ACTOR GUIDES: BIOS & CLASS INFORMATION
Nicole Alifante / Kathleen Butler / Bill Barclay / Kevin R. Free / Sarah Knapp & Steven Alper / Christie Pasqua & Kaitlin WalshNicole Alifante  Nicole Alifante has been a professional actress in NYC for 15 years. A member of AEA, SAG, AFTRA and ASCAP, Nicole has performed Off-Broadway as well as at regional theaters around the country, and has worked with such notable directors as Mark Brokaw and James Lapine. She is a member of the award-winning New York theater company, Transport Group. Her TV credits include appearances on Law & Order, Law & Order : Criminal Intent, and Guiding Light. She is represented by Abrams Artists Agency for Voice-Overs and has been seen and heard in numerous TV and Radio commercials. She is also a singer/songwriter.A native of Westchester, Nicole graduated from Fordham University at Lincoln Center and went on to teach there as an adjunct acting teacher, while also privately coaching young actors with audition material. Nicole lives in Westchester, NY, with her husband and fabulous 4 year old son.www.nicolealifante.com The Class:
FUNDAMENTALS OF ACTING This is a class for actors just starting out, as well as for those who want a "refresher" on the basics. You will learn basic body/breath relaxation techniques, which will enable you to roll up your sleeves and get to the PRESENT moment in your acting, whether you are working on a scene or a monologue. When you are acting, the only moment that counts is the present moment, which happens organically when you know what your character WANTS. This class will help you to find that WANT, and give you the tools to apply it to any part that you are working on. There is no audition necessary but some acting experience is needed. Nicole will guide you with finding age appropriate material to work on, though you should come with some of your own ideas. Monday nights, 6:30-9:30, ongoing. Minimum 8 students, Maximum 16.
$225 per month. Email Nicole Private Coaching:
Nicole loves working with actors who are just discovering their voices, their capabilities and their obstacles. Contact her with your interest. Email Nicole Kathleen Butler  Kathleen Butler originated the roles of B in THREE TALL WOMEN, Gillian in MARRIAGE PLAY and Louise Nevelson in OCCUPANT, all by the remarkable Edward Albee. Recent New York credits: SUCH THINGS ONLY HAPPEN IN BOOKS (Keen), THE AMERICAN DREAM (Cherry Lane), WAPATO (Womens Project), THE PLAY ABOUT THE BABY, TRIANGLES, LUCKY RITA (by Joe Stein) and STEEL MAGNOLIAS. Over 40 productions in Regional Theatres such as The Alley, Long Wharf, Yale Repertory Theatre and Actors Theatre of Louisville among many others. Original Productions: THE SHAKER CHAIR (by Adam Bock, Humana), EVERYTHING I REALLY NEED TO KNOW I LEARNED IN KINDERGARTEN, LAST LISTS OF MY MAD MOTHER, THE MIDDLE PASSAGE. Film and TV: A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN, NIGHT CURTAIN, LAW AND ORDER, THE LOUIS CK PROJECT, KENNY THE SHARK, AS THE WORLD TURNS, THE GREAT AMERICAN PLAY SERIES. Kathleen is also a director and is a founding partner of the theatrical production company, Triumvirate Artists.Private Coaching:
I work privately with actors at all levels who would like coaching for general or specific auditions. If a monologue is required, I can suggest material, or work on a piece you have chosen. The goal is to help you embrace the material by understanding it thoroughly and to let your talent inform the subject matter so that you are confident and excited to walk into that room. An audition, after all, is an opportunity to actually practice your craft! How do you give a great audition? YOU HAVE TO OWN IT! A coaching session is not a rehearsal. I will not direct you. So often, an actor is directed to do a coachs interpretation of the material. I strongly believe that this approach can stifle your instincts and undermine your self-confidence. Before we meet, I will ask that you read the play and become as familiar as you can with it. This gives you the arc of the play and some idea of the writers use of language and his/her rhythms. Most importantly, it will show how your character fits into the play as a whole. Here are some of the things we can cover in your session: The role: - A discussion about your character and his life in the play. How to keep focus during the audition: - Expect the unexpected. Your entrance and exit: Using your presence and power to control the room. Beginning your scene: Taking your time and grabbing their attention from the start. The play is the thing: The actors job is to honor the playwright by using his words to enhance the piece and to illuminate your character. The more you discover, the richer your interpretation will be! Working moment to moment: The art of acting and reacting, letting it happen. Exploration of the scene: How and why one thing leads to the next and becoming familiar enough with the words so that there is the intended flow. Taking direction: What to do if the director asks you to do some adjustments. Appearance: What to wear and how to look. Ultimately, who knows what goes on when you leave an audition? You're too tall, too short, too old, too young, the directors Aunt Edna wants the part or all of the above!All you can do is give it your best, show your talent and make a great impression. I promise I will help