Recent News
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Courses Update 13-02-2012
All courses are starting soon. There are limited spots available. Latest vacancy announcements and dates are given below. For more information please call 02 9213 4500
PROFESSIONAL ACTOR PROGRAM – 2 places left for 3-Yr Advanced Diploma
Two places have just become available so we will be filling these on a first-come first-served basis. This program so contact us if you missed out on earlier audition rounds and who knows, your acting training could start very soon. Enquire about this course.
MUSIC THEATRE – late round auditions for Cert. IV
Auditions will be held on Thursday 16 FEB for the Cert. IV in Music Theatre course for a year-long immersion in Acting, Singing and Dancing. It’s not too late to become that Triple Threat Performer. Enquire about this course.
STAGE MANAGEMENT – 1 place left on Advanced Diploma
We have room for one more Stage Manager who is looking to build on their experience with some formal training that will gain them an industry-recognised Advanced Diploma and the chance to network and work in different theatres across Sydney. Enquire about this course.
TECHNICAL PRODUCTION – places available on Cert. III and Cert. IV courses
ACTT gives Technical Production students a unique opportunity to work on student and professional theatre productions in Theatres across Sydney. Enquire about this course.
THE CORE – places available for Part-Time & Full-Time courses
This unique course runs either 11 months part-time (starts 21 FEB) or 5 months full-time (starts 5 MAR). It provides an all-round grounding in acting and covers many different areas of performance. Just turn up, no preparation necessary. Book yourself in online. or Enquire about this course. Next group auditions for the CORE take place during our Course Information Workshop on Monday 27 FEB so if you want to start on 21 Feb let us know ASAP and we will make alternative arrangements.
STUDIO+ - a part-time course for acting college grads
We have just announced this course, see details below – please note this is a GRADUATE Program, suitable only for people who have graduated from a course in Stage & Screen Acting or Music Theatre at ACTT (or other college) or with industry experience. Enquire about this course.
SHORT COURSES – Starting now
A range of acting courses for beginners and intermediate level students who cannot commit to a part-time or full-time course are starting very soon. Learn the basics and build up skills over time while you work. Find out more and enrol yourself online.
College News 09-02-2012
ACTT grad Sophie Richardson has gone from strength to strength. After leaving the college she signed with Eaton and has been a regular in TV commercials casting but recently caught the eye of several LA Casting Directors and has been casting for the Blue Lagoon re-make as well as the lead in the new Percy Jackson sequel.
ACTT grad Lucy Chesterton is gaining recognition as one of Australia’s top Showbiz reporters and has recently moved from interviewing celebrities for Womens Day to a regular Red Carpet slot on Channel 9’s Morning Show, which amongst other things, keeps us all up to date on all the all-important celebrity gossip!
Recent CORE Grad Alicia Gonzalez is performing in The Lesbian Variations, in which three actors perform in three plays about five characters, showing 1pm-3pm on Saturday 11,18 and 25 at Slide (see double pass offer). Grads Emily Shehan and Tiffany Stoecker are appearing in The Merchant of Venice at The Genesian Theatre 18 Feb – 31 Mar (see double pass offer).
ACTT Studio+ Program
ACTT is announcing a new initiative for graduates who want to refresh their skills, continue their instrument training and develop their applied craft techniques. The program will run on Monday evenings throughout 2012 and combines studio training in acting, voice and movement with masterclasses, audition technique and culminates in the performance of a play. This is a graduate-level course aimed at anyone who has completed the Professional Actor Program which is also open to talented CORE and Music Theatre graduates. The course is open to experienced actors and students who have trained in other colleges.
Firass Dirani ACTT $35,000 Scholarship Winner Announced
The Actors College of Theatre and Television (ACTT) is pleased to announce the winner of the Firass Dirani ACTT Scholarship is 26-year-old Taddeh Vartanians. The full scholarship, worth over $35,000 will enable Taddeh to study for up to three years full-time in the Advanced Diploma of Arts in Stage & Screen Acting, known as the ‘Professional Actor Program’ at ACTT.
Sydney born, with an Armenian background, Taddeh will now join ACTT and learn the craft of professional acting, a step towards making his dream of a career in film and television a reality. Taddeh was thrilled to win the ACTT scholarship.
“Winning the scholarship is a dream come true and I truly believe this is my time. I’ve studied acting before but I wasn’t ready for the commitment I know is required. I know this is going to be a challenging year that will push me through all kinds of personal boundaries and I can’t wait to work with the teachers at ACTT to develop my acting skills,” says Taddeh.
The scholarship is designed to give an aspiring actor the opportunity to undertake professional acting training and spend time developing their skills, explains Firass Dirani, ACTT Graduate and celebrity actor, who worked closely with ACTT in designing the criteria and sat on the panel for the final auditions.
Firass Dirani graduated from the ACTT Professional Actor Program in 2004 and quickly shot to stardom. Widely recognised for his role as John Ibrahim in the TV series ‘Underbelly: The Golden Mile’, Firass is now appearing on the big screen with feature film Killer Elite alongside Robert De Niro, Clive Owen and Jason Statham, and in the mini-series drama, The Straits by Matchbox Pictures (airing on ABC this week).
“I’m proud to put my name behind this scholarship. It’s a great opportunity and the recipient has clearly demonstrated that they have the ability to excel in the competitive acting world. I can see myself in Taddeh, I know he is just as hungry for the opportunity as I was and I can’t wait to see what he can achieve at the end of the three years.” says Firass Dirani.
The Firass Dirani ACTT Scholarship aims to unearth another great Australian acting talent. The first year award value is $12,500 and the total value of the scholarship could be in excess of $35,000 to an individual student. Entry into ACTT is by audition and is competitive.
“The ACTT audition process is challenging. This year’s scholarship winner proved to the panel that he has more than just raw talent but is also driven and focussed. Taddeh demonstrated very similar attributes to those we saw in Firass Dirani at the start of his training with ACTT and like Firass, we hope he will continue to be an ambassador for ACTT throughout his career.” says Lesley Watson, Head of ACTT.
Taddeh will have the opportunity to train with a team of professional tutors, all experts in their fields, and experience a learning experience that transforms people into highly proficient, physically capable and emotionally confident actors.
Entries for 2011/12 have closed but anyone interested should contact the college to express their interest for auditions in 2012/13.
MX Photo 17-01-2012
Firass Dirani ACTT Scholarship
Help us discover the next major acting talent in Australia... The Firass Dirani ACTT Scholarship is a full-year scholarship covering all fees for the Advanced Diploma of Arts in Stage and Screen Acting, known as the ‘Professional Actor Program’ at ACTT. The first year award value is $12,500 and the total value of this unique scholarship could be in excess of $35,000 to an individual student. Find out more about this unprecedented opportunity and either complete an application form yourself or tell your friends about the NEW Firass Dirani ACTT Scholarship
College News 13-12-2011
Auditions are on this week and we are still receiving enquiries so don’t worry, it’s not too late. Auditions and interviews for all Acting, Music Theatre and Technical Production courses starting in 2012 will continue into January 2012 and we will be holding auditions in Melbourne and Brisbane as well as Sydney. We’re also very happy to be able to announce a fantastic new acting scholarship (see above).
Advanced Diploma grad Firass Dirani is keeping himself busy. The trailer of new ABC series The Straits is now available and will go to air in February, around the same time as Killer Elite the release date of which has been pushed back from December. Firass has just completed filming a new Australian feature Last Dance with Julia Blake, about a German Jewish widow who is taken hostage by a young stranger in the aftermath of a bombing incident. In addition to his filming he has been working closely with ACTT to develop the new Firass Dirani ACTT Scholarship.
CORE grad Drew Pearson plays the lead as South African heist member Ronnie in feature The Day Hollywood Died to be released next year, which is getting some media attention. The role required Drew to draw on his own experiences living in South Africa for a few years, as well as extensive work with his dialect coach to get the accent down.
