Summer Master Class 2019
CTAM SUMMER MASTER CLASS 2019
July 20, Hosted by The Downeaster Theatre in Lansing, MI
Focus on collaboration between Director and Actor, led by Susan Craves, and The Art of Propping for the Theatre, led by Michael Wilson
The new and improved format of the traditional Summer Master Class has been changed to make it more affordable and easier for people to attend. The class will be ONE action packed day, starting at 10:00 am on Saturday, July 20 and running until 7:00 pm with an hour planned for lunch.
The two simultaneous workshops will feature Actor & Director, led by Susan Craves from the Purple Rose Theatre (Chelsea, MI); and The Art of Propping for the Theatre with Michael Wilson from Grand Rapids Civic Theatre. Both instructors are well qualified, experienced practitioners of the craft with decades of practical experience. We also have a YOUTH PROGRAM mirroring the adult classes led by equally experienced instructors in three 2 hour blocks covering Acting, Directing and Props. Please read their full descriptions below!
ACTOR & DIRECTOR
with Susan Craves
Susan has more than 35 years of experience in theatre. For the last five years she has been a Resident Artist of The Purple Rose Theatre Company where she earned her Actor’s Equity Card. She spent several years training in the Sanford Meisner Technique. She attended the Kensington School of Performing Arts in Troy. During the fall of 2018, Susan further worked on her directing skills with the Artistic Director of Purple Rose, Guy Sanville, and with actor/playwright (and founder of Purple Rose) Jeff Daniels. Community Theatre is important to Susan. That is where she began her involvement in theatre. She continues to work as a director for Clarkston Village Players and Bay City Players as well as non-Equity theatres in the Metro Detroit area.
THE ART OF PROPPING FOR THE THEATRE
with Michael Wilson
Michael Wilson is the Propmaster at Grand Rapids Civic Theatre. Prior to his current job, Michael has served as the Propmaster at Central Park Players, Opera Grand Rapids, Circle Theatre, Grand Valley State University Theatre, and Aquinas College Theatre. He brings to this class more than 20 years experience in providing props for a variety of shows and venues.
Some of the areas he will cover are real food versus fake, actor allergies, keeping props in the historical era, magical props, glass versus plastic, how to make blood and vomit, weapons, dry ice safety, odd prop challenges, and solving prop problems. There will be discussions, demonstrations, problem solving, and hands-on work. The class will also explore props problems, props failures and solutions, how to make a prop look real, what is really needed, and where to purchase or rent props when necessary.
YOUTH PROGRAM
with The Downeaster Theatre
ACTING – Led by PK Van Voorhees, this is a two-hour intensive exploring the Art Of Doing, based on Sanford Meisner’s approach to acting. We will discuss what qualities are necessary for good acting, and work within improvisational games structures exploring how to create the “who”, “where” and “what”, along with what is required for listening and answering, observation skills, recreating physical traits and so much more!
Patrice (“P.K.”) Van Voorhees is the Artistic Director of The Studio Performing Arts Center, a training center for all forms of Dance, Acting and Voice Training founded 14 years ago in East Lansing, Michigan with the vision of incorporating training for the three art forms that make up Musical Theatre in one venue. She teaches and coaches all ages and levels of dancers, singers and actors and also is the Artistic Director of the East Lansing Dance and Theatre Company, the Studio’s performing company where she directs 3-5 original productions and plays each year.
She received her B.F.A. “with Distinction” in Musical Theatre/Dance from the University of Michigan and headed to New York and Los Angeles afterwards, where she continued performing and studying with many theatre greats, including Fred Kareman (Acting/Meisner Technique), Elizabeth Howell (Voice), Miguel Godreau, Valentina Pereyaslavec and Dennon Rawles (Dance), among many others.
She has appeared as an actress in almost every venue an actor can, including Broadway (“Desiree” in Her Solider Boy, a Shubert Organization Archives Production), Off-Broadway in Melody of Manhattan at the Perry Street Theatre, as “Daisy” in Wine In My Blood at The Nat Horne Theatre, and “BeeBee” in The Days And Nights Of Beebee Fenstermaker at the Carnegie Studio Theatre, in Touring Shows (“Val” in A Chorus Line, “Velma”/”Rosalia” in West Side Story), Regional Theatre, Dinner Theatres, Summer Stocks, Commercials and more. She appeared on MTV with Carly Simon in “Tired of Being Blonde”, directed by actor Jeremy Irons. She has directed and choreographed shows in Los Angeles and regionally in the Mid-Michigan area for several area high schools, and the former Boarshead Theatre (Summer) Musical Theatre Conservatory. She is the current President of Lansing Matinee Musicale, a 125-year-old non-profit music organization that furthers the cause of the arts in the Mid-Michigan area, and a past Co-Chairman of the Michigan Federation of Music Clubs (MFMC) Dance Scholarship Award. She has presented several times at both the MFMC Annual Convention and an LMM Spring Program on Musical Theatre.
DIRECTING – A two-hour Intro to Directing intensive, brought to you by the founder of The Downeaster Theatre Kate DeMaat. Students will discuss a director’s vision and how the puzzle comes together, from start to finish, including the opportunity to direct their peers in a one-page scene!
Kate DeMaat is the Founder and Executive Artistic Director of The Downeaster Theatre in Lansing, MI. Her other theatre credits over the last 20 years include makeup artist, costumer, director, actress, stage manager, and props master. Kate’s specialty and passion is children’s theatre having led the Youth Program at CTAM’s 2018 Fall Conference. She is delighted to host and teach at this conference!
PROPS – From Indiana, Bill & Marisa Nosie, The Downeaster’s Props Masters, will give a tour of their shop and discuss creative ways they’ve made props, materials they’ve used, and challenges they’ve had. Kate will lead the students in a hands-on prop-making activity of Bill & Marisa’s design.
Each class will be 2 hours running from 10 am – 5 pm with an hour for lunch. Participants are asked to bring a sack lunch.
Master Class Details:
The Master Class is hosted by The Downeaster Theatre in Lansing, MI:
The Downeaster Theatre
1120 North Pennsylvania
Lansing, MI 48906
The class session will be Saturday, July 20th, starting promptly at 10 am and running to 7 pm with an hour for lunch.
The class registration fee is $100 for anyone to attend. CTAM members (affiliate and individual) get $10 off with an additional coupon code. Please contact the CTAM webmaster to get that code if you do not have it.
If you have issues locating any of the facilities (theatre or lodging) please contact Kate DeMaat @ 517.763.8045 for directions.
Lodging Information:
The Quality Inn University in East Lansing has provided us a block of rooms for $99 a night. It is a 10 minute drive from the theatre and includes breakfast and free parking. Use code CTAM when registering to get the discounted rate.
