PAST WORKSHOP: *SOLD OUT – Register to get on the waitlist* INTRODUCTION TO ACTING (ages 9-12)
*SOLD OUT – Register to get on the waitlist* INTRODUCTION TO ACTING (ages 9-12)
July 22 – August 3
1pm – 5pm (Mon-Fri)
Performances August 2 & 3 starting at 6pm
Workshop fee: $315 (local) / $350 (non-local)
Actors will focus on character development, stagecraft basics, movement, stage presence, music, and improvisational skills, all while developing a strong sense of tribe and passion for theater. The workshop will culminate in two performances on August 2 & 3 (rain or shine) as part of the annual Shakespeare in the Valley productions.
Scholarships are available: Please don’t hesitate to apply if you need it. Scholarship forms are available here.
Vanessa Van Burek grew up in the valley that surrounds The West Kortright Centre and holds her experience as an actor in the Shakespeare in the Valley productions as one of the most important influences in her life. Vanessa returned as the teacher of Theater Games for three years and was Assistant Director for Introduction to Acting for four years. This is her tenth year as co-director of Intro to Acting. She is a founder and staff member at the Hudson Valley Sudbury School, a self-directed democratic school in the Hudson Valley. Vanessa is a parent of seven, a soccer player, photographer, adventurer and an advocate for children’s rights.
Anaar Desai-Stephens is a violinist, singer, and assistant professor of ethnomusicology at the Eastman School of Music. A proud alum of the YPTAW, which shaped her creatively from ages 6-18, she is the mother of 2 and 9 year old budding actresses.
Hannah Pearl Walcott is a clinical herbalist, visual artist and mother currently residing in Richmond, CA of the Bay Area. She was born in upstate New York, spending the school years in Manhattan and the summers in East Meredith. She is a proud alumni of the Shakespeare in the Valley program. Her mother, Lanny Harrison, started the Intro to Acting workshop over three decades ago and Hannah Pearl had the privilege of teaching this workshop with Vanessa from 2012 to 2013. She is delighted to return this summer to teach alongside her lifelong friends.