you do that! Fee: $125 per hour (minimum one hour) This includes rent for rehearsal space. Email Kathleen Bill Barclay  Bill Barclay has spent 10 years as an actor, director, composer, and lecturer at Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, MA, and has been a member of the Resident Acting Company at the Actors' Shakespeare Project for seven years (including King Lear at La MaMa with Alvin Epstein) where he also directs (Timon of Athens), composes music, and teaches. Bill has worked at Shakespeare's Globe in London as a composer and has studied acting at the Royal Shakespeare Company. He was the 2008 Winner of the Fox Foundation Resident Actor Fellowship, the nation's largest grant for actors, is a two-time Winner of "Meet the Composer" grants in 2009 and 2010, and he specializes in the production of classical plays. His original performance Muse on Fire: Shakespeare & The Music of the Spheres has been presented at universities and acting programs throughout the US and abroad. He received formal training at the National Theatre Institute, has studied in Italy and Bali, and earned an MFA at Boston University School of Theatre.The Class:
MASTER YOUR CLASSICAL MONOLOGUE AUDITION In this Shakespeare-focused intensive, everyone will emerge with two classical speeches that show any casting director you know what you're doing and have the skills to play classical text with the best in the industry.Each session will begin with a facet of text work (rhetoric, scansion, sources, editing) that directly impacts the actor's choice of speech and monologue preparation. The group will then be lead in a warm-up, and each actor will work four times in front of the group - twice on each speech. At the end of the three weeks, you will perform a mock audition for New York manager John Essay and a prominent casting director from the city, who will discuss your audition and review your materials. Monday through Thursday 7-10pm for three weeks.
First class September 12th, final presentation Thursday the 29th. Minimum 8 Students per class; Maximum 12.
$450 per student Email Bill The Class:
PRACTICAL MUSIC THEORY FOR THE ACTOR Want to learn music faster, and without hiring a coach? Have you ever needed to transpose a song and not known how? Have words like intervals, counterpoint, harmony, inversions, and intonation ever scared you?Develop the confidence you need to boost your musical chops in this fun and informative class driven by what the class most needs.Composer, sound designer, music director, and multi-instrumentalist Bill Barclay, who has also worked as an actor in theaters throughout the US and abroad, will teach directly to the needs of the class, dividing the group in two to more efficiently give you what you need to succeed.Start your path toward increasing your musical knowledge with basic skills you will never forget. 10 sessions - 2 hours each, over 3 weeks
Session dates TBD. Minimum 8 students; Maximum 10 students per section.
$350 per student. Email Bill Private Coaching:
Bill is available for private coaching. Contact him with your interest. Email Bill Kevin R. Free  Kevin Free is an Audie award-winning narrator of over 70 books spanning horror, romance, science fiction, educational, childrens and juvenile, urban and biography genres. Heralded as having spectacular emotional and vocal range" by the Washington Post, Kevin has received Earphones Awards for three of his titles, including Edward P. Joness Pulitzer-Prize-winning The Known World. In 2011, Kevin was a Audie Award Finalist for "Audiobook of the Year" for Rick Riordan's The Red Pyramid. www.kevinrfree.comThe Class:
OFF THE BEATEN CAREER PATH: AUDIO BOOK NARRATION Students will be coached by this Kevin as they prepare to record their audiobook narration demo. They will be given a demo at the end of class, and learn also how to submit their work. Each student who enrolls in the class will receive an introductory email that includes a bio of the teacher (Kevin R. Free), a lesson plan, a syllabus, and a list of resources to help them prepare for class. In addition, theyll receive logistical information, including info about where the class will meet each session. Each class will meet for three hours. Each student will read his/her selection as the rest of the class listens. The teacher will record the reading for the students use outside of class. At the end of each read, the teacher and the class will discuss what they heard. The teacher will offer advice about what could have been improved and insight about each students narration style. BREAKDOWN OF CLASSES: Class One Your Favorite Novel Each student reads a two-page excerpt from his/her favorite book.Class Two Non-Fiction Each student reads a three-page excerpt from a non-fiction book.Class Three Juvenile - Fiction (or Romance)Class Four - Learn about what goes on in the studio during actual recordings, how you get paid and other logistical details which are specific to the audiobook world.Class Five Recording Each student receives 90 minutes of recording time to record their audiobook demo.Class Six Closing the Loop sending out the CD, staying in vocal shape, looking for submission opportunities. Kevin will have a professional from the field critique your new demo!6 week class, 3 hours per class. Class days/dates to be announced.
Minimum 6 students; Maximum 8.
