GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CHARACTER WORKSHOP
Take a deeper dive into character development in this one-day intensive designed for actors of all experience levels. Using hands-on exercises, movement, voice, and collaborative discussion, participants will leave with new tools for bringing any character to life.
About the Workshop
Getting to Know Your Character (and Yourself) is a one day intensive led by Instructor, Emily Evey where participants gain hands-on experience analyzing a character by comparing and contrasting their character to what they know most: themself. Using writing exercises, movement improv, breath, voice, and mindfulness techniques, and theatre games, students will get inside the mind and body of a character of their choice. Please note character choice is on a first come, first serve character basis. In between exercises, students will have opportunities to share their insights and reflect with their peers and the teaching artist. By the end of the intensive, each student will have a repertoire of exercises they can apply to better understand any character throughout their acting career, experience with peer-led analysis and critique, and increased movement, breath, and analysis skills.
Youth Workshop
Ages 13 - 17
Saturday, Aug. 22 | 10 a.m.
Adult Workshop
Ages 18+
Saturday, Aug. 29 | 10 a.m.
$60 per student
Includes journal, worksheets and take home resources
Each session will range from 5 - 6 hours depending on final class size.
Class Description
Class will consist of movement improv and writing exercises that allow students to compare and contrast their own body and experience with a character during the intensive.
Students may select a dream theatre role (with a one page monologue or two to three pages of heavy dialogue) or will be assigned a role based on character archetype selection at registration.
To get the best experience from their intensive, students are encouraged to read or watch the show their character is in at least one time (if not more) before the intensive. The more the student is an expert in their show and character selection, the easier the student can compare and contrast their own experience from their character's.
By the end of the intensive, each student will have a repertoire of exercises they can apply to better understand any character throughout their acting career, experience with peer-led analysis and critique, and increased movement, breath, and analysis skills.
What to Bring & Expect
Students should come prepared knowing their character well enough they can compare the character to themself.
Please wear movement clothes (ex. comfortable clothes for yoga, meditation, dance and movement improv – yoga pants, sweat pants, comfortable shirt).
Students are highly encouraged to bring:
A yoga mat or blanket to use on the floor during class
A water bottle
Small snacks
About Your Instructor
Emily Evey is a multiplidisplinary artist and Blair County native. Emily's love of theatre started as a child watching golden age musicals with her Mema and culminated in her receiving her self-designed Bachelors of Arts in Theatre, Communication and Social Justice from Juniata College. Emily's degree is interdisciplinary combining courses in theatre, social work, communication, and peace and conflict studies.
Post-degree, Emily has had experience in theatre with adjudicated youth, incarcerated women, and educational theatre. In the past decade, Emily has been actively involved as an actor, a director, and in multiple technical roles in local community theatre at Altoona Community Theatre, Things Unseen Theatre Company, and Cresson Lake Playhouse.
Emily's training in voice, movement, and acting along with her passion for human services allow her to tailor her programming to best serve her students. Emily aspires to give actors of all ages principles and tools that they can apply to any role throughout their theatre career.