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START DATES FOR
NEW YORK CITY:
July 7, 2010 • September 8, 2010 • January 5, 2011 • July 6, 2011 • September 7, 2011
The New York Film Academy’s One-Year Musical Theatre Conservatory Program has been designed with the same focus and intensity of our world-renowned Acting for Film Program. Students interested in musical theatre are able to study the various aspects of musical theatre craft to hone and perfect their skills with a seasoned Broadway level faculty. The program is designed for individuals with singing and movement abilities who may or may not have prior experience on a musical theatre stage. The first semester lays the foundation for more advanced and complicated work in the second semester.
Musical theatre actors must be able to effectively interpret scripts and songs while also being well versed in a variety of dance styles. Additionally, they must be able to present themselves professionally in auditions. The following courses allow students to explore the integral skills required for success in this field, to understand professional ethics and to prepare themselves for the rigorous physical and emotional demands of a musical theatre career.
MUSICAL THEATRE CLASSES
SEMESTER ONE CLASSES• Acting Technique (Introduction)
• Ballet I
• Jazz & Theatre Dance I
• Music Theory & Sight Singing
• History of Musical Theatre
• Voice Studio Lab
• Song Interpretation
• Text Analysis
• Shakespeare
• Performance Lab & Showcase
• Private Voice Instruction
SEMESTER TWO CLASSES
• Acting Technique (Meisner I)
• Musical Theatre Scene Study
• Improvisation I
• Ballet II
• Jazz & Theatre Dance II
• Tap Dance I
• Technical Production
• Stage & Film Combat
• The Business of Acting
• Musical Theatre Audition Technique
• Viewpoints & Movement
• Private Voice Instruction
• Performance Lab & Industry Showcase
AUDITION REQUIREMENTS:
All musical theatre applicants must prepare a 2-minute monologue from a published contemporary American play or screenplay and two short contrasting musical theatre songs. When auditioning in person, please bring your own sheet music in the proper key. When choosing audition selections, it is important to choose material that is age and type appropriate. It is also important to read the entire play, screenplay or libretto prior to your audition. Applications should be completed online or turned in prior to your audition in order to schedule your audition appointment. An Admissions Representative will contact you shortly after your audition with an admissions decision. Applicants may also make an appointment for a specific audition time at our New York or Los Angeles campus.
If an "in-person" audition is not possible, applicants may submit an audition on DVD. Please make sure your name, the program name and start date for which you are applying is written on the DVD.
CLASS DESCRIPTIONS
Acting TECHNIQUE(Introduction)This class is an introduction to the various well-known acting techniques. Students explore the techniques of Master Acting Teachers such as Konstantin Stanislavski, Sanford Meisner, Lee Strasberg, Stella Adler, Michael Chekhov, Jerzy Grotowski, Anne Bogart and Tadashi Suzuki. Students are introduced to specific exercises for each Master and then progress to "Open Scenes" and monologues.
THEATRE DANCE (Ballet, Jazz, Tap)
Coursework begins with an overview of dance techniques employed in musical theatre performance with an emphasis on ballet, jazz, and tap dance fundamentals. Students apply the various techniques to choreography specifically for musical theatre with second semester emphasis on styles that include Fosse, Bennett, Robbins and more.
MUSIC THEORY & SIGHT SINGING
This course begins with an introduction to music fundamentals including note values, identification of cadences and basic phrase structures, scales, intervals, harmony, key, chords and reading proficiency.
HISTORY OF MUSICAL THEATRE
It took many years for the American musical theatre to acquire its own identity with the greatest revolution in the American musical theatre starting with Showboat and progressing through present day musicals such as Wicked. Students will learn about the evolution of the musical play and musical comedy as an institution, artistically and commercially.
VOICE STUDIO LAB & PRIVATE VOICE INSTRUCTION
Students work on healthy singing technique and learn the physiology of the voice. Fundamental practice includes breath support, diaphragmatic control, natural articulation, and relaxation of the neck, face and jaw with proper use of the body. Other topics include chest voice (belting), falsetto/head voice, and tone, among others.
Continue >>
SONG INTERPRETATION
Students apply the concepts being studied in all acting and vocal production classes to songs with an emphasis on text. It is designed to provide exposure to the script, score and character analysis necessary for successful song interpretation by the actor in musical theatre. Genres studied and presented include Operetta, Musical Comedy, Golden Age Musical Drama, Contemporary Pop Opera, Contemporary Musical Theatre, Rock Musicals and Pop/Rock.
PERFORMANCE LAB & SHOWCASE
This lab is designed to workshop musical scenes and songs for performance at the end of each semester. Scenes grow in complexity over the course of the program and require that students take on both independent or lead performances and ensemble roles.
