Open Registration for Fall Acting Classes Taught by Martin Thompson

Registration is now open for Adult Acting Classes, beginning September 15, 2008 at Actor's Theatre of Charlotte. Taught by professional actor/director Martin Thompson, these classes are appropriate for both aspiring actors and professionals who would like to improve their skills. Class registration is limited. Call Actors Theatre at (704) 342-2251 for information or click here to register online.

Basic Technique classes will be held Sunday afternoons from 5:00 to 7:00 pm for eight weeks October 12 – November 30, 2008.  Cost: $175 per student.

Scene Study classes will be held on Sunday evenings from 7:00 to 9:00 pm for eight weeks October 12 – November 30, 2008. Cost $175 per student. (Continuing Scene Study students are eligible for a discount)

About the Classes:

Basic Technique: This class provides a very practical and easily accessible method of working for both beginning and experienced actors. Incorporating today's best and most modern principles of acting, this distinctive Layering Technique has been developed by the instructor to provide a practical working foundation for the actor, and to serve as a solid framework on which to build more complex work. Here the actor will identify his unique responsibilities to the creative process, study the essential tools of his craft, and learn to properly apply those tools towards the creation of reality on the stage or in front of a camera.

Scene Study: For the more advanced actor, the emphasis of this class is on the practical and creative application of the actor’s technique through a variety of scene work. In this class we will explore the unique skills required to be a truly creative actor. Students will discover how to make strong and interesting choices, and how to unlock the pathways that propel a character into dynamic action. Other topics will also include: script and character analysis, audition techniques, rehearsal methods, and specific performance skills for both period and modern plays. Students must be prepared to spend time outside of class for rehearsal with their scene partners. Instructor's permission is required for those who have not taken the Basic Technique class.

About the Instructor:

Martin Thompson (AEA-AFTRA-SAG) is a professional actor and director with extensive credits on the New York stage, as well as in regional theatres across the country. His motion picture credits include Spies, The Boneyard, Mr. Destiny, and Billy Bathgate. On television he has appeared on the popular daytime soaps The Guiding Light, The Edge of Night and in the recurring role of “Patrick” on All My Children.

Winner of the 2005 MTA Best Actor Award for his performance as “Serge” in Art for Charlotte Rep, Thompson most recently appeared in Shear Madness, which became "The Longest Running Show in Charlotte Theatre History," at the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center. Last season he appeared in The Scarlet Pimpernel and The Spitfire Grill at The Barter Theatre of Virginia, and in A New War for Burning Coal Theatre Company in Raleigh. As a director, his credits include the recent production of To Kill a Mockingbird for Theatre Charlotte, as well as numerous productions for Cape Fear Regional Theatre, Temple Theatre, Theatre in the Park, Raleigh Ensemble Players, and NC State University's TheatreFest.

Thompson has developed a style of teaching that seeks not only to inform and instruct through the development of a strong technique, but also strives to inspire the student to unique and truthful behavior on the stage. He is well versed in the methods of Stanislavski, Meisner, Adler, Strasberg, and Lewis, as well as the techniques of Uta Hagen, with whom he studied at HB Studios in New York.

For over a decade, Thompson taught Adult Acting Classes in the Triangle, and has also taught Master Classes in Acting at North Carolina State University, served as Artist in Residence at Chowan College and participated in numerous residencies across North Carolina through the NC Arts Council's Visiting Artists program.