Congratulations to ACTT Voice Tutor Linda Nicholls-Gidley who is now dialect and voice coach for the musical Annie and How to Train Your Dragon – Arena Spectacular for which DreamWorks Animation has brought high-flying, fire-breathing dragons to life in an unprecedented live entertainment event.
2008 grad Naomi Livingstone and 2007 grad Chloe Schwank have just shot a web-series called Watch With Mother a sketch horror series in six parts that will be viewable via an App and available for download from early 2012. Naomi will be filming the feature Lorem Ipsum with 2008 grad Mark Dessaix over the Christmas break.
2005 grad Blake Wells is rehearsing for Bard on the Beach opening in January next year with Macbeth and Twelfth Night. Both productions are being Directed by ACTT Stage Combat Tutor Kyle Rowling, who has previously worked on Star Wars and Spartacus. 2011 grads Serena Weatherall and Emily Sheehan and 2010 grad Tiffany Stoecker have been cast in The Merchant of Venice opening in February at the Genesian Theatre. Emily will also be appearing on stage in the family entertainment production Stage Fright at New Theatre.
Congrats to 2002 grad Fayssal Bazzi and 2010 grad Reece Vella for their recent roles as Dino Dibra and Rocco Arico in Tough Nuts. Well done also to 2009 grad Victoria Greiner and 2008 grad Kieran Foster for their performances in God’s Ear at the Reginald and the Seymour Centre.
Billed as a must-see performance of 2012, O’Punksky’s returns to the Sydney stage with a production of The Seafarer at Darlinghurst Theatre. Directed by ACTT Tutor Maeliosa Stafford, it features ACTT Head of Acting and Creative Director, John O’Hare and ACTT Guest Director Patrick Dickson.
Next Round of Professional Actor & Music Theatre Auditions for 2012
Final Round auditions for our Professional Actor Program and Music Theatre will commence in the week beginning 23rd January. There are limited places available, so please contact us ASAP on (02) 9213 4500 or info@actt.edu.au.
Breaking News 31-11-2011
Don’t miss out on your dreams!
Thank you to everyone who has applied and is looking forward to their Acting or Music Theatre auditions, or their Technical Production or Stage Management interviews with us. If you’re interested but you haven’t applied yet, please e-mail to let us know.
Auditionees remember we are here to help you and we want you to perform at your best so if you have any queries don’t hesitate to contact us. You can often use monologues already prepared for other colleges but only if you check with us first.
Early Round: Week commencing 21 November 2011
Main Round: Week commencing 12 December 2011
College News 31-11-2011
2011 Showcase & Showreel Screening
2008 Grad Kieran Foster and 2009 Grad Victoria Greiner are in God’s Ear at the Seymour Centre (see the special ACTT E-News offer on the left). Following his appearance in Crownies recently ACTT Grad Fayssal Bazzi is playing in Sprout at The Old Fitz.
2007 Grad Chloe Schwank is in Women Power Culture at the New Theatre (now showing, closes 5 November). Meanwhile, 2004 Grad Christopher Sellers has just completed a run of And Then There Were None at Zenith Theatre in Chatswood.
2011 CORE grad Michelle Neil is producing Bondi Dreaming at Bondi Pavilion Theatre (see ACTT E-News special offer on left), starring ACTT tutor Sam Atwell. Sam will be coming in to talk to ACTT students soon about the experience making this play and the time the crew spent in Bali. Actress Kate Ritchie interviewed Sam recently for Time Out magazine. Read the interview here
Third Year students completed their performance of Dark of The Moon, which got a fantastic reception from the industry and audience (Pictured: Firass Dirani pictured with Kate Hankin and Lesley Watson). They are now working hard on their showcase, which is tomorrow and Wednesday and is shaping up to be something special. Come Along! For places: info@actt.edu.au
Staff: Sean O’Riordan just appeared as a 50s crook on The Kangaroo Gang on UKTV. Clare Heuston presents a singing concert on Wednesday 30th November at 7.45 ACTT Pitt St. Virginia Ferris is Parade Performance Director for the upcoming Chinese Year of the Dragon Twilight Parade (She’s looking for and some paid performers from ACTT – See left). Ex-staff Rebecca Clarke has her play Belongings included in novemberism and Alison Rooke is having her play ‘Blackbird and the Whale’ read and developed at Lark studios in New York.
2nd Year Restoration
ACTT’s 2nd Year Actors present their Restoration play, George Farquhar’s “The Recruiting Officer”. Restorations are English comedies written and performed from 1660 to 1710 and notorious for their cheeky entendres. Directed by Sean O’Riordan.
Music Theatre End Of Year Show
On 16-19 November ACTT presents Wishing Well. Featuring songs from fairytales with the attitude of Facebook, the Music Theatre Class of 2011 invite you to a party THEY will never forget! Created by Angela Kennedy and written in collaboration with the students of ACTT’S Certificate IV course in Music Theatre (Triple Threat: Acting,Singing,Dancing). Also, on Thursday 17 November there will be a performance by Gold Coast Triple Threat.
ACTT Industry Night on 20 October 2011
Celebrity ACTT Professional Actor Program graduate Firass Dirani (left) pictured with his ex-classmate & ACTT Senior Morris System Tutor, Kate Hankin (centre) and his ex-tutor, Founder and Head of ACTT, Lesley Watson (right).
ACTT’s 2011 Industry Night was smokin'...
It was carried off with a full Appalachian theme including barbeque, bluegrass music and Kentucky bourbon to get everyone in the mood for what was a smokin' performance of Dark of The Moon by the graduating actors of the 2011 Professional Actor Program. As usual it was attended by agents, producers, directors, writers, staff, tutors and alumni and the feedback from all concerned was really positive. Well done to all, and especially the students (now actors) who combined acting skills with singing, dancing and fantastic American hillbilly accents. (For more photos see the ACTT facebook page)
E-News SPECIAL EDITION: 7 October 2011:
Dark of The Moon
12-22 October, Sidetrack Theatre, Marrickville
Adapted & Directed by John O’Hare
Dear friend,
We have great pleasure in launching ACTT’s new collaboration with Sidetrack Theatre, Marrickville and we encourage you to come along and tell your friends about our inaugural production in this new, exciting venue. The Box Office is open, tickets are available and we hope you can join us in enjoying what promises to be an exhilarating performance by a group of new actors in their graduating production.
(Nb: You can download a hi-res PDF of this image from the bottom of this page)
This unique adaptation is the story of love and desire between a witch boy and a beautiful girl. Set in the Appalachian mountains of Kentucky, “True Blood” meets “Spirited” and some ‘ol Kentucky Bluegrass.
A dangerous pact...
After having had his way with his mortal love, Barbara Allen, the witch-boy John makes a dangerous pact to become human so that he can be with her. But the Fair Witch and the Dark Witch want Barbara to pay for stealing John away from them.
Unrequited Love...
The twist is that the lusty Barbara must remain faithful to John for a full year. As John runs off to join the townsfolk of Buck Creek however, it soon becomes clear that another man is her lover.
A Moral Dilemma...
John is torn between using his witch powers to secure the love of Barbara, while keeping his true identity hidden from the local townsfolk and the fundamentalist Preacher Haggler. The question is, who will fall from grace?
Transcendent love?
Come along and find out if true love truly does conquer all.
"To buy tickets please click here":/coming-soon
(if you have any questions, e-mail info@actt.edu.au or call 02 9213 4500)
Originally written by Howard Richardson in 1939 as a dramatization of the centuries old Celtic/European folk song “The Ballad of Barbara Allen” this adaptation also draws upon contemporary supernatural themes as it tells a story that will appeal as much to anyone brought up on the cult TV series ‘True Blood’ as Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’. With a wicked sense of parody, humour verging on slapstick and some rip-roarin' Appalachian mountain music, this unique adaptation is more than just an endearing love story. It asks the timeless question of whether love can transcend the differences between ‘us’ and ‘the other’ that all too often can give rise to fear, racism and mob rule.
