This class is designed for early career actors who want to gain a useful understanding of how the acting industry actually works to further their careers. Many early career actors don’t necessarily know what this profession really entails until they are deep into it. Yet art and capital intersect heavily in what we do, and having a better understanding of how things work is essential to gaining a platform. This class is part-acting practice, part-discussion. Based in camera work, you are first invited to navigate the acting part of the work, and from that, open yourself up to a wider discussion of the business aspect of the work. How does employment (or casting) intersect with acting? How can we build actionable goals? How do we navigate work/life balance in a volatile landscape? What is required of us to function at that critical intersection of commerce and art? Are there helpful paradigms that we can individualize? How can we stay away from one-size-fits all advice, quick fixes, and scams?

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• Prerequisite: Open to all

This 5-week workshop is for actors who have some prior experience with Shakespeare but are seeking an introduction to and exploration of Shakespeare's Way With Words. Shakespeare the actor knows how to write for actors-- his characters say what they are thinking and feeling at the very moment they are thinking and feeling it. Shakespeare holds the mirror up to Nature, then and now. Through Shakespeare's monologues and scenes, you'll learn how to liberate the poetry and feeling in yourself by hearing the verse as Shakespeare heard it when writing it: "in character."

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• Prerequisite: Open to all levels, but prior acting training or experience with Shakespeare is required.

Singing Voice 2 is for you if you have some foundation in singing technique, having developed a connection of the voice to the breath, a practiced and heightened listening ability, a sense of phrasing and an ability to practice on your own. Class work will continue to develop singing technique and musicianship, with exercises to support the development of vocal control, flexibility and range. You will be asked to treat the song lyric as text not unlike that of a script, toward the goal of memorized presentation and interpretation of the song. (Accompanist provided.)

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• Registration Prerequisite: Open to Singing Level 2 and up. New to HB? Audition or submit online for level placement.

For actors who want to improve their acting skills through improvisation, this class amplifies the technique work in Level 1 and supports the work with scenes in Levels 2 and 3. The first session will be dedicated to the choices you need to make to structure a viable improvisation, with emphasis placed on circumstances, relationships, tension, and subtext. In the following sessions, you will improvise scenes and explore improvisation through games and exercises. There is no work outside of class. Through this inventive process, you develop immediacy, creativity and partnering skills, and hone your instincts for making productive dramatic choices. Actors of all levels are welcome.

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• Prerequisite: Open to All

This class is for actors who have begun to establish reliable technique and amass a serious résumé. We will continue to hone technique through exercises and we will concern ourselves with the power of rhythm, of silence, of synchronicity, and the random wellsprings that open when the actor is 100% present in the moment. You will receive a link to register for this class upon acceptance of your application. 

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• Registration Prerequisite: Application required. Apply online.

This Level 1 acting class provides an introduction to the technique of working truthfully in front of the camera. Students will explore the fundamental elements of a grounded technique as they practice the craft of acting while the camera rolls. Students will develop their listening skills as they challenge themselves to become more spontaneous, present and specific in their explorations of character. Actors will use exercises and text from tv/film/theater to stretch themselves outside of their comfort zones in a safe, nurturing and fun environment. Actors in this class will learn preparation and memorization techniques, and be asked to learn through collaboration with their classmates. Actors will receive video files of the on-camera footage from the scenes they bring into class. This class is open to all levels and will be tailored to each individual's ability as they work in front of the camera. You will receive video files of your on-camera footage at no extra charge, included within the cost of the class.

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• Prerequisite: Open to All.

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.

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• Prerequisite: Open to all

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.

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• Prerequisite: Open to all levels, but prior acting training or experience is required.