Baruch College Continuing and Professional Studies announces the Performing Arts Certificate Program

All aspiring actors, writers and producers are welcome to an Open House Tuesday, April 1, 6:00PM - 8:00PM. Participants will receive a $25 registration discount for attending. 55 Lexington Avenue at 24th Street, 14th floor, Room 14-285

Baruch College Continuing and Professional Studies announces the Performing
Arts Certificate Program as a new addition to its curriculum this Spring
2003. All aspiring actors, writers and producers are welcome to an Open
House Tuesday, April 1, 6:00PM - 8:00PM. Participants will receive a $25
registration discount for attending.

55 Lexington Avenue at 24th Street, 14th floor, Room 14-285

We are sending this as an early notice of a new Performing Arts Certificate Program we're unveiling this Spring through Baruch College Continuing & Professional Studies. If you are interested, please read the information below and forward it to anyone you know who might be interested in the program.

While the Program will not officially begin until the Fall 2003, we will be offering a select group of classes beginning this Spring. The Performing Arts Program has two major purposes: ONE, to encourage the non-actor into enriching his/her already established career choice, paving the way for those who have always wanted to be in the performing arts as a writer/producer/performer, and TWO, to provide technique workshops, networking and advancement resources for performing artists already established in the field; essentially a great way for actors/writers/producers to stay in shape and stay focused in their field.

New Yorkers notoriously have a love for the theatre and performing arts. The Baruch Performing Arts Program gives them the opportunity to explore this love and learn the business, from the playwright's page to the actor's stage. This Program will give the individual an opportunity to dive in and be immersed into one of the most creative educational experiences imaginable. We are committed to creating a program that maintains strong focus on artistic integrity and entrepreneurial savvy.

The Program will provide in-depth production classes at Baruch's Theatres. As several of the courses offered in our program culminate in live performances, informal readings/viewings and bi-annual student and faculty presentations, students will be given hands on training in lighting design, board operating (lights and sound), house managing and stage managing.

A performer/producer who has completed the Baruch Performing Arts Program will be well-rounded in movement, acting, voice and specific disciplines depending on their chosen emphasis, such as directing, playwriting, producing one's own work, creative arts therapy, teaching and performing. A non-performer/producer who has completed the Program will be better qualified to obtain a job in the performing arts/entertainment field, such as advertising, design, real estate, photography and hundreds of other fields.

The Artists/Teachers making up the Baruch CAPS Performing Arts faculty are the most experienced, talented and dedicated pool of teachers in the New York area. *Note that students may enroll in the certificate program or attend classes on a course by course basis.

Please Contact:
Phone: 212/802-5600
E-mail: caps@baruch.cuny.edu
Baruch Website: http://cstudies.baruch.cuny.edu/
Funny... Sheesh Website: http://funnysheesh.tripod.com/home/id23.html, http://www.funnysheesh.com
Mail: Baruch College Continuing and Professional Studies (The City University of New York)
17 Lexington Avenue, Box A-0920, New York, NY 10010

*For more information, future updates and to join the new BaruchPerformingArtsClasses group list, click here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BaruchPerformingArtsClasses

Courses for Spring Semester:
Intro to Playwriting (taught by Sharon Fogarty). Through spontaneous games and exercises, this course enables the student to brainstorm about plots, characters, relationships and touch on musical ideas. Putting the pieces together, students will get a good grasp on the art of the scene, story dynamics, scene texture, plot and character development.    Students are encouraged to write dialogue in their own unique styles and voices. Assignments include the small cast one-act, the drama, the comedy and the musical. Also covered are venues for inexpensive production of plays in NYC, including a short trip to a local theatre.    Students' plays and scenes will be acted by class members and by students from Karen Christie Ward's Acting Level I Course and culminate in an informal presentation of students' one-acts.
Saturdays, 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., April 26 - June 21 (no class Saturday, May 24).

Creative Arts Therapy (taught by Sharon Fogarty) This class invites students of all levels to discover the art of 'play' and expand their ability for spontaneity through doodling, collage, dance, theatre and song. Designed to help students discover hidden talents and express themselves creatively, each session focuses on a different art form and allows the student to explore introductory methods in that area. Games to enhance the natural reflex to express one's self creatively without judgment are followed by creative assignments, then culminate into a "Personal Gallery Collection" by the student. Final projects include short plays, songs, posters and dance-theatre pieces created by the class. Wear comfortable clothing, $20 materials fee.
Wednesdays, 6:30- 9 :00 p.m., April 23 - June 18.

