Professional, process-driven classes for young and adult actors, serving the Chicago suburbs and North Shore.
Blog Posts: ATC Classes
Shakespeare Outreach Photo and videos!
ATC Instructor April-Dawn Gladu recently taught an Intro to Shakespeare outreach program at Windsor and Greenview Middle schools in Arlington Heights.
Check out videos and photos of the program online here!
http://kownickodyssey.blogspot.com/2013/02/shakespeare-workshop-field-trip.html
And msg. us if you're interested in an outreach program at your school or community!
Categories: ATC Classes, Blog
Front Cover of The Beacon!
Grab this week's Wilmette Beacon! We're on the front cover!
WJH students show off quick thinking
Improv lessons teach eighth-graders to think on the spot
At 13 years old, you hear the word "no" a lot.
Eighth-graders at Wilmette Junior High, however, are learning to say and respond to not only "yes" but, "yes and?"
In eight improv classes, funded by a District 39 Educational Foundation and an Illinois Arts Council grant, The Wilmette Theatre's Actors Training Center paired up with WJH drama teacher Dinah Barthelmess to teach three eighth-grade acting classes the art of improvisational acting in a program called "Say Yes to Improv."
Improv is built upon the idea that actors say yes to whatever their partner throws at them in order build a scene.
"We've learned to work with each other and to say, 'yes and' to scenes and build relationships between people," Gabe Isaacson, 13, said.
At the end of the three-week period, the students gave an "in-formance," or an informative performance, during their regular class periods Friday, March 15, to parents and select art classes.
The audience watched as the 30 students played improv games they've learned, while ATC Associate Director Philip Markle coached the students off stage.
"I think they did super. I think they really stepped it up," Barthelmess said.
After both the actors and the audience warmed up and got a shot of adrenaline, the students went right into their games.
A small group of students would play each game, while the other actors sat and watched on stage. The students had nothing prepared ahead of time, so much so that Markle took suggestions from the audience, threw the idea into the scene and the students would have to go with it.
"I think it went really well," Yvonne Ajwa, 13, said. "We've all progressed as actors since the first time we all met."
Markle echoed this idea of growth, stating that although many of the students were hesitant at the start of the class series, just by doing the performance on March 13 showed they were willing to take risks with and in front of their peers.
"[The instructors] just really helped us getting our energy up and made us comfortable with the idea of improv," Ajwa said.
Barthelmess emphasized that learning to do improv teaches the students skills such as risk taking, empathy, persistence and communication, which are essential throughout life.
"We know that we are preparing our kids for jobs and success in an ever-changing world," Barthelmess said.
Markle is especially excited to teach to 13-year-olds because it's a time in their life when they are grappling with the "cool factor," and deciding to take risks.
"Eighth grade is that crucial time when you can change a person's life," Markle said.
"Once they hit high school it's sort of set in."
The students impressed Markle, who described them as smart and tough questioners.
"I was blown away by their maturity and understanding of concepts," Markle said.
And although in improv the foundation is to say yes to everything, Markle had to make sure the students kept their material appropriate for a school setting.
Markle explained that getting laughs shouldn't be done cheaply, and that the students are responsible for the audience and having them watch a funny, yet creative scene.
"By talking to the kids intelligently, like adults, they step up to the plate," Markle said.
At the end of the in-formance the students gave examples to the audience of what they learned such as confidence, silliness and there's nothing wrong with making mistakes.
Categories: ATC Classes, Blog
We're in the Tribune!
We're in The Chicago Tribune!
ATC Instructors Philip Markle and Tim Soszko worked with these students at Wilmette Junior High School and their drama teacher Dinah Barthelmeess who brought us in to teach 8-classes of Improv!
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-03-18/news/ct-tl-ns-0321-wilmette-improv-20130319_1_improv-dead-monkey-life-lessons
Check out the article and email philip@actorstrainingcenter.com if you're interested in bringing ATC to your school!
Categories: ATC Classes, Blog
Article about ATC Teaching Improv Outreach!
ATC is proud to be teaching Improv with Ms. Barthelmess' eigth grade acting classes at Wilmette Junior High School through the District 39 Educational Foundation's Gripp Grant!
Categories: ATC Classes, Blog
Tell us what you think!
Categories: ATC Classes, Blog
Comedy Troup Interview from Chicago SKETCHFEST!
AMAZING interview just published today from The Chicago Sketchfest (the largest Sketch Festival in the world):
The ATC Teen Comedy Troupe interviewed at Sketchfest by Steve Tobiasz. Listen to 10 minute interview by clicking here!
Go ATC Comedy Troupe!
PS: Stay tuned for news on their upcoming shows at The Annoyance Theatre and at the Wilmett Theater in Spring! They're "in process" writing it right now...shh, it's still a secret.
Categories: ATC Classes, ATC Students, Blog, Performances
ATC Comedy Troupe at Chicago Sketchfest!
Last Saturday, The ATC Teen Comedy Troupe rocked a full-house at The 2013 Chicago Sketch Festival! These talented comedians, under the direction of ATC Instructor Tim Soszko, performed 5 original sketches and three improvised pieces throughout the hilarious show.
Comedy Troupe member Matthew Wronski wrote this blog post about the experience:
It was truly an incredible experience getting to perform at sketchfest. The idea that the troupe and I were performing on the same stage as over a hundred other professional groups made me so proud after our performance. It was so great to be in an environment with so many other groups and people that came to laugh, and we were one of the groups that made them laugh! It was awesome to get up on the stage and make so many other people entertained, on the same stage that many other professional groups also performed on! I will never forget the amazing experience with the troupe at sketchfest.
These guys are going into "process" this Winter to create a fully-fledged show which will tour CPS school programs in the Spring, as well as perform on the Annoyance Theater stage and at the Wilmette Theatre!
Stay tuned!
Categories: ATC Classes, ATC Students, Blog, Performances
Fan Mail!
Fan mail this morning from an ATC Rep Student in our musical theater shows !
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Hi Janet,
The past two shows for me have been incredible learning experiences and I wanted to tell you how much I feel I have grown since the beginning of Peter Pan. I felt like such an underdog, it being my first year in Rep, but I have truly found a home for myself at act and I have to thank you for inspiring so much growth in me.
Categories: ATC Classes, ATC Students, Blog, Performances
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