Cast:
Serena Weatherall, Matthew Williams, Samantha Cunningham, Mischa Grunenberg , Gabriel McCarthy, Eleanor Ryan, Amber Davis, Attila Horn-yak, Leanne Mackessy, Sophia Scarpellino, Ulrike Posselt, Nelson Cairelli, Emily Sheehan, Yoni Slama.
Assistant Director: Jacobie Gray
Technical Direction: Tony Youlden
Voice: Linda Nicholls-Gidley
Singing: Clare Heuston
Dance: Virginia Ferris
"More details here":/coming-soon
The Holy Grail of Acting Lessons
Stage Whispers Article – 15 September 2011
ACTT Head of Acting and Artistic Director, John O’Hare give a brief insight into what makes actor training at ACTT unique and why we have developed ‘The ACTT System’. You can read or download the condensed Stage Whispers Article with John O’Hare interview from the bottom of the page. See the full article here:
Article: Irreverent Acting gives ACTT the edge
Driven by a personal mission to create a comprehensive system for actor training that, in his words “can build a robust actor with security of process”, John O’Hare has been Artistic Director and Head of Acting at the Actors College of Theatre and Television (ACTT) for the last six years. In this interview John tells us the story of why he has been driven to develop and test this unique acting system and how he has refined it at ACTT, to surprising and gratifying results. In addition to teaching, John is a professional actor and Co-artistic Director of O’Punksky‘s Theatre Company. His career highlights include: (acting) Much Ado about Nothing, STC at the Opera House, Directed by Wayne Harrison and Nick Parsons; (directing) Wolf Lullaby by Hillary Bell, with Tara Maurice (Strictly Ballroom) and Lucy Bell, National Tour winner of four Greenroom awards; (directing) Much Ado About Nothing winner of Irish Times Best Production Award, 1988. John started teaching when employed by NIDA to direct their third year students in a production of ‘Road’ by Jim Cartwright (Co-directed by Alan Cook). This subsequently led to him being taken on to direct four more graduation plays, so he moved into a half-directing and half-teaching role for five years. “I quickly found that students need more help than professional actors do, not just with direction but on a more fundamental level."
"How can I communicate the acting process to students”?
This led John to question and explore his own process and it stirred in him "a need to find a better way to communicate my knowledge in a clear and precise way to these student actors. I found that although I was a good inspirational Director, I simply didn’t have the tools or the language to help each student to elicit a truthful performance”. This took John back to his acting texts and voice books as he re-investigated his own training and started looking further afield on a personal mission to discover how he could effectively communicate to student actors. He found many useful exercises, techniques and processes but nothing comprehensive and satisfying until 1994 when he was Directing a 3rd year production at QUT, Brisbane and “by providence” was sharing a house with American acting guru Leonard Meenach, who at the time was Head of Acting at California State University.
“Leonard introduced me to a name I’d never heard before, Eric Morris. He handed me the book ‘Irreverent Acting’ and I devoured it that night, cover to cover, realising I had found my Holy Grail. Guided by Leonard I embarked on a Masters Degree at QUT. I used Eric Morris as a foundation approach, doing comparative studies of acting processes throughout the world. That year I tested the process in practical situations in different colleges and universities across the country, including WAAPA and QUT“. John was subsequently Head of Acting and Technical Production at QUT Creative Industries in Brisbane from 2000 to 2002. In 2003 he was invited to direct the graduation performance of The Tempest by Ken Boucher and Lesley Watson at ACTT. “Working at ACTT I exposed the class, which included Kate Hankin, now Senior Acting Tutor (Morris System) at ACTT and Firass Dirani, the actor famous for his role as John Ibrahim in Underbelly: the Golden Mile (and winner of two 2011 Logie Awards) to the Eric Morris system. The students received and aquired knowledge so enthusiastically that, when offered the role of Head of Acting and Artistic Director at ACTT, I took the opportunity to further-develop my work on systemetising a complete actor training process”.
Over the next six years John worked at ACTT to develop what the college calls ‘The ACTT System’, combining in-depth ‘instrument’ training based on the Morris system, with strong physicality and voice training. Working with Gavin Robins he developed the ‘Professional Actor Program, a three year Advanced Diploma course that has turned ACTT into a highly specialised actor training institution renowned for turning out “actors who are equally capable and confident performing on stage and screen”.
‘The ACTT System’ of complete actor training
John had already found that the vast majority of students and actors struggle with reaching ‘the authentic self’, which he describes as ‘being open and present in any moment’. This struggle often prevents them from receiving the (real or imagined) stimuli which is the very foundation of an actors’ creative process.
“The age old acting adage is ‘talent is innate and cannot be taught’ and even The Method assumes this to some degree, but the Morris system assumes that everybody has talent and there is a clear process that anyone can use, if they have the desire and commitment to work, which enables them to access their own unique talents. This process leads actors towards a ‘Being’ state, where one is affected by internal and external stimuli and responds to this by expressing true feelings, moment by moment. It allows the greatest number of personality facets and characteristics to be accessed by actors, as creative artists”.
At ACTT, students are taken through comprehensive system of exercises and choice approaches that allow the actor to engage with the creative process more openly. What makes this system unique is how it directly approaches actors to address their personal blocks to expression by allowing them, in the first instance, to find and exploit their own unique talents. John also discovered that personal blocks to the creative process are often caused by “functioning above tension” and when Morris is combined with strong physical training, achieved through Meyerhold Biomechanics, students can flourish and become incredibly creative, strong and highly professional actors. “As I was trying out and testing my system, I knew I needed a strong physical theatre approach that was conducive to The Method and the Morris work. I worked through Laban, Susuki and LeCoq until finally I reached Meyerhold Biomechanics and started working with Gavin Robbins. Gavin and I had different approaches to theatrical truth but we both discovered the the workshop process that our combined efforts were more complimentary than oppositional. Our joint mission statement was ‘to build a robust actor with security of process’.
On his departure, Gavin recommended the best Meyerhold student he knew, Fiona Malone, to take over upon his departure and she is now the Senior Acting Tutor (Movement) at the college, using her Biomechanics expertise, helping to give actors control over “every aspect of their bodies in space and time”. Along with Kate Hankin, they continue to develop and refine ‘The ACTT System’, which when combined professional voice training to help students develop a free and natural voice, delivers “a robust actor with security of process”, the ideal that John had been searching for over the years. Now, under the supervision of Sean O’Riordan (who is also Director of 3rd Year Students Graduate Performances) and Glen Hamilton the benefits of ‘The ACTT System’ have also been incorporated into ACTT’s Certificate III course ‘The CORE’, which many students use as a gateway to further training in the ‘Professional Actor Program’.
ACTT College News – 5 September 2011
2012 Application Forms and Audition Booklets with recommended monologues for the 3-Year Professional Actor Program Advanced Diploma course are now available on the website. Music Theatre Certificate IV, Stage Manager Advanced Diploma and Technical Production Certificate III & IV courses are also open. If you prefer we can email any forms to you directly. Any enquiries please e-mail or call 02 9213 4500 for more information.
Check out the fantastic headshots of the 2011 graduating class of the Professional Actor Program on the ACTT facebook page. The shots were taken by Blueprint Studios and we think you’ll agree they are really impressive. But don’t take our word for it – have a peek and see for yourself.
Production dates have been set for the graduating students production of Dark of The Moon (Adapted and Directed by John O’Hare). With overtones of Twilight and True Blood, this unique adaptation is the story of love and desire between a witch boy and a beautiful girl. Set in the Appalachian mountains of Kentucky it includes some rip-roaring hillbilly song and dance. Put a date in your diary now (showing 12-16 & 18-22 October at Sidetrack Theatre). More details to follow in the next e-news.
News from a couple of grads: Angela Tinkler has just started rehearsals for a 6 month Theatre In Education tour, Beauty and the Beast, and she will be playing Belle for 6 months with M&M Theatrical Productions in the UK – she will be playing in schools and to the public. Following some great exposure on Oprah, Camilla Franks is hitting the USA with her latest range of Kaftans.
Alanaa Smithee Blog What does it feel like to be an emerging actor in this town? Are you living the dream? Yeah, me too. Is our best work done at the pub?
