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| | | | |  Bryan Close and Tina Benko
| FOR ADULTS
HOW SHAKESPEARE WORKS Have you ever wished you could get more out of Shakespeare? Whether you are reading the plays and sonnets, watching a performance, speaking the words aloud, or helping your child navigate a difficult passage, this class will help you identify and take ownership of the key building blocks of Shakespeare's language and art. Bryan Close, of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, will lead the class through some of Shakespeare’s most celebrated speeches and sonnets—including “To be or not to be,” “O for a muse of fire,” “Now is the winter of our discontent”, “Gallop apace you fiery-footed steeds.” Bryan pays particular attention to a handful of simple rhetorical devices that help clarify and illuminate this thrilling language. Each student will also work individually with Bryan on a Shakespeare monologue or sonnet of his or her choosing. In addition to teaching at NYU, Bryan is the program director and principal acting teacher at the prestigious North Carolina Governor's School, where he will be directing Twelfth Night this summer. For years, Bryan has taught communication skills to client-facing business professionals throughout the country. He holds a Masters of Fine Arts in Acting from American Conservatory Theater. He has directed or acted in nearly two dozen Shakespeare productions. WHEN: 3 Wednesday evenings (7:30-10): May 23, 30 and June 6, plus a final class on Thursday, June 7 where students will be able to share their work. IMPROV FOR NON-ACTORS Have a blast in a pressure-free environment. Exercise your creativity, spontaneity, confidence, teamwork skills, public speaking skills, critical thinking skills and problem solving skills. Learn the fundamentals of improv with Tina Benko—one of New York's best improv teachers and busiest actors. Be more creative, improve your listening, and have fun. Ms. Benko teaches acting and Improv at Fordham University. She has worked on several Broadway productions including Irena’s Vow, Top Girls, The Real Thing, Not About Nightingales, and Hedda Gabler. Off-Broadway credits include Marie and Bruce at The New Group, The Little Foxes and Restoration at New York Theatre Workshop, Age of Iron and The False Servant at Classic Stage Company, Rough Sketch at 59E.59, and the New York premieres of Charles Mee’s Wintertime at Second Stage, Steve Martin’s Picasso at The Lapin Agile at the Promenade, Julia Jordan’s Dark Yellow at Studio Dante, AR Gurney’s Post-Mortem at The Flea, and LifeGame—the all-improvised show at The Jane Street Theatre. Her many tv and films credits include 3 seasons on Showtime's Brotherhood, and The Avengers. She has performed improvisation with Improbable Theatre UK, Theatresports, Gotham City Improv, and has co-written the 1930’s screwball comedy Crush the Infamous Thing, which was produced in NY and Miami. Training: Carnegie Mellon University. WHEN: 4 Tuesday evenings (7:30-10): May 22, 29 and June 5, 12. TUITION: $220.
WHERE: Mile Square Theatre studio, 720 Monroe Street, #E209, Hoboken, NJ 07030.
To register or for more information, e-mail mattlawler@hotmail.com | | | | 
FOR KIDS: ENROLLMENT OPEN FOR SUMMER CAMP! Mile Square Theatre’s Drama School announces its third annual Summertime Youth Drama Camp, with programs for Pre-K through 2nd Grade. The summer camp will take place from July 16th through August 3rd. Creative Drama Programs The camp provides half-day (9am-noon) Creative Drama programs for rising Pre-K and Kindergartners (Creative Drama I) and for rising 1st and 2nd Graders (Creative Drama II). Your young actors will spend their mornings playing theatre games and participating in storytelling theatre in a fun and supportive environment, led by our experienced faculty. Both of these programs are three weeks, but parents have the option of signing up for one or two weeks if they prefer, in whichever order is convenient for them. Creative Drama I (Pre-K – Kindergartners) Students will explore their imaginations, bodies, voices, and senses. They’ll read stories and act them out incorporating music and props. They’ll be given basic movement exercises, body awareness exercises, vocal exercises, and do some drawing too! They’ll have a great time and become more confident expressing themselves individually and within an ensemble. Creative Drama I students must have been born before July 1, 2008. Creative Drama II (1st - 2nd graders) Students will enjoy game-playing, story-telling, dancing, and theatrical exuberance. We will explore how to take the stage and transform it using our bodies, voices and imaginations. Great teamwork will be especially important as we learn what it takes to share our stories with an audience. TUITION: Creative Drama I & II: $190/week with early enrollment (before June 1st); $215/week for late enrollment (on or after June 1st) FACULTY: Members of MST Drama School’s faculty are experienced theatre educators and will provide your child with a rich, fun, and rewarding experience. - Lauren Singerman (Camp Director)
In addition to being on faculty at MST Drama School, Lauren is currently the Speech and Dialects teacher for the Musical Theatre Conservatory at New York Film Academy. As an acting teacher and dialect coach, Lauren has taught at Ellis Island Theater, Hoboken Children’s Theater, Hoboken Historical Museum, and ACTeen, in addition to privately coaching actors. As an actor, Lauren has worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company, Two River Theater Company, the Lark, Epic Theatre Ensemble, Vital Theatre Company, The Artful Conspirators, and Kitchen Theatre Company, among others. Lauren holds an MFA in Acting from Rutgers University. - Jen Ring (Creative Drama II Lead Teacher)
Jen is an actress and teaching artist with experience working with performers of all ages. Jen’s MST classes encourage teamwork and imagination and incorporate poetry, movement, visual story-telling and much more. Her resume also includes teaching undergraduate Acting and tutoring Speech at Rutgers, coaching Voice at the University of Maryland, College Park and she currently serves as Director of Education with the New Brunswick Theater Festival. Jen holds an MFA in Acting from Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University. - Sarah Chalmers (Creative Drama I Lead Teacher)
Sarah Chalmers has been working with children in many capacities for over twenty years. Currently, Sarah teaches Drama at the Nest, as well as directing the Drama Club at Mustard Seed School. She has previously taught with The Hoboken Children’s Theater, Mile Square Theater, and various theater companies in Michigan. A graduate of Eastern Michigan University, Sarah holds a degree in History with a minor in Theater.
For information and enrollment on Summer camp, call 201.683.7014
or e-mail, education@milesquaretheatre.org.
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