The Actor's Program - A new concept in actor training

New Zealand’s aspiring actors are being offered a foot in the door of their chosen profession by some of the nation’s leading performers and teachers.

Early in 2012, the curtain goes up on a new and unique acting course. A dedicated and highly experienced group of theatre and screen practitioners will present a vigorous, practice-based, year-long course to hone skills specifically for stage and screen. The Actors’ Program offers an opportunity to learn from the inside out how the industry works and what is expected of actors.

 

Respected professionals Sara Wiseman, Michael Hurst, Jennifer Ward-Lealand, Michele Hine, Cameron Rhodes, John Callen and Charlie McDermott lead the creative vision and will call on other leading industry directors, actors and tutors to teach up-to-the-minute industry techniques and practices. The program concentrates on providing actors with the tools they need to be effective practitioners in the challenging and exciting world of stage and screen.

Students will be both emerging and established actors wishing to further develop and deepen their craft. Only 14 students, with a minimum age of 20, will be selected. They will spend four days a week over two semesters developing their skills, broadening their range and growing their talent. All classes will focus on learning through performance.

On completing the course the graduate actors will be ideally placed to take up their chosen career, confident that they can enter any performance arena knowing and understanding how things work in practice. Graduates will be issued a Diploma of Achievement recognising them as talented and capable performers who have reached the standard of excellence necessary to get work within the NZ and international acting industry. The Actors’ Program will set a benchmark of excellence that will attract the attention of leading decision-makers in the casting process.

This exciting new venture is an independent and privately run course to be based at TAPAC (The Auckland Performing Arts Centre), Western Springs, Auckland.  TAPAC offers modern, spacious studios and a professional theatre space, where students will continually interface with working professionals. This will help students build contacts and networks, attract prospective employers to view their performances, and showcase their skills and talent to the industry.

This is a course run by practitioners for practitioners.