TEXT ANALYSIS
Actors learn the structure and elements of story and dramatic action, and how to make acting choices based on dialogue, stage directions and given circumstances. Students move from analysis to practical application with scripted scene work.
SHAKESPEARE
Some people say that if you can play Shakespeare truthfully, you can play anything. Students learn how to speak, physicalize and bring strong sub textual insights to Shakespeare’s classical language, but with a modern approach that assimilates the actor’s personal experiences.
TECHNICAL PRODUCTION
Students are exposed to the various technical elements that are integral to a career in professional theatre including, but not limited to makeup techniques/design, costume appreciation, wardrobe, hair/wigs, sound technology basics (microphones), and more. Students will learn stage hierachy, material safety and elements of scenic design.
IMPROVISATION I
The ability to improvise can never be underestimated when it comes to acting, especially when there is usually very little rehearsal. Whether in comedy or drama, actors improvise well when they are fully engaged, listening to their partners, and releasing their inhibitions about failing. Through games and exercises, students learn how to let their imaginations run wild, how to play well with others, and how to live "in the moment"—free from anticipating or planning what to do next.
Acting technique (MEISNER I)
Sanford Meisner’s teachings had a seminal impact on the acting craft. Students deeply immerse themselves in the Meisner Technique, which enables them to discover their voice of intuition and to inhabit a role spontaneously, from moment to moment as well as to build a character arc that is both specific and inspired by the actor’s own responses.
MUSICAL THEATRE SCENE STUDY
Students apply techniques they have mastered in the first semester Acting Technique and Song Interpretation classes to break down musical theatre "scene-into-song" sequences into moments of emotional transition or "beats." Students then assign specific psychological actions, physical actions, objectives and tactics to each beat. The coursework begins with non-musical scenes from classic American plays and progresses to extended libretto sequences from some of Broadway’s greatest musicals.
STAGE & FILM COMBAT
More and more shows and films today require physical action and choreographed violence. In this course, actors learn the fundamentals of stunt work, fight choreography and the safe use of prop weapons for stage and screen. Elements of various martial arts are employed to create convincing fight sequences that keep the actor safe from injury.
THE BUSINESS OF ACTING
Acting is as much of a business as it is a craft. In addition to training, successful actors must develop strong marketing skills in order to build a career. These classes focus on such topics as feeling comfortable with cold readings, preparing a resume, choosing a headshot photographer and developing a career strategy. Additionally, actors have the opportunity to get live auditioning experience both in class and during an open casting call with directors from the NYFA Filmmaking program.
MUSICAL THEATRE AUDITION TECHNIQUE
This course prepares students with techniques and best practices for professional level musical theatre auditions. Working with Broadway professionals, students learn how to build their audition books, enter every audition room with creative freedom, and how to create powerful casting experiences. Additional topics include side preparation, clothing, hair, makeup and more.
VIEWPOINTS & MOVEMENT
In this course, students begin to experiment with different ways of becoming physically "present" in their work. Viewpoints is a technique of improvisation that provides a vocabulary for thinking about and acting upon movement and gesture. Originally developed by choreographer Mary Overlie, The Viewpoints theory was adapted for stage acting by directors Anne Bogart and Tina Landau defining specific elements such as tempo, duration, kinesthetic response, repetition, shape, gesture, architecture, spatial relationship, and topography.
CURRICULUM IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
QUICK FACTS:
Start Dates: For New York City:
Jul 7, 2010 , Sep 8, 2010 , Jan 5, 2011 , Jul 6, 2011 , Sep 7, 2011
Program Requirements: High School Diploma, GED
tuition: $15,000* (USD)/Semester
€10,475 (EURO)/Semester
You Graduate With: Diploma/Certificate, DVD Film Reel
*As of January 5, 2010, tuition for this program will be $15,000 per semester. All applications received on January 5, or later, will be processed with the new tuition fee. Any applications submitted WITH A DEPOSIT on January 4, or before, will be processed at the 2009 tuition of $13,375.
Jul 7, 2010 , Sep 8, 2010 , Jan 5, 2011 , Jul 6, 2011 , Sep 7, 2011
Program Requirements: High School Diploma, GED
tuition: $15,000* (USD)/Semester
€10,475 (EURO)/Semester
You Graduate With: Diploma/Certificate, DVD Film Reel
*As of January 5, 2010, tuition for this program will be $15,000 per semester. All applications received on January 5, or later, will be processed with the new tuition fee. Any applications submitted WITH A DEPOSIT on January 4, or before, will be processed at the 2009 tuition of $13,375.