A few months ago I received a forward thingy entitled ‘Things you’ll never in hear in The Theatre’ – as said by the Stage Manager, Producer, Director, Actor etc. All ending with “No thanks, I don’t drink.” The joke being of course, that we’re all drunkards. It was mildly amusing. And it got me thinking. When I’m in a show I do drink a lot more than when I’m not. You kinda ‘have’ to. Truly. There’s the compulsory bonding at the pub after rehearsal- it’s best way to suss everyone out! Plus you can have a quiet word with the director or tricky cast-mate about that scene that’s bothering you, see who’s got a better agent than you (and are they coming to see the show?), to get some candid praise from the director (Am I REALLY doing a good job? Really?), to talk about your mutual actor-y friends and see who’s bonking who – all with the help of sweet social lubrication! It’s also called “Networking”. Then, during the run there’s compulsory post-show drinks with your adoring fans in the foyer; Drinks to wind down, to celebrate a shit-hot show, to commiserate a wobbly one, to get closer to your sexy scene partner, to meet your cast mates actor-y friends and potential future workmates. “Networking”. Closing Night is generally an epic ‘piss-up’. Then there are post-show reunion drinks… And sometimes, after all that acting, all that feeling and expressing and yelling and crying and frolicking- you just need a stiff drink. Right? Is all this pub-action a way of masking our insecurities, niggling doubting feelings of ‘am I good enough?’ (don’t ever let the bravado of actor fool you – we are all deeply insecure). It surely comes with the territory of never being sure of our next job, the constant rejection and comparison to other actors.
Or is it merely the way of our broader culture? Most jobs have some form of Friday night drinks ritual. What do you think? All I know is – I have just finished a show, and I am now on a detox.
ACTT College News 20 August 2011
Over the years ACTT has inspired and nurtured many collaborations and co-ops between alumni, students and staff at the college, this is the oxygen that keeps the ACTT community alive and we’re happy to be able to tell you about another project that has evolved from our artistic community. The Collective is the brain-child of recent CORE Grad Michelle Neil supported by ACTT Supervisors Glen Hamilton and Sean O’Riordan and ACTT Course Manager & Acting Tutor Deborah Jones. They are all co-founders of a new co-op and are being joined by students and alumni as word spreads. Their first project is Closer at the Tap Gallery, the cast of which also includes ACTT staff member and Tutor Naomi Livingstone.
Check out the trailer video of The Slap, starring ACTT Tutor Lex Marinos. It’s a bold, provocative television drama series that forensically examines the morality of contemporary middle class life. Based on Christos Tsiolkas’ bestselling novel, this 8 –part drama series traces the shattering repercussions of a single event upon a group of family and friends.
ACTT Professional Actor Program graduating students have just been cast for their Third Year production ‘The Dark of The Moon’ (by Howard Richardson & William Berney) under John O’Hare. This controversial and darkly magical play is set in the Appalachian Mountains of Kentucky. Also this week, Second Year Professional Actor Program students have emerged out of their brave and heartfelt production of Shifting Points last week under the direction of Fiona Malone and they’ve gone straight into rehearsals for their cabaret ‘Boys vs Girls’.
A big welcome to our new CORE 3 Students, who have just started. While CORE 1 Students will be performing Bareboards in the Main Hall at 505 Pitt Street, on Thursday August 25 from 8:00pm – 11:00pm. This is the first production put on by the students as a class. Comprising a series of ‘raw’ scenes that do not rely on lighting or stage setup, it’s a must-see for anyone who’s taking or thinking about The CORE. Directed by Sean O’Riordan (entry by donation).
ACTT College News 05 August 2011
As promised at the end of last year and in response to your enquiries we’re pleased to announce three Performance Masterclasses in September/ October: US/UK ACCENTS, with Jill Brown; GROTESQUE! THEATRE (The Bouffon) with Andrew Lindsay and SHOW TUNE! TUNE-UP with Angela Kennedy. These are all at Sidetrack Theatre in Marrickville and are formally part of The Sydney Fringe 2011 program. They’re open to the general public so get in early if you’re interested.
US/ UK Accents
Grotesque! Theatre
Show Tune! Tune-Up
2nd Year Students of the Profesional Actor Program present Shifting Points on Wednesday, 10 August 2011 at 18:00, ACTT Main Hall Sydney, Australia. Each actor will perform three deeply personal, true-life stories written and devised by themselves and the ensemble, using Meyerhold BioMechanics skills.
ACTT Head of Acting & Artistic Director John O’Hare would like to pass on a big thank-you on behalf of the college to Tony Chu from Show-Fest International, for his unfailing support of ACTT graduating actors and up-and-coming film-making talent. John was a judge at the competition at Randwick Ritz.
ACTT College News July 26 2011
Final year Advanced Diploma students on the Professional Actor Programme have been shooting their showreel scenes on location with John O’Hare across the city, from St. Peter’s Graveyard to Trackdown Studios in the Entertainment precinct (more on that in the next edition), up to Colloroy and then down to Rosebery on a night shoot. see the first photos
Congratulations to CORE 2 Students on the success of their Small Theatre Company Production and on completing their CORE training with us. Students, staff and audience have been impressed by the high standard reached again this year. It’s inspiring how the bar continues to be raised every year as The CORE continues to evolve. Great work all round!
CORE Grad Luke Joslin is touring with the musical Doctor Zhivago along with ACTT Tutor Tony Cogin. Before leaving Melbourne, Luke went behind-the-scenes to record an insightful short video. (Watch Luke’s BACKSTAGE TOUR) Want to find out more about The CORE? We’re here to answer your questions. Send us an E-mail and we’ll get right back to you.
In a short interview, ACTT Grad and double Logie award-winner Firass Dirani, who is currently shooting ABC drama The Straits in Cairns, explains why he prefers to stay in Australia and be with his mates, rather than pursuing opportunities in L.A. (read more...)
ACTT tutor Eddi Goodfellow, who takes ACTT Youth workshops and technical production modules for The CORE, has just returned from France, working as Stage Manager for Meryl Tankard’s acclaimed The Oracle which was a great success at the Montpellier Dance Festival.
ACTT Grad Layla Estasy will be appearing in Othello at the Tap Gallery from 10-21 August in a production by The Sydney Shakespeare Company. Then in September at the same venue, ACTT CORE Supervisor Glen Hamilton will direct Closer, featuring ACTT Grad Naomi Livingstone and CORE student Michelle Neil in Closer, 8-18 September.
ACTT Press Release 15 June 2011 ACTT moves stage productions to Sidetrack Theatre, Marrickville
ACTT has now become an integral member of a new group of industry experts based at Sidetrack Theatre, Marrickville. This development builds on the strong links that have been created over the past five years with a range of theatres and arts companies across Sydney including the Sydney Fringe and Newtown Entertainment Precinct and represents a great opportunity for ACTT’s continued growth. As part of this evolution ACTT will be transferring our graduate theatre productions from Cleveland Street Theatre to Sidetrack Theatre.
Move enhances ACTTs links to the performing arts industry
As of next month, ACTT becomes Sidetrack Theatre’s most significant operating partner alongside The Sydney Fringe and Century Venues, which enables ACTT, its students and teachers alike to connect with some of the leaders of the independent and commercial theatre sectors in Sydney. Additionally, Century Venues supports a relatively new company, New Musicals Australia, founded to develop new musical theatre works and which workshops and performs at Sidetrack.
Through the work done at Cleveland St Theatre, ACTT has forged broad industry associations that showcase the extraordinary talents of ACTT teachers, directors, students and graduates. The move to Sidetrack builds on this by formalising some of those industry relationships and embedding the college even more deeply within the performing arts industry of Australia.
"During our time in Cleveland Street Theatre we rehearsed, filmed and taught in the space. We’ve also shared the space and developed relationships with a huge number of individual artists, theatre and film companies, and built the college’s reputation as a driving force and a college of excellence in the industry. This vision for a space that would unite the ACTT emerging actors and performers with the industry was a big one and one that didn’t exist anywhere in Australia and this move to Sidetrack is born out of the same vision." says Lesley Watson, ACTT Founder and Director.
