NEW! Baruch CAPS Performing Arts Certificate Program

Courses for Fall Semester (September - November 2003):

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.
http://caps.baruch.cuny.edu/programs/discount.asp?course_id=ART0001

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.

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.)

Stage Movement (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.)
http://caps.baruch.cuny.edu/programs/discount.asp?course_id=ART0004

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.
http://caps.baruch.cuny.edu/programs/discount.asp?course_id=ART0005

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.

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 students 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.
http://caps.baruch.cuny.edu/programs/discount.asp?course_id=ART0007

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.
http://caps.baruch.cuny.edu/programs/discount.asp?course_id=ART0008

Poetry Writing and Performing Workshop (taught by Jonathan Berger) Poetry began as a performance medium. Now, thanks to poetry slams and Def Jam Poetry, performance poetry is taking New York by storm. In this workshop, we will explore what makes poetry effective for an audience. By sharing, reviewing and critiquing each others poetry, we will recognize how to improve our poetry. We will refine our voices - both literary and auditory - until we feel comfortable and confident to read in front of others. This class is open to all those who can or want to write poetry.

Broadcast Journalism: Performance and News Writing - (taught by Philip Rosenbaum) - Learn to present the news with flair and authority. The men and women on TV make it look so easy because they're professionals in the art of anchoring and reporting. In front of the class, students will read news scripts that they write on deadline and conduct interviews. Students will be coached on intonation, diction and conversational style. A video camera will be used to tape their performance and play it back to point out strengths and work out weaknesses in delivery. Students will learn the basic structure of a 30-second TV news script. The class will also focus on ``liveshots'' in which the reporter is in the field for a report and ad libs without a script, working only from concise notes. This experience will build confidence in extemporaneous public speaking and help prepare students for a possible first job as a reporter at a local station in one of the hundreds of TV markets in the United States. Two suggested text books for the course: Broadcast Voice Handbook - How to Polish Your Own-Air Delivery (Ann S. Utterback) and Broadcast News Writing by Mervin Bloch.

Voiceovers for Radio and Television (taught by Marylou DiFilippo) An excellent perspective into the realms of those freaky characters that possess the airwaves, this class teaches the basics of voiceover training, cold reading, acting from the ears and character development through sound. The course will also offer invaluable advice on how to stay marketable in the field: updating your headshot and resume, successful networking, proper etiquette on mailings to casting directors and agents.
http://caps.baruch.cuny.edu/programs/discount.asp?course_id=ART0010

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