Classical Acting Institute NYC
Classical Acting Institute - NYC
Classical Acting Institute teaches actors how to improve their skills in performing dramatic texts. Our classes encourage performers at all levels of experience to develop their abilities in speaking, movement, and interpretation.
What is classical acting?
“Classical” comes from the same root as “classify,” that is, separating things into categories. Its use in literature comes from the 2nd century in the Noctes Atticae of the Roman author Aulus Gellius, who used the term to separate those authors he felt were better than others. Nowadays, the word “classical” or “classic” is used to describe things that are timeless and valuable, as in classic movies or classic cars. In the field of literature, the term has several meanings—it can refer to writings of the ancient Greeks and Romans, it can refer to any writing that is older and is considered exemplary, such as the works of Shakespeare, and it can refer to more recent works (sometimes called “modern classics”) which duplicate elements found in older works. At Classical Acting Institute, we embrace all definitions of the word. Many of the works we teach contain what is sometimes called “heightened language” (language not used in everyday discourse). This can include poetic devices, changes in word order, and the use of unfamiliar synonyms.
What is the benefit of studying classical acting?
We focus on extracting meaning out of texts, which is applicable to any acting situation, from ancient Greek drama to commercials. The ability to understand and perform complicated scripts, to clearly enunciate them, and to perform them convincingly provides you with skills that may be used for any type of theatre, film, television, or social media activity. We work on the most difficult works, so that everything else will seem easy by comparison.
What is the benefit of studying at Classical Acting Institute?
We are a non-credit institution, which means you will not receive grades. This means we do not insist that you do things a specific way; rather, you are encouraged to use what we teach to help devise your own approach to acting. Also, given the tremendous cost of pursuing graduate degrees in acting (which can easily run into the six figures), our board of directors has made providing instruction as inexpensively as possible. We do not offer degrees, but we do award certificates, so you have proof of your work with us. We also hold showcases where you can display your skills.
What is the anti-harassment policy at Classical Acting Institute?
At CTI, we do not permit any sort of abuse or harassment during instruction, rehearsal, or performance. We do this by asking consent before any activity that may contain sexual or violent actions or anything else that may cause discomfort. We explain activities before beginning them and give students the option of not doing anything that may cause distress. As there are no grades involved, students do not need to be concerned about any reprisals from instructors. Our anti-harassment policies must be agreed to by students before they participate in any activities.
What types of things will I learn at Classical Acting Institute?
We focus on correct vocal technique and will teach you how to warm up and project your voice, as well as how to correctly pronounce and enunciate the text. We will teach you how to analyze scripts and how to choose the best acting choices to interpret them. We also do movement activities, focusing on those relevant to classical texts. We also teach singing, working on the development of technique and skills. Further information will be found in the course descriptions. We also give advice as to how to pursue careers in the performing arts.
Who may take courses at Classical Acting Institute?
While most of our students are college graduates, our courses are open to others as well. E mail the office for placement advice.
Are there performing opportunities?
Through the Classical Theatre Initiative, performances of classical theatre—broadly defined—are presented throughout the year.