Increased opportunities for students across all ACTT subjects
"As our courses continue to evolve, it is clear that one of the keys to the continued success of our graduating actors and performers in today’s industry will be the ability to develop a career in independent theatre. We are confident that this move into Sidetrack will give ACTT graduates increased opportunities to develop their all important networks and make new connections into the burgeoning independent theatre scene and gain work as professional stage performers." continues Watson.
For many years ACTT has been training actors who are equally proficient at stage and screen acting. This move to Sidetrack frees up resources that were previously devoted to managing Cleveland Street which can now be used to reinvigorate the main campus and the screen acting training elements of ACTTs professional actor program, including the industry-renowned showreel. This will help students to build their professional profile and industry contacts within the film, television and digital media sector.
The move also opens up a host of new opportunities for our Technical Production and Stage Management students. Technical training will move its base to Sidetrack under the supervision of Tony Youlden and in addition to ACTT final year actors productions being staged there, the students will work across other independent theatre productions at Sidetrack and other leading theatres across the city. The technical department will be the first to move across.
Move consolidates ACTTs student and teaching body once again
The strength and connection of the ACTT community will also benefit from the move as the college will now be using more space at the main campus building in 505 Pitt Street, with the use of a second hall space for studio classes and workshops. This arrangement brings all the classes back under one roof, making life easier for staff, tutors and students and building upon ACTT expertise in studio-based training.
ACTT Founder and Director, Lesley Watson is available for comment, photos or interview. For media enquiries please call Michael on 02 9213 4500 or email mdarby@actt.edu.au
College News
Excerpt from ACTT E-News 24/05/2011
Growth in the Australian film-making industry is illustrated by the amount of Pan-Pacific collaborations between Australia and the US. ACTT grads are picking up some juicy roles in some of the latest features coming out of this relationship and are working with some of L.A.s leading lights. To illustrate this, while Firass Dirani has recently arrived back in Oz from filming The Killer Elite (which is now planned as a major US release) with Robert De Niro & Jason Statham, another ACTT grad, Eddie Tang who began his career training with The CORE Certificate III in Theatre & Screen Performance, has just this week departed for the U.S. to shoot the feature film Stealing Sam (watch the teaser video here) with Ray Liotta. Eddie has asked any E-News subscribers based in NY, Miami or LA to send him an e-mail and meet him there.
Congratulations to ACTT Grad Fayssal Bazzi on a great review by Jason Blake for “I Only Came To Use The Phone” at the Darlinghurst Theatre. Chookas also to our ultra-talented grad Firass Dirani for not ONE, but TWO Logie wins for Underbelly – The Golden Mile - “Most Popular New Male Talent“ and “The Graham Kennedy Award for most Outstanding New Talent” - love the speech too.
ACTT Grad, Tutor and CORE Supervisor Glen Hamilton has his hands full at the moment. In addition to Directing Closer, starring ACTT student Michelle Neil as Anna (September, Tap Gallery) Glen is Directing the CORE 3 Small Theatre Company Production, performing scenes from Who’s afraid Of The Working Class from 2-4 June. Glen is also Directing ACTT’s PlayLab students in their forthcoming production of The Crucible, showing on 7-9 July in addition to supervising the Part-Time CORE Certificate III course in theatre and screen acting.
ACTT’s CORE 2 will be performing their Bareboards performance on Friday 27th May at 7.30pm in the Main Hall, Directed by Sean O’Riordan. (Note: This is a closed-door performance to ACTT staff & students, invited family and friends only). Meanwhile this year’s current crop of CORE 1 (part-time) students are hitting the auditions and casting couches hard, with Daniel Csutkai soon to be appearing on stage, Ali Benstead who got a small part in the next Underbelly and James Graham who has landed a documentary gig along with ACTT Advanced Diploma grad Jill Russ.
ACTT 3rd Year students on the Professional Actor Program have been filming at Cleveland St. Theatre and on location for their mock showreels and are now ensconced in the edit suite, for some great photos of them last week, check out the photo albums posted on the ACTT facebook page by John O’Hare and Kendall Letica.
Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang - A succession of bold, energetic writers, directors, actors and teachers emerged from the USA and took the acting world by storm in the first half of the 20th Century – changing the world of stage and screen performance in their wake. ACTT 2nd Year students, currently on the Performance Practice year of the PROFESSIONAL ACTOR PROGRAM, pay homage to them in KISS KISS, BANG BANG, a selection of American Scenes from that remarkable era, Directed by Lex Marinos.
College News
Excerpt from ACTT E-News 19/04/2011
The Chekhov Project Opens: ACTT 2nd Year PROFESSIONAL ACTOR PROGRAM Students will be performing selections from two Chekhov masterpieces (Three Sisters & Uncle Vanya) along with two of his earlier comedy works (The Bear & The Proposal) in The Chekhov Project. Discover (or rediscover) just how timeless Chekhov’s Naturalism, born at the turn of last century, seems in today’s modern world. Directed by Maeliosa Stafford. “Medicine is my lawful wife“, Chekhov (a qualified doctor) once said ”and literature is my mistress."
Directed, co-written and co-produced by ACTT’s Music Theatre Supervisor, the indefatigable Stephen Helper, Cafe Rebetica! will be playing at Sydney Opera House from 5-8 May. Rave reviews and amazing audience response mean tickets are selling like hotcakes, so go along, enjoy and say Yiassou!
Leeanna Walsman plays Mary, one of two main characters at a crisis in their relationship, in a new film, Dance Me To the End of Love set against the evocative backdrop of Lake George, NSW. The film is currently in post-production and the industry screening is planned for June. Directed by Martha Goddard.
Congrats to the ACTT Grads Kieran Foster, Mitchell Bradley and Courtney Campbell who have just finished a great run at the Zenith Theatre of “The Mousetrap” which ended with an extended season playing to sold out audiences. Meanwhile, Michael Terry (2007 Grad) is in Love in Idleness by JM Barrie at Star of the Sea Theatre in Manly.
ACTT starts FREE Teenager Improv. Workshops (Ages 14 - 17)- Working in small groups, the workshop focuses on fun, play and improvisation exercises to free the imagination, develop spontaneity and build confidence. So, whether you have no acting experience or you have loads of school drama experience it doesn’t matter, just come along and have some fun. Perfect for anyone taking HSC Drama, thinking about a career in acting after school or looking for info about ACTT’s incredible HOLIDAY ACTING COURSES for young people.
Evolvelution trailer video goes online
The Theatre Show Episode 10
Following fast on the heels of Episode 9, where ACTT’s free acting drop-in was profiled. ACTT Professional Actor Program’s presentation of Evolvelution is shown in Episode 10, where, for the first time, we get an insight into just who (or what) The Illumanati are. It features interviews with Brendon Kennedy (Director) and an interview with Gabriel McCarthy as well as clips from rehearsals. But did we see Che Guevara in the background? What’s he got to do with Tahir Square?
Watch it at the link HERE
ACTT Grad gets 2 Logie Nominations
Congratulations to ACTT Grad Firass Dirani on his 2 Logie Nominations for his starring role as John Ibrahim in Underbelly"The Golden Mile.: “Most Popular New Male Talent” and “The Graham Kennedy Award for most Outstanding New Talent” Go Firass!!
Media Release: Cleveland Street Theatre 31 March 2011
ACTT Professional Actor Program Presents: Evolvelution 11-16 April
Directed by Brendon Kennedy
(Preview Night 11 April – Free to Media Reviewers upon request and confirmation in advance)
The winds of change are blowing in the Middle East and reach the apartment of two young gamers and their online revolutionary avatars. Violence and riots in Tahir Square, Cairo, 2011 are intertwined with a global 'song and dance conspiracy’ and at the heart of it all is a young spiritual poetess struggling to make sense of a world gone mad.
