Join us for a wonderful day out! We offer you the total package: bus transportation, theatre tickets, and optional lunch! Details for the 3rd and final 2013 bus trip are now posted for a performance of ..
BLITHE SPIRIT,Wednesday September 25, Stratford Avon Theatre (Registration deadline August 22, 2013).
Save a date between July 5th and 14th to see The Adventures of a Professional Corpse at the 2013 Toronto Fringe Festival featuring three ACT II STUDIO members.
Casting call for one female character, a Widow who just lost her husband after 55 years. The production is a 10 minute short film with 2 characters. Two days shooting anticipated. Open auditions planned for Wednesday 19th of July around 6:30pm (to be confirmed).
Required - some really interesting senior actors with a sense of humour. The roles require 2-3 hours on set - all are non-speaking roles but we are looking for actors who can say a lot with their eyes. Shooting on June 14, 15 or 16, 2013.
Indulge your Passion for Theatre. Immerse yourself in a unique theatrical learning experience at Theatre Ontario's Summer Theatre Intensive. Running August 11 to 17 in Waterloo, you will learn new skills, meet passionate theatre people, enrich your theatre capacity, and flex your creative muscle!
'THEATRE OUT OF THE BOX', produced by ACT II STUDIO, was the opening event of the 6th annual 50+ FESTIVAL 2013, presented by Programs for 50+ at Ryerson University’s G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education. This year’s program included five new plays written, directed and performed by our members on May 30-31, 2013. Three of the plays received Stella Award accolades.
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 started as a “dabble” quickly turned into 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.
Every year I love taking Vrenia's Shaw and Stratford Preview courses to prepare myself for visits to both festivals. The lectures are a source of valuable information and insights that add to my understanding of the plays. The experience is further enhanced by scenes performed by Act 2 members who later share their ideas with the class. Tea and cookies at the break are the icing on the cake!
Casting call for one female character, a Widow who just lost her husband after 55 years. The production is a 10 minute short film with 2 characters. Two days shooting anticipated. Open auditions planned for 
