Acting
The Acting focus begins in the third year of study in the department and is based on academic standing and auditions.
The program offers a concentrated education in acting, voice and movement which progresses in depth, detail and challenge over a period of three years. Classes meet several times a week and demand a great deal of commitment, self-discipline and practice, both within and outside of class time.
Acting
- The second year acting classes focus on scene work and character study, emphasizing Canadian plays.
- The third year concentrates on styles and special genre work with an emphasis on such playwrights as Ibsen, Chekhov, Shakespeare and Molière.
- The fourth year explores various aspects of self-development and self-created work, especially in voice and emphasizing acting.
Voice and movement
Voice and movement classes are meant to strengthen each actor's vocal and physical instrument by introducing incremental levels of expertise in such areas as breath control, tonal and consonant action, resonance and range, speaking Shakespeare, dialects, etc. as well as Alexander Technique, modern dance, neutral and character mask and acrobatics. Depending on available professional artists, the program is further augmented with various workshops in disciplines such as clown, stage combat or mime.
Fourth year projects
At the fourth year level, audition skills are honed in preparation for the transition into either the professional world of theatre or conservatory training. One semester is devoted to the development of acting skills for film and television. Artistic directors from Victoria and Vancouver participate in annual workshops to assist the graduation class.
By the end of the fourth year, with the instruction and guidance of some of Canada's best scholars, performance teachers and theatre professionals, performance students leave the department with an excellent basis upon which to build their professional and academic lives.