This production combines stage performance multi-media, live video feeds and real-life reportage. Probably the first theatre production worldwide that takes on the subject of the current uprisings in the Middle East.
This unique self-devised piece by ACTT’s Professional Actor Program graduating students explores the idea of “personal power” as it bridges the styles of Naturalism, Grotesque and Musical.
ACTT profiled in new online arts show
Excerpt from ACTT E-News 30/03/2011
The Theatre Show has launched it’s new online production “Getting Involved” and ACTT is honoured to have the opening segment. Current CORE student Michelle Neil presents the show and is clearly passionate about community theatre and ACTT. The clip includes interviews with Lesley Watson (Director) and Glen Hamilton (Supervisor, The CORE), talking about what makes the college so unique and accessible, like the free drop-in acting workshops. It also features a short monologue by Kunal Sharma (Professional Actor Program student) and ends with clips of students Benjamin Kuryo and Emma Dobson.
College News
Excerpt from ACTT E-News 30/03/2011
Graduation was a great success and thanks once again to Aarne Neeme for his inspiring words of wisdom. Chookas to the new grads who picked up their Diplomas and Certificates (see more photos on facebook). Also, to Angela Tinkler who missed the graduation as she was out of town filming a music video. And as she’s also making a short film, auditioning for a feature film and devising a new comedy sketch show. That’s the news we love to hear!
2008 ACTT grad Kieran Foster appears in The Mousetrap (the world’s longest-running play) at the Zenith Theatre from 31 March – 9 April. The production is directed by Adrian Barnes, a former ACTT tutor and director.
ACTT Tutor Jo Turner is directing Helpmann award winner, Darren Gilshenan in Fools Island the Tamarama Rock Surfers premiere show at the newly refurbished, Bondi Pavilion Theatre.
BREAKING NEWS: 2007 Professional Actor Program Grad Richard Daven has just scored a part in the next Underbelly franchise. Great work!
The Chekhov Project, Directed by Maeliosa Stafford. Excerpt from ACTT E-News 30/03/2011
ACTT E-News subscribers are invited to come along and watch the Second year students of ACTTs Professional Actor Program perform selections from two Chekhov masterpieces (Three Sisters & Uncle Vanya) along with two of his earlier comedy works (The Bear & The Proposal). This is the students first venture into Naturalism and sees them work under the tutelage and guidance of Maeliosa Stafford, one ACTT’s most-loved and highly-regarded Guest Directors.
Jacqueline Mackenzie talks with ACTT students 24/03/2011
Thursday the 24th of March we are fortunate enough to have the pleasure of meeting the very talented Jacqueline Mackenzie. Jacqui is currently playing in In The Next Room or The Vibrator Play at the Opera House written by Sarah Ruhl and directed by Pamela Rabe. Jackie certainly has more than one feather in her cap and we are extremely privileged to have her visit us. This is a great opportunity for the students.
Her website below says it all: www.jacquimckenzie.com
ACTT E-News and facebook subscribers will have an opportunity to read all about it and check out photos, so join up now!
Evolvelution: The students are revolting!
Excerpt from ACTT E-News 04/03/2011
What kind of imagination brings together the uprising in Tahir Square, Cairo and social media with interactive online gaming and a global ‘song and dance’ conspiracy theory? The answer, it seems, lies inside the mind of ACTT’s 3rd Year Advanced Diploma (Professional Actor Program) Guest Director, Brendon Kennedy. Brendon is returning to the ACTT fold after many years in the wilderness and he will be taking the 3rd year Advanced Diploma students in a contemporary devised theatre production. It’s risky, it’s exciting and there’s the unmistakable taste of revolution in the corridors. This exciting project marks a new departure for ACTT so watch this space for more info and stay alert to Evolvelution as this twisted treatment unfolds little-by-little and character-by-character on facebook...
College News
Excerpt taken from ACTT E-News 04/03/2011
The Graduation Ceremony for 2010 students will be held on Tuesday 8 March from 6.30pm at Cleveland St. Theatre. Certificates will be handed out by Industry Guest, Aarne Neeme. This event is open to all friends and family of the students so if you want to come along and haven’t told us yet, we would love to hear from you.
Filming was underway this week for a short segment on ACTT in a forthcoming edition of Online Arts Magazine TheTheatreShow which has just signed a TV deal with Sydney TV station TVS. More details about this story when we have them.
ACTT 2010 Professional Actor Program Grad, Imogen Rose-Carn is flying to Melbourne and due to start filming for a music video there soon. ACTT 2010 Music Theatre Grad, Laura Peach has just been signed to another touring musical, ‘The Little Mermaid’ after her fantastic work in ‘King Arthur’. ACTT Tutor Fiona Malone got rave reviews for her production of picture perfect at the Riverside (read more)
Deborah Jones has joined the ACTT office team. Long a favourite of hundreds of ACTT students, Deborah is now the ACTT Course Manager and will work as a liaison between students, tutors and ACTT admin staff. Good on you Deborah!
Welcome to all our new students and thank you for bringing your energy and enthusiasm to the courses that have just started Professional Actor Program, PlayLab, The CORE (Part-Time), Technical Production, Acting Essentials, Screen Acting and Developing Actor. We are also looking forward to meeting the new Music Theatre, CORE (Full-Time) and Acting Essentials students starting over the next few days.
Last but not least we are priviliged to welcome our new and returning teaching staff. New faces (and some old friends) this year include Chris Dickson (Meditation), Andrew Lindsay (Expressive Body), Yvonne Kower (Movement), Naomi Livingstone (Script Analysis), Jill Brown (Voice), Lisa Schow (Singing), Brendon Kennedy (Guest Director) and Maeliosa Stafford (Guest Director).
College News
Excerpt taken from ACTT E-News 05/02/2011
Following the news in the last e-news that ACTT Grad Reece Vella has landed a role in Tough Nuts, we can confirm that he will be playing Rocco Arico, an associate of Dino Dibraa. We also hear that ACTT Grad Fayssal Bazzi will be appearing on the forthcoming Tough Nuts series. Meanwhile, Ex-ACTT Student Lap Phan - the short film ‘Bird Therapy’ which he co-produced, wrote and acted in has been shortlisted to compete for the final spot in this year’s Tropfest. 10 films that narrowly missed out will be voted by the public and the winner get’s into the finals. Use the Vote tab on the YouTube Tropfest page.
ACTT Grads Mark Dessaix and Chloe Schwank have landed roles in the forthcoming production of Julius Caesar at the New Theatre.
Following two successful runs of ‘Coffee and Time’, ACTT Grad Chris Sellers will be taking his one-man show to Edinburgh. Chris will also be shooting his new film ‘The Prince’ in June/July this year, which will star ACTT Grad Blake Wells. Filming will be split between London, UK and Australia.
College News
Excerpt taken from ACTT E-News 27/01/2011
Following the success of ACTT Grad Firass Dirani (Underbelly, The Killer Elite), ex-ACTT grad of The CORE Valentino Del Toro has been cast in the next production from the hit Underbelly franchise, the Tele-movie Underbelly Files: Infiltration on Channel 9. Keeping with the gangster theme, recently graduated 2011 Advanced Diploma student Reece Vella has already landed his first big break and been cast in the forthcoming series of Tough Nuts, the flagship program for Foxtel CI Network. Chookas ‘You Guys’!
CORE Grads are doing well. Jared Houseman won the ‘Award for Excellence In Performance’ at last year’s New York Fringe Festival and is about to start work on his 13th show since he arrived 3 years ago. Jess McAlister has has just launched her first iTune, this week – with her band Seven bay Road! Janelle Merry has finished a successful run in Short+Sweet and is just about to head off on a 12 month contract touring the country with Theatre In Education (with ACTT Grad Matthew Rose).
Two ACTT Grads basked in the glow of the Sydney Theatre Awards this month. Michelle Kotevski was executive producer of Urban Theatre Project’s ‘The Fence’ - winner of Best Independent Production, while Mitchell Bradley (Stage Management Grad) was stand-in ASM for Jersey Boys which just won ‘Best Musical Production’.
