Fulton Revamps Academy With New Certificate Program

"We're very excited about the changes in the Academy program this year," comments Barry Kornhauser, Director of Theatre for Young Audiences at the Fulton. "For a long time we've been working to institute a progressive core curriculum for school aged students. Now participants can enjoy any individual course or they can choose to complete, at their own personal pace, a certificate program comprised of courses emphasizing a variety of theatrical skill concentrations. With the best theatre arts faculty in the region, the Academy's theatre arts training provides students with tools necessary to become better arts patrons and/or practioners, but also to think critically and creatively, work collaboratively, communicate effectively, and become self-confident active members of the community. Our courses help channel energies into constructive paths and offer unique ways to learn about self, others, and the world."

A Fulton Academy of Theatre Certificate can be earned by completing nine Core Curriculum courses at their own pace. These courses are intended for children and teens in 1st through 12th Grade. The subjects offered are acting, movement, voice and specialties in the areas of design, production, etc. Tuition for Core Curriculum courses is: $100 for one class, $75 for each additional class, or $250 for all three classes. For specific times, visit the Fulton website at www.thefulton.org. These classes will be offered on Saturday mornings from 9AM to 12PM.

Classes for pre-school and kindergarten students as well as adults are now called Enrichment Courses. These courses are offered for personal enrichment to broaden one's knowledge of theatre arts and performance skills.

Core Curriculum classes for Grades 1 – 12

Story in Theatre (Teaching Artist: Charlie DelMarcelle) In theatre, a good story can be the fuel for a great performance. Using age-appropriate stories from the canon of world literature, students will explore techniques of stage acting: pursuing objectives, overcoming obstacles, creating characters and scenes, and working as an ensemble. Grade 1-3 students will visit familiar Folk & Fairy tales; Grade 4-6 students will tackle exciting Myths & Legends; and middle and high school students will build their work on Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize winning novel To Kill A Mockingbird.

Movement for Drama (Teaching Artists: Brian Martin & Sarah Primak) When used well, the actor's body speaks as strongly as any of his or her dialogue. Through an exploration of subtle to bold movements, of isolations and the use of the full body in motion and stillness, students in this class will exercise their inherent physicality to learn the ways the body can work on stage to enrich a role. Plays are meant to be seen, not just heard. And for the actor it is often a commanding use of the body–from nose right down to toes–that makes this so. Students here will come to better utilize their bodies as powerful vehicles for creating character and telling story.

Singing on Stage (Teaching Artist: StephanieJo Wise with Michael P. Hamilton) This innovative course for both singers and non-singers is designed to teach vocal techniques that are crucial to the actor. Students will practice tried and true exercises promoting clear, strong, resonant voices needed for the stage, and they will be introduced to multiple styles of vocal training and performance. The course will help them develop volume, articulation, and range, as well as confidence in their voices. By bolstering their stage presence, Singing On Stage provides an opportunity for young people to truly find their voice.

Enrichment Course for Pre-K and Kindergarteners

Neighborhood Bridges (Teaching Artist: Michelle Fogel) Neighborhood Bridges is a critical literacy program endorsed by the federal Department of Education. It's a combination of storytelling and creative dramatics that empowers and animates children to become the storytellers in their own lives. The Fulton is one of the only 12 sites across the nation trained and approved to offer this fun and exciting program, and the only site to tailor it especially for pre-school and kindergarten participants.

Neighborhood Bridges will be held Monday afternoons from 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. at the Lancaster Jewish Community Center. This class is for pre-school and kindergarten students. Tuition for this class is $75.

Enrichment Courses for Adults

Musical Theatre Workshop (Teaching Artist: Randall Frizado with Michael P. Hamilton)
As the Fulton's season opening production of West Side Story attests, the musical is one of America's great gifts to the stage. One of the region's favorite musical theatre performers teaches this course on the genre with a focus on the Stanislavsky Method and the notion that "singing is acting on pitch." All levels of experience are welcomed and every participant will be given an opportunity to perform in class, and have plenty of fun along the way. (Please come to the first class with something to sing. An accompanist will be present at every session.)

Motion & Emotion (Teaching Artist: Adele Ulrich) Viewpoints is the exciting post-modern acting technique pioneered by world-renown director Ann Bogart and based on the work of choreographer Mary Overlie. Viewpoints and the other movement-based work in this course will enable participants to grow more aware of their bodies and their surroundings. It is devised to help actors and would-be actors convey emotions and experience more deeply and powerfully on stage, and to improve their creativity and collaborative abilities, essentials for performance. (Dress to move.)

Reader's Theatre (Teaching Artist: Laura Howell) Reader's Theatre is not just about reading words off a page. It's about mining the language – learning to express the dramatic nuances of text while using the musicality of the words to create a theatrical as well as emotional landscape. It involves an in-depth exploration of the text to discover and build character, relationship, motivation and conflict. Participants will work with different genres including poetry, novels, plays and children's stories. A variety of staging methods will be explored while sharing wonderful literature. (A performance will be held during the last Monday night class)

Adult classes will be held at the Fulton Theatre on Monday nights from 7 – 9 p.m. Tuition for each adult class is $100. -- www.atthefulton.org