Class Schedule
Find dates and registration information for all acting classes, electives, and intensives.
MEISNER FOUNDATION FALL 2023 COHORT
Fall acting classes are live! The first sixteen week Meisner Foundation cohort will launch in the fall of 2023! All classes meet from 6pm – 9pm at our studio at The Darkhorse. Find answers to frequently asked questions below, or contact us directly for more information.
FALL 2023 ELECTIVES
In addition to our Core Curriculum, we bring theater, movement, dance, voice, and other professional artists to offer elective workshops to our students and the Nashville artistic community. While most of these workshops are open to the public, some may require prerequisite training in our Meisner program. See event details for more.
Building a Bridge:
Mind | Body | Soul
with Lori Triolo of The Neighborhood Playhouse
Oct 5 - 8, 2023
FitzMeisner® is an innovative approach to actor training that combines the transformative power of Fitzmaurice Voicework® with the practical techniques of The Meisner Technique. Whether you’re just starting out in your career or a seasoned professional, FitzMeisner® offers a holistic approach to the craft of acting that helps you connect with your inner self and communicate your truth to the world.
Fitzmaurice Voicework® is a comprehensive vocal training method that draws on classical voice-training techniques and integrates them with yoga, shiatsu, Reichian bodywork, and other meditative practices. This approach helps actors develop a flexible, free, and powerful voice that can convey the full range of human emotions and experiences.
PLAY PRODUCTION:
Putting it all together
with Vali Forrister and Kat Tierney-Smith
Auditions:
Oct 28, 10:30am -1:30pm
THE CHRISTMAS TREE FARM by Adam Szymkowicz
A series of vignettes, mostly love stories, taking place at a Christmas tree farm. Up to 12 actors. Most parts can be any gender.
A breakup, a breakdown, a meet cute, four Santas, a film director, high school sweethearts, and some carolers. It’s a charming holiday play about love and joy.
Learning the craft of acting and bringing a character to life in a professional production alongside other actors, designers, technicians, and a director are two different sets of skills.
For those who have completed at least 3 modules/classes at Actors Bridge, this audition-based performance workshop fully immerses actors in the play production process. Co-taught by ABE Producing Artistic Director and ABE Resident Stage Manager Kat Tierney- Smith, this elective is part workshop, part production and will give student actors the opportunity to bring their training to bear in a full length play.
Learn about the roles and responsibilities of various designers, experience the audition and rehearsal room, and gain an understanding of what the production process looks and feels like from the inside. The intensive culminates in a 3-performance showcase that gives actors a professional credit for their resume.
Auditions: Saturday, Oct 28, 10:30am- 1:30pm (Please prepare one monologue, not exceeding 2 minutes, and be prepared to read from selected sides.)
Rehearsal Dates:
Thursday, Nov. 30 – Sunday, Dec. 3
Thursday, Dec. 7 – Sunday, Dec. 10
Tuesday, Dec. 12 – Thursday, Dec. 14
Weekday rehearsals – 6-10pm
Weekend rehearsals – 12-4pm
Performances:
Friday, Dec. 15 @ 7pm
Saturday, Dec. 16 @ 7pm
Sunday, Dec. 17 @ 5pm
Pricing:
If cast, tuition for the Play Production Intensive is $425. A deposit of $125 is due by the table read, Nov 5th. The balance is due by Sunday, November 26th.
*All actors may not be required at all rehearsals, but all actors must be available for all rehearsals and show dates in order to be cast. Actors who are unable to commit to the full schedule are encouraged to audition for the next workshop production in 2024*
Choreopoem
Design and Direction
with Cynthia C Harris
November 2-5
Hybrid Schedule
Are you a theater maker looking for new tools? Are you an educator helping students find their voice? Do you work in community engagement? Do you create programs or devised work for young people?
Join playwright, Cynthia C Harris, MPH for a deeper dive into the history, format, and creation of choreopoems. Learn about her unique method of community-engaged theater making. Use a personal narrative approach to build performances that combine poetry, monologues, call and response, choral refrains, movement, and music. This workshop is for all levels. Ages 16+. Come ready to play!
The course will be taught over four days (14 hours of instruction). You’ll have two short evening intro sessions Thursday and Friday and two 5-hour sessions on Saturday and Sunday, for a total 14 instruction hours. Objectives for the intensive include:
- To gain a basic understanding of the form, function, and aesthetic of choreopoems and Ntozake Shange’s choreopoem format;
- To have immersive opportunities to practice and observe the technical/artistic aspects of choreopoem theater, dance, and storytelling.
- To discover how choreopoems can be a valuable educational tool for student actors in both classroom and rehearsal settings;
- To understand how to create a safe space for student collaboration in the context of sharing and reflecting upon personal narratives;
- To learn practical tips on coaching students to develop and vulnerably share autobiographical writing/performance.
Schedule:
Thursday, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm (VIRTUAL)
Friday, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Saturday, 11:00 am – 4:00 pm
Sunday, 11:00 am – 4:00 pm
Pricing:
Because of grant support from the Tennessee Arts Commission, we are able to offer this 14 hour workshop at the rate of $50
Get Notified About Future Workshops
PROFESSIONAL TRAINING DUAL TRACK
Following successful completion of the Meisner Foundation, students meet with our Acting School faculty to determine which track best serves their professional needs and availability. All classes meet from 6pm – 9pm at our studio at The Darkhorse. Note the Scene Study Track requires additional memorization and rehearsal time with your scene partner outside of those hours.
FAQ
Our fall cohort for Meisner Foundation begins September 20, 2023. Find all class times and dates on our Class Schedule page.
Everyone starts in the beginning regardless of prior training or experience. If you have studied Meisner before, we will assess your familiarity with the technique during the first 5 weeks and promote accordingly.
If you have completed the full Meisner series with us at Actors Bridge and wish to return to a specific level, contact us.
The total cost of our Meisner Foundation is $1085. Students may choose to pay the entire tuition up front at a discounted rate of $985.
There is a payment plan available. You may secure your place with a $185 deposit. The following three $300 payments are due before the start of each module.
Electives are priced according to the cost to host them. Find those prices on the Class Schedule page.
Students must be able to commit to attending every class in their module. You must be able to commit to at least Modules 1 & 2 (Repetition + the Independent Activity = 10 weeks) when signing up. We recommend taking all 3 Modules consecutively for maximum efficacy of the Technique.
Attendance in class is mandatory. Students who miss more than one class per module may be asked to repeat the module before moving on.
Yes. If you are interested in taking both tracks simultaneously, please discuss this with your Meisner faculty during your interview. You must be able to put the time and energy into both classes.
If you need to drop a class before the start of the session, you must give the office at least ONE WEEK’S NOTICE prior to the start of your class or workshop.
If you do so: any tuition paid toward the class and the non-refundable $100 deposit will be kept on credit at the studio for up to one year, to be applied to a future class or workshop.
If you drop the class ON THE DAY OF THE FIRST CLASS, the full tuition is non-refundable but will be kept on file for up to one year and is also transferable to another student.
If you drop a class MIDWAY THROUGH THE CLASS, you will need to have a conversation with your instructor about when you will be eligible to retake the class. Tuition payment is required to retake the class.