Mark your calendars to be sure not to miss this year's Theatre Out of the Box, May 31 and June 1. It is the opening event at the 2012 Silver Screens Arts Festival and presents five new and original plays written, directed and performed by ACT II STUDIO members.
The Gala Committee is excited to officially announce the 20th Anniversary Celebration Gala at the historic and airy University of Toronto Faculty Club on Wednesday, May 16. You’ll love the menu choices, live music, prizes and all manner of enticements. All to celebrate 20 thrilling years of dramatic creativity. And Les Porter is our delightful Emceeagain!
Call for Submissions: Monologues by Toronto Writers and Artists for a New Book
We are currently accepting submissions for “City Voices: A Book of Monologues by Toronto Artists”, a book that will be published in both hard copy and electronic formats later this year. “City Voices” will be a collection of monologues by Toronto writers and artists that will represent the diversity and vibrancy of voices that populate this dynamic city.
Tracey Erin Smith, one of our faculty members and creator/instructor of the SoulOTheatre course, invites you to "The Revival", a totally creative Sunday morning service where Show Biz meets Soul ... "We'll have you saying' AMEN, 'cause you ain't never been saved like this!"
Jan Fine, a longstanding member of the of the MNjcc Community Choir, which has a reputation in the city for being a top notch choir, invites you to its Annual Spring Concert, a high energy evening of great choral music – from folk to R & B, classical to Hebrew, Astor Piazzola, Jacques Brel, Cape Breton and so much more!!
One of our members, Susan Q Willson, is appearing the draft89 presentation, Islands, a thoughtful play about the power of ideas and how people wield them to manipulate society. It runs from May 17 to June 2 at the Theatre Centre, 1087 Queen Street West (at Dovercourt). For more information about specific dates, times and how to purchase tickets,visit www.draft89.com.
Connie Guccione and Ruth Miller are appearing in “IN FINE PRINT” by Bara Swain, directed by Kim Harrington. Two tetchy friends, who've done it all, come face-to-face with dating and death. Sandra Burley is directing “MISSING” by Robin Pond. A policeman doesn't know what to make of a woman who reports her husband is missing. Sometimes, denial is the best antidote.
Dennis Mock Awards highlight best and brightest of student leaders
Chang School Programs for 50+ student Barbara Haber accepts her 2012 Dennis Mock Student Leadership Award for outstanding community outreach both on- and off-campus.
ACT II STUDIO has kept me off the street for 15 years. I much prefer dressing-up and acting-out with my friends on a real stage. Love and feathers for all!
I am a perennial - a member for 18 years - and still growing! To become a part of this theatre school environment gave me an opportunity to be a volunteer actor, director and group member and work with people who share my enthusiasm for theatre.
With a push from Nort Parry and an article in the Star, I joined my first ACT II STUDIO acting class dodging desks in a room in the Quad in 1996. I’ve gone from costumes at CBC-TV, to more costumes, classes and beyond ... to paraphrase: I’ve fallen (for my new family) and I can’t get out.
The ACT II STUDIO Web Site History: The studio first appeared on the world-wide web in 1997. I was in the process of taking a Ryerson course in web-page building (after retiring from the School of Radio and Television Arts) when Geri came home with an ACT II STUDIO brochure. The Internet was still very new then and thinking to use my new skills, I offered to create a website using the brochure copy. From that start the site has gone through many changes in its “look” as new technologies became available. But the basics are still there. A new design in keeping with the Ryerson image will be appearing in the near future.
ACT II STUDIO to me means transformations of all kinds ... the transformation of a small class of students into a vibrant organization with a first-rate faculty and many devoted members. These miracles occur so often that we take them for granted.
ACT II STUDIO is not for everyone. You need to be ACTIVE and INVOLVED, and willing to work hard at things which may seem very strange to you at first. Breathing for instance.
I had been away from the stage for 27 years when I was cast in a leading role. I needed to regain confidence and hone my skills. ACT II STUDIO has given me priceless tools to do this.
Because of my background as a TV, Film and Commercial director/ producer, ACT II STUDIO has also allowed me to use my skills to teach several ‘Acting on Camera’ courses to its students, many of whom have gone out to work as actors in the film industry.
I had the female lead role in Arthur Miller’s The Ride Down Mount Morgan and I know it was the best work I’d done to that point - all because of what I learned from The Duck Variations.
The last time I was on stage in the UK was February 1967 and the next was June 2001 with ACT II STUDIO. A big gap ... It has given me a chance to be “Maureen” again and it was quite wonderful to see the effect this had on my two sons; no longer was I just Mum, I was an actress.
A surprise to me was that my classmates were coming from all sorts of work environments and bringing a kaleidoscope of life experiences. Many did not have acting experience but wanted to learn. We were all in the same boat.
I won’t forget the tremendous support I was given by fellow ACT II STUDIO people when my dear wife, Dorothy, died. I was in the middle of rehearsals for a production and their concern for me was wonderful.
As we entered our first class we were asked why we were there and what did we hope to gain from ACT II STUDIO ... I certainly have not been disappointed and very much look forward to the continuing journey.
My friends do not understand this late life change in me; in fact one friend said “You do this kind of thing when you’re young. Don’t you feel silly at your age?” I just looked at her and said, “At least I have found my passion .... some people never find it.”
As a professional actor since childhood, I worked mostly in radio; with the demise of radio drama I was no longer employed. ... I really missed exercising my craft. ACT II STUDIO gave me that opportunity.
Little did I know that some real acting training, from some very fine teachers at ACT II STUDIO, would lead to performances before an actual paying audience.
One sunny September morning eight years ago I was driving down to Ryerson University from my home in Stouffville to attend the first class of Acting 101. I was stuck in rush hour traffic and kept thinking to myself, “What the hell am I doing? I should turn around.” Well, as you can probably guess, I didn’t turn around.
Through the years ... a frequent thought has popped uninvited into my head. “I wish that Mother could have had this opportunity. She would have loved it too.”
I was thrilled to see a playwriting course was being offered; it was such a pleasure. Then I decided to take acting classes. Not only do I have a much enriched appreciation of acting, I have met some great people both in class, at the Matinees and doing auditions. I’m recruiting some of these people to direct and act in my recently finished ten minute play.
ACT II STUDIO provides access to other auditions. I was lucky enough to get a short part in a film about an Italian rock star and had to do my role in an Italian dialect - right back to my roots. I think both my mother and father are up there cheering me on. Che cosa bella! What a beautiful thing!
I have met some of my very best friends at ACT II STUDIO. I came here to learn to act but I stayed because of the people. I plan to be here for very a long time.
Back on Prince Edward Island I would see in the Globe & Mail an ad for something called ACT II STUDIO ... and vowed that if I ever got to Toronto I would join, having long harboured a secret ambition to be on stage.
I saw a notice in NOW magazine about an Information Session. What luck! I attended the session and signed up on the spot for Intro to Acting I. What turned into a “dabble” quickly became a “plunge!”
Who knew that good acting involved so much preparation, and not the kind that I expected! I’m more eager now to take chances, try new things, do more auditions and make suggestions.
I always thought I should be on the stage; my father constantly called me “Drama Queen” and told me to “Stop playing to the audience” - but I went into the business world instead. Then some years ago I discovered ACT II STUDIO - signed up and stayed for the party.
I was delightfully surprised to find out that at my age, my “glorious fifties” - which, back in Russia is considered almost the end of one’s life, especially for women - I could learn and do something really exciting.
