Acting I with Richard Hamburger.  (THEA 02A, M 4:15-6:15pM and 7:15-9:15PM, Kohlberg 115) Open to all students without audition or prerequisite. Six hours per week. Fulfills a general requirement for all theater majors and minors. 1 Credit.

This course is designed as a practical introduction to some of the principles, techniques, and tools of acting. This class is a prerequisite for auditioning for Production Ensemble (THEA 022) in Spring 2013.  Production Ensemble is the Department of Theater’s annual faculty-staff show on the LPAC Main Stage, and will be directed by Richard Hamburger next year.  Production Ensemble also fulfills a general requirement for all Theater majors and minors, and may be repeated for credit.

Richard Hamburger was the Artistic Director of the Dallas Theater Center from 1992-2007, where he also directed dozens of productions of every sort, including Shakespeare, modern classics, and a wide of American plays, including the world premieres of several new plays.  He has directed extensively at theaters around the country, including Portland Stage Company, Great Lakes Theater Festival (Cleveland), the Wilma Theatre (Philadelphia), the Pasadena Playhouse, Center Stage (Baltimore), the Pittsburgh Public Theatre, the California Shakespeare Festival, and the Williamstown Festival.  In New York City, he has directed at American Place Theatre, South Street Theater, and The Acting Company.  He has also served as a resident director at the Juilliard Theater Center in New York City, among other work in major drama schools around the country.  He also has extensive experience as a professional actor in New York and in regional theaters.

Acting II with Elizabeth Webster Duke ’96. (THEA 012, W 1-4P and 4:15-6:15PM, SciLab26) Prerequisite: Acting I (THEA 002A) or consent of instructor.  1 credit.

In this course students will explore and develop the skills necessary to perform Shakespeare with specificity and confidence. In addition to vocal and physical exercises intended to strengthen and free the actor’s body and voice, students will delve into Shakespearean scene study.  The course provides a strong foundation in basic acting technique that can be applied to multiple dramatic genres.  In addition students will explore Shakespearean scenes using rigorous textual analysis, learning to use the clues in Shakespeare’s text to make smart, useful acting choices.  While working on scenes from Shakespeare’s plays, students will learn how to rehearse, how to develop a character and how to increase their vocal, physical and emotional flexibility. 5 hours per week.

Elizabeth Webster Duke ‘96 is a member of the resident acting company at The Peoples Light and Theatre Company where she has performed in over forty productions. In the Philadelphia area she has also performed with The Wilma Theatre, The Walnut Street Theatre, InterAct Theatre Company, The Eureka Theatre, Play Penn’s New Play Festival and The Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival.  In Washington DC, she has performed with Ford’s Theatre, The Bay Theatre, Taffety Punk Theatre Company in their critically acclaimed all-female production of Romeo and Juliet, and The Kennedy Center.   She is a finalist for the F. Otto Haas Emerging Theatre Artist Award, and holds an MFA in Classical Acting from the Academy for Classical Acting at The Shakespeare Theatre.  In addition to leading Shakespearean Text workshops at The George Washington University and in schools throughout The Washington DC area, she has also partnered with The National Opera and The Philadelphia Museum of Art in their professional development initiatives towards arts integration in the classroom.  She has taught at Temple University, The George Washington University, and Swarthmore College.   She graduated from Swarthmore with distinction in Theater and English Literature.