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Specialized Workshops
Acting in Accent: British RP & Cockney
with Theresa McElwee
This 5-session workshop focuses on some of the most commonly used dialects in the actor’s toolbox, British Received Pronunciation (“Standard British”) and Cockney. In this workshop, you will explore the signature sounds and intonation patterns of these two accents. Topics explored include research and rehearsal techniques, finding freedom and flexibility, and the challenge of accessing emotional life while speaking in an unfamiliar way. All actors will work on a monologue of their choosing, as well as very short scenes. Texts will be drawn from the works of playwrights including Oscar Wilde, Joe Orton, Nick Payne and Kwame Kwei-Armah. Essential for every actor, skills underlying British accents can be applied to characters and plays from around the world, reaching far beyond the UK. Due to the expanse of the colonial British empire, Standard British exerted large influence on African, Middle Eastern and Southeast Asian accents. Therefore, even today, non-native speakers of English are exposed to and learn English not with an American accent, but with a Standard British accent — meaning, a solid foundation in Standard British will equip you with skills for performing dialects from many cultures and nationalities across the globe.
- Learn more about the instructor.
- Registration Prerequisite: Open to all.
Breakthrough Lab
with Snezhana Chernova
For artists who are interested in developing their own projects, this is an independent class working solo or with a partner on an independent study project that you devise, under the guidance of HB faculty, Snezhana Chernova. Examples of projects include: Writing a screenplay/play, doing a live stream performance series, monologues or scenes, creating a TV pilot, writing music, shooting a documentary or short/feature film, writing poetry etc. You must submit an application at this link for review and approval prior to registering. Within the application you will be asked to include a work-plan, proposed outcome, and the estimated number of hours required to complete the project. Creative projects might be shared in public presentations at the end of the term and/or on HB Studio’s social media channels. Undertaking this Lab requires a commitment to the tech and performance schedule at the end of term, check-ins with the instructor, and weekly 2.5 hour group meetings to report objectives, progress, trouble shoot, present projects, and exchange ideas.
- Learn more about the instructor.
- Performance schedule:
- Tech rehearsal: Sat, 3-7PM, November 21, 2026.
- Performance: Sun, 3-5:30PM, November 22, 2026
- Prerequisite: Application required. Apply online.
Scene Study: Conflict in Action
with Christian Kelly-Sordelet
This class offers actors the opportunity to use the full range of their craft while exploring how scenes of conflict are shaped through both dialogue and physical action. We will break down and rehearse scenes that require physical engagement with a partner, including fight choreography, staged intimacy, or moments of heightened physical tension, always in service of character, objective, and story. You will receive professional guidance and coaching in how to build complex physical and emotional scenes in a way that is clear, responsible, and repeatable. Emphasis is placed on communication, consent, and sustainable practices that protect both the actor and their partner physically and emotionally, while meeting the demands of professional rehearsal and performance. The goal of the class is for you to leave with a fluid, practical understanding of how to navigate challenging material involving physical conflict or intimacy. You will develop the ability to make specific, empowered choices and to clearly articulate and maintain agency and boundaries throughout the rehearsal and performance process. You will be offered a range of scenes to choose from, including Shakespeare, as well as classical and contemporary material from Broadway, film, and television. You are also encouraged to bring in scenes you would like to explore, including original work.
- Learn more about the instructor.
- Registration Prerequisite: Open to all.
Talk To Me: Monologues
with Richard Hoehler
A five-session monologue workshop for actors led by Richard Hoehler. His extensive experience creating, performing, and coaching monologues centers on an effective method of breaking through defenses to mine an actor’s unique qualities, and meld those with the character. In this workshop, you will learn and rehearse monologues that are ready for professional auditions as well as MFA auditions. FRONT ROW CENTER wrote of Hoehler’s monologue work: “There is nothing limited about it, not its timeliness, not the depth to which it touches us.”
- Learn more about the instructor.
- Prerequisite: Open to all.
The Body Speaks
with Demetrius Blocker
Unlock your most powerful storytelling tool — your body. In this immersive 5‑week course for actors, you’ll dive into movement, spatial awareness, and the art of silent performance to transform the way you communicate onstage. Build magnetic physical presence, sharpen emotional clarity, and learn to command attention without saying a word. You’ll train as part of a dynamic ensemble, strengthen your nonverbal storytelling instincts, and finish with a polished silent showcase that highlights your expressive range and embodied craft.
- Learn more about the instructor
- Prerequisite: Open to all levels.
Being on Camera 2
with Amelia Campbell
Jumping into the fray: A five-week immersion into the creative realities of on-screen acting. If you are new to on-camera work the process can be quite daunting; if you are a theater actor, what you’ve experienced in rehearsal rooms and on stage won’t prepare you for the unique challenges ahead. Even if you’ve worked in front of the camera before, there's the question of how to maximize your limited time with material. From your audition moment to the rehearsal process to the shoot itself, we’ll actually go through these experiences. We’ll explore crucial on-cam techniques and cover all the fundamentals that go into realizing a filmed scene. Geared toward actors with some prior experience, Being On Camera is designed to refine your on-screen skills in a supportive and exciting environment. Created and led by two acclaimed actors each with 30 plus years of work on stage and on both sides of the camera.
- Learn more about the instructors: Amelia Campbell & Anthony Arkin
- Prerequisite: Previous experience acting on-camera is required, such as prior enrollment in Being on Camera 1, Acting with the Camera 1, or equivalent.
The Actor's Audition Clinic
with Hadi Tabbal
This class is designed for aspiring, early career and professional actors looking to hone audition technique for theater, film, and TV. Topics covered will include cold readings, working with sides, selecting and perfecting monologues, taking direction in the audition room, and how to put your best foot forward and nail the role.
- Learn more about the instructor.
- Prerequisite: Open to all
Shakespeare Basics
with Daniel Pearce
In this workshop, we will explore the fundamental tools and concepts necessary for rehearsing and performing a Shakespeare play. We will begin with two assumptions. First, even if you don’t realize it, you already have everything you need to perform Shakespeare. And second, the best way to understand Shakespeare’s work is to engage with the text actively. His work is meant to be spoken out loud, shared, and performed. His language cries out to exist in the here and now, and an actor’s job is to bring these words out into this moment and time. We will explore a series of speeches and scenes as a group, utilizing the tools that allow an actor to unlock the text and take ownership over the language. Each actor will also be invited to bring in a speech of their own to work on individually in front of the group. Finally, we will spend some time exploring how these tools can be applied to any text, classical or contemporary. By the end of this workshop you will have gained practical experience working on heightened language, a basic understanding of an actor’s main tools for rehearsing Shakespeare’s plays, including use of iambic pentameter, scansion, melody, rhythm, antithesis, pitch, and operative words, and begun the foundational work on a new classical monologue to add to your repertoire. An exciting speech coming from a place of personal truth. For the First Day of Class: Bring a speech that you want to work on from any Shakespeare play. Please be sure to read the full play.
- Learn more about the instructor.
- Prerequisite: Open to all levels, but prior acting training or experience is required.