Brad Channer has just auditioned in front of Stephen Sondheim in London and will be singing with Elton John soon... more when we get it. Meanwhile, the second run of Parkie follows a successful season at the TAP Gallery last year. Produced by and starring ACTT Grad Nathaniel Scotcher and starring ACTT Grad Amy Correia.
Did you see The Oprah Show? That Kaftan she was wearing was another creation by ACTT Grad Camilla Franks.
Mark Dessaix and Naomi Livingstone, are due to start filming soon in the forthcoming feature, Lorem Ippsum... more news when we get it. Finally, Leah Etkind has followed her recent success in Rescue Special Ops with a cool spot on the latest Xbox ad... you know, the one with the surfboard!
College News
Excerpt taken from ACTT E-News 11/01/2011
ACTT grad Chloe Schwank will be playing Helena in 'A Midsummer Night’s Dream' and Luciana in ‘The Comedy of Errors’ in the final season of Shakespeare by the Sea. Stage manager is ex-CORE student Bendeguz Daniel Deventi-Botos. Opens 14 january. Congratulations to ACTT Grad Gabriel McCarthy, for taking home 2nd place in the Judge’s competition for the 1st week at Short+Sweet. A hit from ACTT’s Imagine Festival, with his “one man tour-de-force” Nothing To Be Done. Also featuring at Short+Sweet are Janelle Merry and Zara Jesdinsky in Pizza With Everything, written and directed by Sean O’Riordan. (see article above by Geoff Sirmai)
ACTT Grad Laura Peach is touring in the musical King Arthur in Sydney, Melbourne and around VIC. Starting in Melbourne on 31 Jan it runs for two and a half months.
Information has been posted about the ABC’s forthcoming mini series The Slap featuring ACTT’s Lex Marinos alongside a stellar Australian cast.
Shownews
by Geoff Sirmai: January 6, 2011 at 8:28am
Short+Sweet Sydney 2011 – the tenth anniversary of Short+Sweet – opens this week at the spiritual home of Short+Sweet, Newtown Theatre, with an eclectic mix of comedy, drama and a little “What the f—k? was that”, thrown in for good measure.
At Short+Sweet we strive to present a range of theatrical styles in every night of the festival as Short+Sweet is not just a ten minute play festival, it’s a ten minute theatre festival, where all genres of the theatrical form are welcome. Our aim in doing this is to introduce audiences to new styles of theatre that they may not have seen before, to broaden their theatrical palette, so they then might enjoy these types of theatre more regularly in the future.
With that in mind it’s wonderful that the honour of performing the first show for Short+Sweet Sydney 2011 goes to a Commedia Del Arte piece, Commedia Della Scorreggia presented by Twisted Tree Theatre. Written and directed by Scott Parker it features an extraordinarily talented young cast of Bobby Den Engelsman, Ben Vickers, Andrew Bollom, Nicholas O’Regan and Scott Parker in this high quality example of the traditional Italian theatrical form. Traditional Commedia Del Arte comes to Sydney, hilarity ensues !
Next up are two of the highlights of ACTT’s recent Imagine Festival at Cleveland Street Theatre, Haircut and Nothing to be done.
Written by Mike Giles and directed by Short+Sweet Actor’s Committee member Uma Kali Shakti, Haircut features two outstanding performers in Kristy Payne and Sheree Atkins in this revealing tale of a woman who goes into the hairdresser’s and is coaxed into shedding much more than her hair as she tells a surprising and poignant tale.
This is followed by brilliant young performer Gabriel McCarthy in his one man tour de force performance – Nothing to be Done. Another hit from the Imagine festival McCarthy plays Gabatwa, a man who can’t sleep, in this physical theatre homage to Beckett’s classic “Waiting for Godot”. In this absurd story, through no words, we witness Gabatwa’s traumatic yet hilarious existence. It’s like something you’ve never seen before !
The ACTT flavour continues in our next piece Pizza With Everything, written and directed by ACTT tutor Sean O’Riordan and performed by recent graduates Janelle Merry and Zara Jesdinsky. A hit from Hi, how can I help you ? during the recent Sydney Fringe Festival and presented by HELP! Productions this acerbic play is the surprising confrontation, of a woman whose pizza delivery brings much more than she ordered. Extras of a kind she had never considered!
The first act ends with a real highlight in USA writer Sheri Graubert’s darkly humorous The Summer Display, superbly brought to the stage by Short+Sweet regulars Felicity Burke and Duncan Armitage as an English couple with secrets buried in their garden. Humphrey (Armitage) thinks gardening an innocent past-time, but he has no idea what his wife, Prudence (Burke), is about to dig up.
The second act opener continues the high standard as secrets of a different kind are explored in Donna Cameron’s haunting and lyrical The Salt Maiden, presented by the Theatre of Now. Directed by Beverley Callow it is performed by an exceptionally strong ensemble cast of East-West 101’s Renee Lim, Damian Sommerlad and Sandra Campbell. Memory and myth merge in this poetic retelling of the ancient tale about the love of a mermaid by a ferryman.
Next up is one of the hits of the recent first ever Short+Sweet Delhi with acclaimed Indian-Australian actress Aishveryaa Nidhi reprising her role as Mrs Khanna, in this hilarious showdown between an elderly Indian lady arriving in Australia with her son and a no nonsense Australian Customs official. Written by Sydney playwright Neena Badhwar, and presented by the Abhinay School of Performing Arts the play emerged from the recent Short+Sweet-Abhinay playwrighting workshops. Directed by and starring Sydney Theatre Company director, Stefo Nantsou as the Customs Officer, it also stars Pranam Janney as the put-upon son and Shourya Nidhi as an unsuspecting passenger, with stunning atmospheric music by Kiran Pradhan.
This is followed by a piece that is sure to fire up the post show discussions – Gideon Payten-Griffith’s provocative and sure to be controversial solo performance piece, Too*sh**, which comes fresh from the stagejuice performance collective and Freshly Squeezed. Falling definitely in to the ‘What the f**k?’ category Payten-Griffiths challenges notions of sexuality and theatre in a highly stylized and visual physical theatre piece, with a very surprising finale. As Payten-Griffith says in his programme notes: “If I can’t see you then you can’t see me.” Or can you ?
Our second last show of the night is a real treat featuring three of the young stars in Short+Sweet’s acting stable – Alastair Buchanan, Aaron Nilan and Katy Avery – in the delightfully topical comedy New Year’s Eve, written by Nilan and directed by a distinguished older hand, Chris Lewis, who also doubles as Buchanan’s dad – in real life. Presented by Ha Ha Theatre, an improbable New Years Eve prank goes pearshaped and Patrick (Nilan) and Scott (Buchanan) find themselves far from the festivities, in huge trouble. Will Karly’s (Avery) arrival solve their problems? Featuring some excellent comic timing, strong characterizations and ingenious dialogue – this is one definitely not to be missed by those interested in the art of comedy.
Our final play of the night is another comedy, the delicious James Bond satire The Spy Who Loved Meals, presented by Paper Moose Productions. Written and directed by two talented young comedy makers Seaton Kay-Smith and Nick Hunter respectively it stars Hunter as Bond and Kay-Smith as his nemesis Dr Bleakhart. With hilarious turns from Jack Fairweather as the aptly named Gloria Wetpatch and Kate Jade Maudlin as the ever-frustrated Miss Money Penny.
Top 110 Week 1 at Newtown Theatre is a lively and diverse start to the tenth anniversary of Short+Sweet so get along to Newtown Theatre, at the corner of King and Bray Streets, Newtown South, this week and check it out.
The show opens tonight at 8.15pm and runs Wednesday to Saturday at 8.15pm and Sunday at 5.15pm. See you soon at Short+Sweet.
