Acting

Video produced by students Amanda Verhagen and Alina Cerminara.
Music thanks to Myles Black and the Pearly Whites.

The Acting specialization begins in the second year of study in the department and is based on academic standing and audition.

Students enter a concentrated program of acting, voice and movement which progresses in depth, detail and challenge over a period of three years. Classes meet several times a week and demand a great deal of commitment, self-discipline and practice both within and outside of class time.

The specialization begins with scene work and character study in second year with an emphasis on Canadian plays. Third year acting concentrates on styles and special genre work with an emphasis on such playwrights as Ibsen, Chekhov, Shakespeare and Molière. Fourth year acting explores various aspects of self development and self created work, especially in voice and acting.

Voice and movement classes are meant to strengthen each actor's vocal and physical instrument by introducing incremental levels of expertise in such areas as breath control, tonal and consonant action, resonance and range, speaking Shakespeare, dialects, etc. as well as Alexander Technique, modern dance, neutral and character mask and acrobatics. Depending on available professional artists, the program is further augmented with various workshops in disciplines such as clown, stage combat or mime.

At the fourth year level, audition skills are honed in preparation for the transition into either the professional world of theatre or conservatory training. Agents and casting directors from Canada's major cities, in addition to local artistic directors from Victoria and Vancouver, partake in annual workshops to assist the graduation class.

By the end of the fourth year, with the instruction and guidance of some of Canada's best scholars, performance teachers and theatre professionals, performance students leave the department with an excellent basis upon which to build their professional and academic lives.

• List of required courses for Acting