$525 per student Email Kevin Sarah Knapp & Steven Alper  Sarah Knapp and her husband Steven Alper wrote the score for The Immigrant, which began as a workshop production in New York at CAP21 and opened off-Broadway at Dodger Stages in 2004. It received two Drama Desk nominations and was recorded on Ghostlight Records. Sarah and Steven received a commission from Maine State Music Theater and the National Alliance of Musical Theatre Producers to write the Civil War musical, Chamberlain (aka Men and Angels), which premiered at Maine State. Their musical The Library was awarded anNEA production grant and premiered at NYUTisch School of the Arts and Stamford Theatre Works. They are currently at work on a gothic music theatre piece based on Nathaniel Hawthornes short story, Rappaccinis Daughter. Menand Angels, The Library and Rappaccinis Daughter were selected for development at The New  Harmony Project, the prestigious writers workshop in Indiana. They contributed to the Drama Desk nominated musical The Audience, and provided the songs for the Golden Books Read-In. As an actor, Sarah has performed on and off-Broadway, in Europe, and across the country in regional theatres, and she has served on the selection panel for the NEA. Steven has composed many incidental scores for theatre including Phoenix Theatres Crucifer of Blood and Karen DeMauros Faces of God, and for several films, including James Manos The Wake-Up Call. With Karen DeMauro he has written numerous award-winning educational musicals. He is the author of Next! Auditioning for the Musical Theatre (Heinemann Books), he has worked as conductor, musical director, vocal arranger and orchestrator, and he wrote thetutorial examples and Visual Index for MakeMusic!s Finale software. Steven and Sarah are both members of the Dramatists Guild. www.knappalper.com The Class:
MUSICAL THEATRE AUDITION INTENSIVE - Conquer the Art of Auditioning for the Musical Theatre Students will hear a three hour lecture by Sarah Knapp as each student steps away to work privately with Steve. The remaining three hours will be observing each students audition. Depending on the size of the class each student should receive a 10-20 minute time for personal attention. The intensive will culminate in every student giving an audition. Every participant will receive a copy of NEXT (auditioning for the musicaltheatre) by Steven M. Alper You will learn how to: Conquer the room
Conquer the piano player
Conquer your material
AND
What to wear and how to wear it
How to enter the room
How to leave the room
What to do in between the entrance and exit
What to do when things go wrong
How to wait to be called without being sabotaged
How to leave feeling terrific and never mortified.Bring your pic and resume, your book or material that you use for auditions, wear appropriate clothes for an audition and be prepared to sing. Saturday Workshop: 10AM-6PM
- or -Two Day Workshop: Mon. 5PM-8PM and Wed. 5PM-8PM Minimum 10 Students; Maximum 20.
$260.00 Per Student Email Sarah & Steven Christie Pasqua & Kaitlin Walsh  Christie Pasqua is from Westport, Connecticut; she attended the Hartt School of Music and Hunter College. A rising star in stand-up comedy as well as a talented actress, she was named "Best of New Talent" at Caroline's 2011 Comedy Festival, and has performed at many comedy clubs in New York City and the surrounding Tri-State area. Christie has a gazillion Facebook and Twitter followers! www.christiepasqua.com
Kaitlin Walsh is originally from the California Bay area. She graduated from Marymount Manhattan College in 2008. Focusing on her passion for media and communications, Kaitlin started her career in television and quickly moved to marketing. Kaitlin has worked on the marketing teams for such shows as Hair, Billy Elliot and Next Fall on Broadway. Since joining The Actors Guide to Everything, Kaitlin has served as the marketing, advertising and social media manager. 
The Class:
SOCIAL MEDIA FOR BEGINNERS This class for beginners will help you set up a blog and accounts on Facebook, and Twitter. Through the basics you will learn how to market yourself successfully through social media. Learn the difference between a personal profile and professional page on Facebook. Whats a Tweet? Is a blog just an online journal? We live in a world that relies more and more on social media to create, nurture and enhance our network of contacts and keep us connected for personal and professional advancement. Learn how to make social media work for you! Class 1:
Intro to Social Networking, Creating a Facebook Account, Personal Profile vs. Professional Page
Class 2:
Facebook continued, How Facebook works, How to use Facebook to your advantage, Facebook Etiquette
Class 3:
Twitter; Setting up your twitter account, How Twitter Works, How to gain followers and keep them interested, what type of content to post on Twitter and why its relevant
Class 4:
Intro to Blogs, Why you should have one, Basic Set Up, Social Networking recap, Question and Answer4 Total Classes, 2 hours each. Schedule TBD.
Minimum 6 students, Maximum 10
Students must bring their own laptop. Free WiFi will be provided.
$300 per student Email Christie
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