Article published in www.aussietheatre.com.au Tuesday, 04 January 2011 20:48
Hope lives on for aspiring actors
Written by Aussie Theatre News Network
Over the Christmas period, hundreds of aspiring stage actors and music theatre performers in Australia will be licking their wounds after being rejected by their preferred performing arts colleges. Over 1,500 students each year go through the NIDA auditioning process while Music Theatre lovers gravitate towards the popular degree course at WAAPA. The vast majotrity of these talented and hard-working applicants are rejected. Many decide to throw in the towel and resign themselves to amateur dramatics. What a crying shame this is for the rest of us! The good news is they can dust off the NIDA monologues and WAAPA songs they have been rehearsing for so long and re-use them for late round auditions in mid-tier colleges and boutique training institutions across the country, which offer equally-good alternatives for talented performers to pursue their dreams.
One of these specialised institutes is the Actors College of Theatre and Television (ACTT), which is holding ‘Late Round’ auditions for entry into their 2011 Advanced Diploma and BA Degree ‘Professional Actor’ program and their Certificate IV in Music Theatre, from 6 January to 13 January, beside Central Station in Sydney. If you thought mid-tier colleges like ACTT are not worth considering then you are in for a surprise. One look at the graduates shows they include Australia’s acting golden boy Firass Dirani (Underbelly:The Golden Mile, The Killer Elite), TV stars Matthew Holmes (Sea Patrol) and Socratis Otto (Wolverine, The matrix Reloaded) and up-and-coming stage performers Fayssal Bazzi, Chloe Schwank and Layla Estasy.
ACTT’s Professional Actor Program, immerses students in the same ‘Morris System’ of studio-based training as Jack Nicholson and Johnny Depp. Students attain an Advanced Diploma in three years, with an optional forth year for a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Stage and Screen Acting. The 1-year Certificate IV in Music Theatre trains students in Acting, Singing and Dancing (The Triple Threat) and is a foundation in music theatre for people who want to audition or go on to higher level training.
For anyone who has not prepared any audition pieces, ACTT also offers a 5-month Certificate III in Theatre and Screen Performance (also available part-time) as well as courses in Technical Production. So this Christmas don’t despair, you can still follow your dreams and keep reaching for the stars in 2011!
COLLEGE NEWS
Excerpt taken from ACTT E-News 16/12/2010
Chookas! Lex Marinos for landing the role of the father in the forthcoming ABC series ‘The Slap’ and will be appearing alongside Melissa George (Grey’s Anatomy, Alias, In Treatment), Sophie Okonedo (Hotel Rwanda, Dirty Pretty Things), Essie Davis (Australia, Girl With A Pearl Earring) and, in his first Australian role, Jonathan LaPaglia (NCIS, Bones, Brothers and Sisters).
Thanks to everyone who made it to the Christmas Party and stretched things well into the night. Everyone agreed it was the best ever! Maybe that’s because the snags weren’t burnt on the barbie? Or was it the relentless Christmas tunes we were listening to? Who knows?
Congratulations to the Advanced Diploma students for getting so many responses, offers from agents and work opportunities for the new year. We look forward to seeing you perform!
Well done to Music Theatre Cerrificate IV grad, Melanie Cornell for getting accepted into WAAPA BA Degree on the back of your dedicated work. We are sure you will go far.
Jacques Brel radio Interview: Eastside FM - Fri 19 Nov
For the second week in a row, ACTT is featured in Chris Horsey’s Friday morning arts magazine, in his popular ‘Fly On The Wall’ interview series. Listen to ACTT Music Theater Performers Jemma Burke and Angela Tinkler talk about ACTING, SINGING and DANCING and all things related to Jacques Brel and the pieces they are perfomrming (the words is out... they might even perform a live duet on-air).
Jacques is now regarded as one of the great singer-songwriters of all time, he helped define an era of anti-war protests, social conscience and plumbed the depths of love and death. His songs are tuneful, witty and often achingly beautiful.
Lord of the Flies Interview: Eastside FM - Fri 05 Nov
Based on William Golding’s classic novel, this is a disturbing tale of conflict and savagery. ‘Lord of the Flies’ begins with an airplane crash near a deserted island. The adults perish, yet some children survive and fashion a reasonably democratic government that soon collapses into total anarchy.
LORD OF THE FLIES explores what happens to a group of young people who are forced into a new world where they have to create their own society, structures, norms, standards and laws and how this leads to unexpected and disturbing experiences. Covering all things Arts, Christopher J. (for Jump) Horsey calls the news, reviews and interviews giving Sydney a leisurely ‘flick’ through his audio arts magazine.
Featuring his popular ‘Fly On The Wall’ interview series, Chris also chooses from his own music collection and mixes a selection of ‘Cyberjazz’ and ‘Coolscape’ and calls it ‘FriTunes’. This week Chris will interview ACTT Staff, John O’Hare and Fiona Malone about the ACTT Professional Actor performance of Lord of the Flies, which has received critical acclaim from Actors Agents and Industry insiders as an incredible graduating performance. Listen in to hear what really went on in rehearsals!
College News
Excerpt from ACTT E-News 23/10/2010
ACTT is proud to be a sponsor of Brand Spanking New: A Celebration of New Australian Playwriting, showing at the New Theatre, 27 Oct – 6 Nov. With Augusta Supple as Artistic Director, the line-up features scriptwriters Rebecca Clarke and Alison Rooke, (both ex-ACTT staff), while Salman Shad (2007 Grad) and Kailah Cabanas (2009 Grad) will perform in ‘The Reunion’ and ‘Band Practice’ respectively.
Meanwhile, ACTT Grad Firass Dirani has been nominated for the Out Of The Box IF Award at the Inside Film Awards – this is a people’s choice award, so we say vote for Firass here. ACTT Grad Fayssal Bazzi is performing in ‘The Pidgeons’ at Stable Theatre until 30 Oct. and ACTT Tutor Sean O’Riordan is Directing the 2nd Year performance ‘Man of Mode’, which will play from 10-13 Nov (more info on this in the next e-news).
ACTT Article in FilmInk Magazine – Sept. 2010 Edition
ACTT Screen Acting Tutor Michael Bates is featured in an article, written by Alexandra Roach for FilmInk. Michael teaches Screen Performance at ACTT as well as Directing, Screenwriting and Animation in other educational institutions.
Michael’s short film The Projectionist was awarded the ‘Grand Prix’ at the 2003 Tampere Film Festival, ‘Best Live-action short’ at the Nashville Film Festival and the ‘Silver Spike’ at the Valladolid film festival among others. His films have screened on ABC, Ten Network and Sundance Channel. Television works include The Gamilaroi Gallop (documentary) and Loose Oranges. He has been on the Selection Panel for the Sydney Film Festival since 2008. The article looks at what makes ACTT unique in Australia’s Performing Arts Training sector.
The article investigates the merits of ‘the ACTT System’ used in ACTT’s Certificate, Diploma and Advanced Diploma courses,particularly in the ‘Professional Actor Programme’ and includes some advice from Michael to people interested in Screen Acting as a career.
ACTT Press Release 26 August 2010
ACTT and the Imagine Festival are excited to introduce the wonderful Lex Marinos as Festival Director for 2010. Familiar to Australian audiences from his roles on classic TV series’ Kingswood Country, Embassy, and Live & Sweaty, Lex brings a wealth of experience to the Festival - awarded with an OAM in 1994 and the Centenary Medal in 2001 for services to the performing arts as an actor, director and writer- Lex was Director of Carnivale, NSW’s multicultural arts festival from 1996 -1999, Deputy Chair of the Australia Council, and a board member of the Multicultural Advisory Committee for SOCOG. Lex is currently Vice President of the Community Broadcasting Foundation. Lex is also passionate speaker on arts and cultural diversity.
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ACTT Article in Sydney Morning Herald 05 Aug 2010
Advanced Diploma student Imogen Carn is featured in an article, written by Keeli Cambourne for the Sydney Morning Herald, Trertiary Education Supplement 05 Aug 2010. The article looks at the merits of private tertiary education colleges. Imogen talks about why she was attracted to ACTT and when she enjoys about the Professional Actor Program. Find out more about the Professional Actor Programme at ACTT here. You can download the full SMH article below.
For more information call 02 9213 4500 or email info@actt.edu.au
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