Hi All:
Classes are going well and there’s already a list for the January 2025 Session. So please get in touch if you’re thinking of signing up.
Winter Sessions
Winter 2025 Sessions
In-Person: 12 weeks
SUNDAYS: JANUARY 5 – MARCH 23
OR
MONDAYS: JANUARY 6 – MARCH 24
- Times for all classes:
- 1230pm – 5/5:45pm (depending on class size)
- Class Size
- 8-12 actors
- Location
- Carlton & Parliament
- Fees
- Returning actors/ACTRA members: $700.CAD+hst = 791.00
- Actors new to studio: $780.CAD+hst = 881.41
News
Director Heyishi Zhang has been taking classes. I love it when directors are brave enough to find out what actors go through and in that way learn more about directing actors using our vocabulary. Here’s a link to her web series, Gay Mean Girls.
Inspirations
I so enjoyed listening to an interview with Al Pacino about his new book. Listen to his responses to the interviewer’s questions and misconceptions about acting.
Here’s a link to Sharon Chatten’s wonderful convo with Ben Stiller. They mention so many of the techniques we do in class and still have some great insights into self-tapes. I hope you have time to listen!
Recommendations
As usual, this year’s season of Slow Horses was exceptional!
It was so much fun to watch Beetlejuice Beetlejuice! I think they did a great job of both honouring the original and bringing something new to the story. Fun performances all-round. Especially our own amazing Catherine O’Hara!
Only Murders in the Building Season 3 & 4 is exceptionally silly. But it is very interesting to see Meryl Streep in this vehicle – as the undiscovered actor she might have been – and to hear her sing! Also, Paul Rudd has a terrific scene which is essentially a private moment. But of course, it’s not riveting binge-inducing fare ☺️
Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley were quite brave in their roles, but I don’t quite know what to make of The Substance. I don’t think it’s the ‘feminist critique’ it set out to be. I felt that Blink Twice fulfilled that mandate! I read this article that is in agreement. Let me know if you have some insights.
Here’s the next section of my ABCs of acting inspirational thoughts
8 | Always Be Challenging
As artists, we need to challenge ourselves by setting goals.
Goals include:
✓ Work your instrument daily for physical, vocal & emotional stamina
✓ Reading all the plays by a certain playwright
✓ Going to the theatre; reading books about acting
✓ Studying history and the history of art and music from various cultures and time periods
✓ Watching all the Oscar-Winning movies for directing, acting, screenplays from 1930-on and the best of the incredible work that in many recent and current television series
✓ Take classes to meet and grow with other actors and to experience the discipline of working on and seeing work on demanding scenes from plays by renowned playwrights
✓ Go online and research history and the history of all the arts from various cultures and times
This all takes time – especially for young actors. There’s a lot to cover. But a little commitment to a daily challenge goes a long way to form us into the literate artists.