Free Acting class for Adults (7:30pm), Teens (5:15pm) and Kids (4pm) March 25th

Howard Meyer’s Acting Program, an affiliate of Axial Theatre, a professional theatre company in Pleasantville, NY, is

offering a free introductory Basic Acting Technique course for beginning actors of all ages in three classes: for adults (ages 18 up), 7:30 – 10:30 pm; for Young Actors (ages 10-12), 4:00 – 5:00 pm; and for Teens (13-17), 5:15 to 7 pm. Students who decide to enroll in the 12-week program begin regular classes April 1 for adults, April 8 for youths and teens.

Rachel Jones, an Equity actor and a member of Axial’s ensemble company who has

performed in over a dozen Axial productions and will be directing the group’s spring

show teaches the class for adults.

Says Jones, “The start of spring is a great time to try something new. This class

gives people a chance to see if acting could be right for them; it’s also ideal for

those returning to acting after many years.” She notes too that the experience is

generally highly positive, “For some HMActing students, the actors’ journey

becomes a form of self-expression and a creative outlet; for others it leads them on

a career path. My job is to help people discover the actor within; the rest is up to

Basic Acting Technique lays the foundation of the actor’s craft with a range of

exercises developed by master teachers Sanford Meisner and Lee Strasberg that

help develop the actor’s use of his/her senses and imagination; all are practiced

individually and in groups. Monologues and scenes are integrated into the

Basic Technique for Young Actors is taught by Jess Erick, an actor and a director,

writer and singer/songwriter who has appeared in numerous Axial productions and

on various Westchester and Manhattan stages. Erick’s class looks at all aspects of

acting for the stage, with special focus on improvisation, monologues and

discovering and using one’s voice. Classes teach students to project with clarity and

build confidence, skill and trust.

In Basic Technique for Teenagers, Erick focuses on the techniques and principles of

the craft through exercises that cultivate the imagination, the senses, and the

expression of voice and body. Students are encouraged to access their own

uniqueness and point-of-view in a creative and safe environment.

Students who decide to enroll following the introductory course pay $395 for a 12

week session ($385 for Young Actors). Adults have the option of registering for a

six-week session for $245 (the 12-week registration cost is discounted by $95).

Howard Meyer’s Acting Program also offers intermediate, advanced and master

classes as well as individual coaching in auditions for school or stage (with a casting

director) and workshops in such areas as voice, movement, and acting for TV. Axial

Theatre offers professional fall and spring productions of new, never-produced plays

by acclaimed writers; contemporary, award-winning works from Broadway and Off-

Broadway; and revivals of the great classics of the 19th and 20th century.

To register for the free introductory Basic Acting Technique class, go online to:

http://www.hmacting.org/register.html or call 914-286-7680.