Acting & Musical Theatre Intensive

Industry Led

Industry Ready

Visionary Centre For The Performing Arts is a private educational institution established over 25 years ago. We provide high-quality performing arts training to students of all ages. From September 2019 we are delighted to offer our new, one-year, full-time program in Acting and Musical Theatre.

While there are many routes to a career in the performing arts, our course is unique. Designed to include all the core elements of a full-length conservatoire training, it provides a fast-track for those with the determination to succeed. If you want to maximize your chances of finding a place on a degree course or to enter the industry directly, we can help.

Our faculty members are working professionals who bring their knowledge and experience to every class. The course is designed with employability in mind and as well as receiving high-quality training, our students learn how to build and sustain a fulfilling career in Canada’s competitive job market.

We are seeking students to join our next session in September 2020.

Apply Today

AMTI 2021/2022

Program

The course will be delivered over three terms from October to June.

2021-2022 School Year

TERM 1 September 27th – December 17th
TERM 2 January 3rd – March 25th
TERM 3 April 4th – May 6th

Acting Technique | 155 Hours

Vocal Technique | 120 Hours

Dance & Movement Studies | 130 Hours

Performance | 200 Hours

Teaching Children & Youth | 40 Hours Classroom + 25 Hours Practicum

Join our 2021/22 Year!

AUDITION BY VIDEO

Audition Requirements:

1 monologue of your choice (no more than two minutes in length)
1 song. Must be from a musical. (Edited version, no more than two minutes in length)
The song can be performed with a backing track (preferred) or a Capella.

Please film your audition in landscape/horizontal and begin the video with your name and the titles of the pieces you are about to present. (With playwright’s /composer’s name too).
Please film both pieces with a head and shoulders shot if possible. Exceptions can be made if the pieces demand a lot of physical action.

Course Outline

Acting for Stage

ACTING for STAGE. Based on the teachings of Stanislavski and Uta Hagen, this part of the module introduces core concepts and lays the foundation of a flexible and effective acting technique. Through exercises and workshops you will discover a practical method which you will then apply to a range of monologues and scenes. You will learn effective rehearsal strategies, principles of staging and text analysis all of which will help you build a truthful, believable performance every time.

ACTING THROUGH SONG. Focusing on blending a truthful acting journey with a safe and healthy vocal technique, you will explore a range of solo and small ensemble sung material in class. We will cover various styles and genres of the musical theatre repertoire, both classic and modern, and you will complete this part of the module with a tailored portfolio of pieces to support you in every audition situation.

SCENE STUDY. Applying a technique to a range of modern plays, you will learn effective rehearsal strategies, principles of staging and text analysis and will present your scenes to an invited audience.

IMPROVISATION. Spontaneity and a sense of freedom are vital tools for every actor. This class is designed to free you from self-consciousness and help you stay ‘in the moment’. You will learn to accept every offer that is thrown at you and how to throw them back!

Acting for Screen

ACTING FOR CAMERA. Acting on stage is quite different from working on camera. Throughout the program, weekly, practical seminars and camera workshops will help you to act truthfully on screen and to prepare for the continuity and technical aspects of working in television and film. Our onsite multi-camera video studio provides actors with extensive experience in front of a camera. There is also an opportunity to work with the future generation of filmmakers through our working partnership with the trainee directors at NAIT. All this experience will ensure that you are no stranger to the camera and you will complete this part of the module by working with us to create a personal demo reel suitable for submission to agents and casting directors. The Final project at the completion of the program involves creating and acting in an original web series pilot.

Voice

THE ACTOR’S VOICE. You will learn to enhance the natural qualities of your spoken voice by addressing flexibility, tone, range, resonance, breath control and articulation. Regular voice classes ensure you have a clear understanding of the intricate nature of the voice and how it works best for you, the actor. We will look at a wide range of texts from poetry to political speeches and through this in- depth study you will quickly learn to be clear and confident when speaking in public, or on camera. Towards the end of the program we will study verse and heightened text, concentrating on the work of William Shakespeare. By this point you will be equipped with all the tools needed to tackle this particular challenge, and will feel confident enough to present a Shakespeare monologue in any audition situation, if required.

PRIVATE VOCAL COACHING. Each student will receive individual weekly singing lessons to develop tone, range and vocal flexibility. Working with an experienced vocal coach you will learn safe and efficient practises to carry throughout your career. You will work to develop a free, flexible, well-supported instrument that can lend itself to all the challenges of modern musical theatre and you will leave the program as a stronger, more confident vocalist.

ENSEMBLE SINGING. Focusing on blend, harmony, diction and all the many skills needed to be part of a musical theatre ensemble, this weekly class will enhance your musicianship and further your understanding of the musical theatre repertoire. The material used in class will vary in style and genre and the musical challenges within the material will increase as the program progresses to ensure you can rise to any challenge within a vocal ensemble setting.

Dance & Movement

DANCE. Throughout the program you will get practical training in dance to give you everything you need to jumpstart your career in musical theatre. This training is focused on jazz and lays out the basic technique of other styles. The level advances in difficulty throughout the year, introducing different Broadway genres and choreographic structures which you can then use to then build your own choreography. Our small class sizes ensure you get the best possible training tailored to your particular stage of development as a dancer, beginner or advanced. With movement and dance classes meeting twice a week, the AMTI program provides a level of creative, physical rigour which is both challenging and rewarding.

MOVEMENT FOR ACTORS. This part of the module comprises elements from the teachings of some of the world's leading practitioners in theatre movement such as Le Coq, Laban, and Mary Overlie and is designed to make your body a more flexible and effective instrument. Through structured play, exercises, and workshops you will learn elements of clowning, contact improvisation, viewpoints, and how to use your discoveries in performance.

Performance

The course includes two central performance projects: an informal cabaret at the end of term one and create an original web series pilot at the end of the year.

Cabaret

The cabaret performance will be a chance for you to test out your new- found performance skills in front of a small audience in an intimate and relaxed setting, if COVID-19 restrictions do not allow live audiences, this cabaret will be performed virtually via live streaming.

The Final Production

Taking place in an external theatre, the final production will be rehearsed and produced under real-world conditions and is designed to accurately reflect the demands of current industry practices.

Professional Preparation

ACTING IS DIFFERENT FROM BEING AN ACTOR.

Here, you will find out how to survive and thrive in a competitive marketplace. Learn how the industry works, Equity rules, how to secure funding for your own projects, and financial management.

The module also leads you through a comprehensive guide to auditioning. You will cover all types of audition scenarios which you may face in the professional world such as self-taping for television and film, musical theatre calls and commercial castings.

The last three weeks are given over to workshops, masterclasses and mock auditions with visiting professionals. This intensive part of the module is designed to build confidence in the audition room and directly connect you with industry contacts. Workshops cover many aspects of the business such as voice acting, stage combat, performing Shakespeare and even filing your taxes as a self- employed artist!

Pedagogy

IMPROVEMENT THROUGH TRAINING OTHERS.

This module is designed to give you the skills, confidence and experience you need to teach performing arts to the next generation. This weekly class will train you as a workshop leader and drama facilitator for young performers

You will learn how to plan and run sessions with children between the ages of 4 and 18, understand their expectations and bring out the best of their creative expression in a safe and effective environment. There is a practicum attached to the module which gives you the opportunity to work with our junior program as they stage their annual musical production.

This practical work experience will be a valuable addition to your resume should you choose to teach performing arts as an additional source of income.