Audition Workshop for Stage, Television and Film (taught by Elizabeth Mozer). This class will arm each actor with the tools to best equip them for success at auditions. It will deal with the demands of both the stage and camera. Students will address audition fears, expectations, preparation, cold readings, monologues and interviews. Students will developed a deepened confidence and preparedness. (Previous acting experience suggested.)
Section 1: Sundays, 5:00 - 7:30 p.m., April 27 - June 22 (no class Sunday, May 25)
Section 2: Tuesdays, 7:00 - 9:30 p.m., April 29 - June 17

Movement for Actors (taught by Elizabeth Mozer). In this class, we will engage the performer in the physical craft of acting by creating physical awareness, freeing the body of habitual movement patterns and accessing the emotion that resides in the body. Students will gain the tools for creating, expressing and experiencing their emotional lives physically. (No experience necessary.)
Section 1: Sundays, 2:30 - 5:00 p.m., April 27 - June 22 (no class Sunday, May 25)
Section 2: Mondays, 7:00 - 9:30 p.m., April 28 - June 23 (no class Monday, May 26)

Intro to Improvisation (taught by Jason Grossman) Have you ever wanted to learn the craft of improvisation, currently one of the most popular performance art forms around? Would you like to know the secrets and tricks of the Improv trade? The objectives of this course are to discover the fundamentals of improvisational comedy, improve your storytelling skills, learn techniques to think quickly on your feet and to be more creative. This spirited, fun course is designed for the actor or comedian who wants to learn the essentials of good scenic improvisation or anyone who wants to improve their teamwork or communication skills. Through coaching, warm-up exercises, creative performance games and basic short-form scene-work, you will learn how to be more spontaneous, trusting and cooperative and how to listen in a fun, creative atmosphere. This class is open to new and continuing students of all ages and experience.
Thursdays, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m., April 24 - June 12

Screenwriting I (taught by Jason Hefter) This course is appropriate for screenwriters of varying experience - from first timers to those with several completed screenplays to their credit. The only pre-requisites are a love of movies, an interest in the creative process of writing for the screen and an active imagination. Writers looking for technical advice, work with story structure, characterization, 30/60/90 rules, arc and/or a better understanding of what the studios are looking for in a "saleable" screenplay will find this course invaluable. Students will have the ability to tailor the course to their specific screenplay needs. Questions about the industry, unorthodox ways to get feet in the door, the differences between independent and studio screenwriting, selling on spec and/or via the pitch, what is to be expected in your first "studio meeting", the advantages of representation, union and non-union work, obeying genre rules, will all be covered in detail. We will breakdown some recent successful movies for screenplay tips, discuss the 'classics' and offer students the opportunity to workshop their own material with the help and insight of other writers. Whether you are looking to make screenwriting a career or just enjoy the cathartic process of writing for a visual medium, this course will make you technically sound, help you to focus your ideas with an eye toward marketability and give answers to the questions you might not even know you should be asking.
Tuesdays, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m., April 29 - June 17

Acting I - for Beginners (taught by Karen Christie Ward) Acting for beginners is designed to introduce students to the craft of acting in a fun, noncompetitive environment. Through practical study and hands on experience, students will learn to use basic acting techniques, while increasing the self-confidence needed to perform before an audience. Each class will consist of physical and vocal warm ups, acting exercises and games, scene work, discussions and closing exercises. Each week students will prepare a scene using techniques learned in class. The class will discuss and critique each scene. Critiques on in class scene work, are based on short assigned readings, so each student's work is discussed in a common, non-judgmental language, Students will build from single person scenes and monologues to partnered scenes. (Some outside rehearsal time may be required). The class will culminate in a final presentation for an invited audience.
Thursdays, 6:00 to 9:00, April 24 - June 12

History of the Theatre/Intro to Drama (taught by Steve Smith) Among the oldest and most basic form of human communication is theater. In this course, we will examine the history of theater from its earliest classical roots in ancient Greece to modern times, as well as explore the impact theater has had on society. The class will read select examples of plays from Greek through modern theater and will discuss the evolution of the art on the stage, the influence theater has had on society, as well as the influence society has had on the stage.
The essential element of the theater, which differentiates it from any other performance medium, is the spoken word. Thus, the class will also participate in reading segments of the plays aloud in class so that this experience of the spoken word, the essence of the theatrical event, both as performer and as auditor, is not lost with these plays. The nature of theater is to communicate a story, or sometimes even simply an idea, to an audience gathered expressly to hear it. The relationship of an audience with a performance piece and the influence each has on the other is an integral part of the theatrical experience. In accordance with this, the class will also attempt as often as possible to view the plays included in the syllabus, either in recorded format or (if practical) live, to preserve as much as possible the impact the piece is intended to carry to an audience.
Mondays from 6:30-9:30, April 28 - June 23 (no class Monday, May 26)

Future Classes Include:
Journalism
From Page to Stage: How to Produce a Play
Scene Study
Directing
Musical Theatre Appreciation
Acting II - Intermediate
Character Work
Poetry Workshop
Musical Theatre Improvisation I & II
Character Work
Intro to Theatre Dance
Theatre Management
A Foot in the Door

Faculty Bios:
Karen Christie-Ward - Karen Christie-Ward has been teaching and acting in NYC for ten years. She holds a BS from New York University in educational theater and an MS in elementary education from Hunter College. She has appeared in many Off and Off Off-Broadway shows, performed with improv and sketch groups throughout the city and has appeared in several independent films. She has created after school arts programs and currently conducts staff development workshops citywide in many areas including Bringing the Arts to the Core Curriculum.

