is on developing a more sophisticated approach to story and subtext. Creatively, students will work together to identify and deliver a range of performance options. (This course is cross-listed with ACT 469 and LA 469.)

Shoot compelling material for your reel that will help you compete in the industry. Take your acting to the next level with 360-degree mentorship of your process and weekly scene and audition work, mentored by acting coaches, LA-based directors, professional soundstage crews and/or green screen shooting experts, a casting director, and an Academy Award-winning producer.

Prepare to enter the industry. Master advanced audition and interview techniques for professional actors.

Shoot compelling material for your reel that will help you compete in the industry. Take your acting to the next level with 360-degree mentorship of your process and weekly scene and audition work, mentored by acting coaches, LA-based directors, professional soundstage crews and/or green screen shooting experts, a casting director, and an Academy Award-winning producer.

Develop the professional collateral needed to enter the entertainment industry. Create a professional website, resume, demo reel, and a personal pitch. Create and package a project to market to the industry upon graduation. (This course is cross-listed with MPT 495 and MPT 810.)

Hone your on-camera acting and taped audition technique in this advanced Acting for Camera class. Shoot new material tailored for your reel as you prepare to make the transition to the competitive world of professional acting. Work on a range of projects and learn to hold yourself to a professional standard.