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Classes


Affordable Acting Classes in Tucson, AZ and Beyond.

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Classes


Affordable Acting Classes in Tucson, AZ and Beyond.

Schedule of Available Training

Classes are held at the Historic Y in the Scoundrel & Scamp Theatre in Downtown Tucson.

Due to the intimate nature of ensemble acting the TheatreLab requests that students consider their health and the health of their fellow actors as the highest priority. We recommend seasonal Flu and Covid 19 vaccinations. 

We also request that students remain at home should they show any cold or flu symptoms.  Missed classes can be made-up during the registered term.   

Private coaching sessions included with tuition for “in-class” monologue and scene work! (For outside audition coaching, please read on.)

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Have you wondered what are the secrets of great performing artists, and how you could work toward becoming one yourself?

In Finding Your Authentic Self classes, you will experience the foundation of what Stanislavsky considered his ‘greatest discovery’ after 40 years of research: Psychophysical Action. (The "secret" deemed by all great actors to produce organic behavior & spontaneity in performance). Master Teacher, Philip G. Bennett, will share with you what he has found to be the most successful acting techniques from his 50+ years of teaching the Stanislavsky System. You will learn: Focus & Concentration through Yoga based Meditation; Psychophysical Conditioning Exercises that unite the mind and body and release spontaneous emotions; all 101 Elements of the Stanislavsky System based on Psychophysical Action; Short and Long-Form Dramatic Improvisation tools used with ‘Active Analysis through Physical Actions,’ and applied to the interpretation of a text; Monologue & Scene Study…just to name a few. Through the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Voice and Speech techniques and Stanislavsky’s Active Analysis combined with our Psychophysical Conditioning Exercises; you will gain tools toward developing an expressive vocal and physical instrument; discovering the logic of a character’s thought and speech patterns; and learning how to color your words in order to affect others emotionally.
Our desire is to give you the performance tools you need to be prepared as an actor for any professional market - including the Film Industry in Los Angeles, the Broadway in New York, Classic Theatre in London, and higher education & MFA programs in Ivy League Universities.

Finding Your Authentic Self: Contemporary Works (All Levels)
Saturday Mid-Day (In Person):12:00pm-2:30pm, Arizona, MST

Finding Your Authentic Self in Character: Contemporary and Shakespeare Text (All Levels)
Sunday Evenings (In Person): 6:00pm-8:30pm, Arizona, MST

Finding Your Authentic Self in the Role: Contemporary & Classical Works (All Levels)
Monday Evenings (In Person): 6:00pm-8:30pm, Arizona, MST


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Private Coaching for Auditions, Monologues, and Scene Work

Specializing in Selection and Preparation.

Every actor with talent has a spark of genius. The goal of our System of training is to identify that spark, bring it to the fore, and develop the actor’s technical skill and confidence to do so independently.

Fields of Expertise: American Drama & Comedy, Modern World Drama. Audition Selection & Preparation, Voice and Speech Exercises, Movement, Shakespeare, Ancient Greek Tragedy & Comedy, Restoration Comedy, Molière, 19th Century Drama.

We are committed to bringing the most up-to-date acting techniques and decades of professional coaching experience to you.

Private Coaching (All Levels)
Appointment Only
30 minutes - $45.00; 60 minutes - $75.00


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Audit


Sign Up for a Free Class Audit!

Audit


Sign Up for a Free Class Audit!

Bennett TheatreLab & Conservatory: Audit Form

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Curriculum


Curriculum


Curriculum

A term is 6-7 weeks in length. Classes are three hours in length and include the subjects below:

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  • Yoga Meditation

  • Voice and Speech

  • Elements of an Action

  • Dramatic Improvisation: Long and Short forms based on Actions

  • Movement

  • Psychophysical Conditioning Exercises: The Key to Spontaneous Emotions

  • Active Text Analysis through Physical Actions

  • Monologue and Scene Study

  • Shakespeare and the Classics

  • Public Showcase Performances


Required Class Materials


Recommended Reading Materials

An Actor's Work by Konstantin Stanislavski | An Actor's Work on a Role by Konstantin Stanislavski | The Stanislavski System by Sonia Moore | My life in Art by Konstantin Stanislavski | Stanislavski Revealed by Sonia Moore | Stanislavski in Focus by Sharon M. Carnicke | Stanislavski for Beginners by David Allen | Stanislavski and the Actor by Jean Benedetti | Towards a Poor Theatre by Jerzy Grotowski | The Profession of the Stage Director by Gorgi Tovstonogov | The Emotional Brain by P.V. Simonov | Active Analysis by Maria Knebel | Shakespeare Alive! by Joseph Pap | Actions: The Actor's Thesaurus 

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experiencing stanislavsky today


experiencing stanislavsky today


 

Two Masters, Five Years In The Making

This pioneering introduction to Stanislavsky's methods and modes of actor training covers all of the essential elements of his System. Recreating ‘truthful’ behaviour for stage and film, awareness and observation, psychophysical exercises, Given Circumstances, Visualization and Imagination, Dual Perspectives, healthy use of Analogous Emotions, and Active Analysis through Physical Actions are all introduced and thoroughly explored.

  • Each section of the book is accompanied by individual and group exercises, forming a full course of study in the foundations of modern acting.

  • A glossary explains the key terms and concepts that are central to Stanislavsky’s thinking at a glance.

  • The book’s companion website is full of downloadable worksheets and resources for teachers and students.

Experiencing Stanislavsky Today is enhanced by contemporary findings in psychology, neuroscience, anatomy and physiology that illuminate the human processes important to actors, such as voice and speech, creativity, mind-body connection, the process and the production of emotions on cue. It is the definitive first step for anyone encountering Stanislavsky’s work, from acting students exploring his methods for the first time, to directors looking for effective rehearsal tools and teachers mapping out degree classes.