Sharon Fogarty - Sharon Fogarty received her B.A. in Dance/Theatre at SUNY Brockport, and went on to teach at SUNY Buffalo, Sarah Lawrence College, Bronx Conservatory of Music and through Arts Genesis in New York. She has taught mask theatre, ballet, modern dance, singing, choral work, acting technique for scenes and improvisation, plus private studies in flute and guitar. Founder/Artistic Director Sharon Fogarty Performance Theatre (1986) and Making Light Productions (1989) with repertory of 100+ ballets and hundreds of original songs or accompaniment pieces for dance. Fogarty has authored dozens of full length musical theatre works including the published Bride of Frankenstein ~ an experiment in intimacy and Sep'-ul-kur. Recently produced plays include Putnam, 'heaven', Next to Nothing and The Overdevelopment of Scott. Recordings (guitar/flute/drums/voice) include Gaia's Dream (Nana Simopoulos), The Kenny Davidsen Album and The Wise Sophia (Patsy Grace). Film roles include Cowboy Mouth (Terence Klein), Raphael (Nuria Olive-Belles) and Sparks (Virginie Danglades). Fogarty has performed in U.S. and internationally with Doug Elkins Dance Company, Sara Sugihara, Meredith Monk, Ping Chong and IMAGO Theatre Mask Ensemble and currently performs here in New York with Funny... Sheesh and Making Light Productions.

Jason Grossman - Jason Grossman has been a teacher, actor and director for 10 years and has written and performed for television and radio. He has been producing the popular New York City-based sketch/improv group Funny... Sheesh for past seven years and is the founder and director of Funny... Sheesh Alternative Variety Shows (a venue for non-commercial, alternative performance comedy, dance, music and theatre). Every December, he plays 33+ characters in the critically acclaimed holiday performance It's a Wonderful One-Man-Show Life! directed by Sharon Fogarty. He has hosted hundreds of improv shows and workshops at colleges and schools throughout the country. Jason graduated from S.U.N.Y. Albany where he received a B.S. in Business Administration with a minor in Psychology and received a J.D. from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.

Jason Hefter - Jason Hefter has written extensively for MTV, VH-1, NICKELODEON, NICK AT NITE, TNN, GAS and COMEDY CENTRAL, was the head writer on the Chuck Woolery-hosted series "TV LAND'S ULTIMATE FAN SEARCH" and Sci-Fi Channels' "ENRICHED CLASSICS". For the last 3 years, he has been working exclusively as a studio writer-for-hire and script doctor; produced projects include the I-Max movie, "ULTIMATE X", for Disney, and "ULTIMATE RUSH (working title)" in pre-production for the producers of "SPEED" at Warner Bros. His spec teen comedy, "ASSEMBLY REQUIRED" just sold to Paramount and he is in negotiations to write a new comedy for Urban Entertainment and the producers of "UNDERCOVER BROTHER". He holds a B.A. in creative writing from Duke University and has also studied at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia.

Elizabeth Mozer - Elizabeth Mozer is a movement director, coach, teacher and professional actress, dancer and singer, and she has performed on Broadway, Off-Broadway, in film, commercials and industrials. She is the resident movement director and coach for the Judith Shakespeare Company and has taught at the Stella Adler Conservatory, AMDA. She has conducted numerous workshops and teachers at several dance schools. Elizabeth received a BA degree in Dance and Political Science from SUNY College at Brockport and has additional professional training in the Meisner Acting Technique, View Points and Composition, Suzuki, and Bartenieff/Laban Movement Studies.

Steve Smith - Steve Smith has acted with, written for or directed in New York City or regionally with dozens of theater companies and independent feature films. He appeared as a principal on As The World Turns, as well as performing roles on Loving, One Life to Live, The Guiding Light and All My Children. As a playwright, Mr. Smith has had several of his works produced or read in New York and one of his plays is scheduled to receive a Spring production in Virginia. Mr. Smith holds a BA from Canisius College, an MA in Theater and Dance from SUNY/Buffalo, and an MFA in Acting from the University of Michigan. He is a member of Actors' Equity, AFTRA, and The Dramatist's Guild, and has been certified by the Society of American Fight Directors.

*For more information, future updates and to join the new BaruchPerformingArtsClasses group list, click here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BaruchPerformingArtsClasses