We have a wide range of exciting workshop leaders coming to Virtual BC PTF. Teachers will have a few specific teacher only master classes. The student workshops are also welcome to teacher attendance for Pro-D purposes.
BC PTF Live Workshops Available
Understanding the Industry & Finding an Agent With Lissa Lloyd & Tom Gusway (Lloyd Talent) www.lloydtalent.com Lissa Lloyd Lissa is the senior agent representing and managing all the principal talent signed to Lloyd Talent. Born in Toronto, Lissa became involved in music at a very young age and is an accomplished musician, trained at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto in piano, voice and flute. She has toured and recorded as a soloist, and with various bands and vocal groups and has experience in musical theatre. In 1984 Lissa attended university in British Columbia and graduated in 1988 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree with a concentration in Business and minors in English, Education and Music with further studies in Entertainment Law. She has extensive national and international experience in sales and marketing and with Tom Gusway in 1989 began Lloyd Talent Agency in Vancouver and Management in Los Angeles. Lissa's interests include health and fitness, herbology and naturopathic medicine, travel, music, wine, cooking, pilates, yoga and cycling, rowing and long distance running. Lissa is a competitive trail and marathon runner in both Canada and the United States and enjoys the sport of competitive rowing as a member of the BC and Canadian National Rowing Association. She is a Board Member for her Rowing Club. Her favorite pastimes are daily work-outs and training, motorcycling and spa pampering's whenever possible. She enjoys nurturing and developing the careers of Artists. Tom Gusway Talent Manager: Tom's experience is in the management of talent and the application of technology to the talent industry. Born in Regina Tom moved to Vancouver and honed photography skills in the world of fashion which led to International model management and eventually opening an agency in Los Angeles in the late eighties. Being a part of the Los Angeles community and having models begin successful acting careers in film and television resulted in the decision of Lissa and Tom to create Lloyd Talent to guide talent careers for film and television. In addition to the assistance in the operations of the Vancouver agency, Tom manages the talent in Los Angeles. Tom is also an entrepreneur with investments in other companies outside of the talent industry. He is an avid reader, rides motorcycles, is a private airplane pilot, and loves chess and crossword puzzles.
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Movement for the Actor with Lin Snelling (University of Alberta)
Description: Moving and Resting - a movement workshop for everyone; performing artists of all ages and experience welcome. Through simple guided movements and touch exploration we will move and rest to encourage softness and responsiveness in the body. This guided exploration encourages a felt sensation of both gravity and levity and the resilience and nourishment each body might gain through a conversation between the various tempos of moving and resting. Each person moves at their own pace within a collective frame. How can forms that ground and guide our own dancing and moving be discovered? How can support proceed movement? Please wear comfortable clothing and if possible make sure there is room for you to lie down on the floor and stand up with arms outstretched. Bio: Lin Snelling’s performance, writing and teaching is based in the qualities improvisation can offer as it applies to dance, theatre, visual art and somatic practice. She toured the world extensively as a performer with Carbone 14 and worked with many improvisation ensembles. As Full Professor at the University of Alberta she is presently teaching dance, experiential anatomy and composition and is Coordinator of the MFA in Theatre Practice program. She received a McCalla Professorship in 2019 from the University of Alberta for a new collective creation, A Sounding Line. She has created many performances with Michael Reinhart, most recently during the start of the pandemic, Notebook Dances, 100 daily dances over 3 months created from spontaneous reading of notebooks from 1980 to 2020. Her other recent dance collaborations are eva as part of StageLab, The Liminal with Brian Webb, anything goes: GWG Dance in 17 parts with Gerry Morita, and Versing with musician/composers Michael Reinhart, Jeremi Roy, David Ryshpan and lighting designer Yan Lee Chan. She works with Montreal choreographer Tedi Tafel and was part of Crying in Public, Life World, Calendar and Everyday. Her collaboration Performing Book with visual artist Shelagh Keeley happened at the Edmonton Art Gallery, MoMA, the Power Plant/Toronto, and the VAG/Vancouver. She continues with Rewriting Distance; a workshop and performance with the dance dramaturge Guy Cools. www.rewritingdistance.com
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How to get into IATSE & be a working technician with Geoffrey Dunbar (IASTE)
Geoffrey Dunbar is a Jessie Award winning Lighting Designer who holds an MFA from New York University (Tisch School of the Arts), and a BA (Economics) from the University of British Columbia.
Recent EST credits: Marathon 2013 (including John Patrick Shanley’s Poison, John Giampietro Dir.), Marathon 2011, (including Bike Wreck Qui Nguyen, John Gould Rubin, Dir.), and Tennessee (Romulus Linney, Harris Yulin, Dir.). For YoungBlood: Silver to a Trading Agent (Sharyn Rothstein; Giovanna Scardella Dir.); MicroCrisis (Michael Lew; Ralph Peña, Dir.); Graceful Living (Maria Gabrielle; Holli Harms, Dir.) and several plays for Unfiltered. He has been a member of Ensemble Studio Theatre (New York) since 1973, and has designed the lighting for more than 50 original plays including the very first Marathon of One Act Plays in 1978. Since 1971, he has worked as both a designer and a production electrician in dance, opera, theatre and special events in the United States, Canada and Japan.
Some companies with which he has worked are American Ballet Theatre, The Joffrey Ballet, the Bolshoi Ballet, the Beijing Opera, The Canadian Opera Company, The Vancouver Opera Association, three television networks—CBS , CBC and ABC—BRC Imagination Arts (Bob Rogers), Architectura and Weisman Dewer Grout Architects (for O'Hare International Airport, Chicago). He has also designed for various world fairs and expositions. He has been a member of the Associated Designers of Canada (ADC) since 1987, and a member of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) since 1974 and NABET since 1979.
He has also been an active participant in the EST Summer Conference, and has guest lectured and designed at The Banff School of Fine Arts (Banff, Alberta), the University of British Columbia, Douglas College (Vancouver) and Drew University.
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Musical Theatre Dance with Erika Babins (Arts Umbrella) Description: Wake up your mind and your body with a fun hour of dance to a Broadway hit! We’ll do a physical warm up and stretch and then dive into learning some high energy choreography. No dance experience necessary - choreography will be scaled to be accessible to beginner dancers while challenging those with more experience. While we can’t all be in the same room together, we can dance knowing that there are artists around the province dancing with us at the exact same time!
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Improvisational Theatre with Curtis Holt-Robinson (UBC Improv) Description: Have you ever wanted to perform scenes spontaneously, out of thin air? Have you ever wanted to build up your self-confidence? Have you ever wanted to create hilarious memories? Well, you’re in luck because we are running Improv workshops!!! These workshops will include team building games, word association/rhyming exercises, narration empowerment, online scene work, and a whole slew of more awesome-possum activities to come! This is an event that you won’t want to miss! See you all there, can’t wait to see what your improv brains are capable of! BIO: Hey!!! I’m Curtis Holt-Robinson, an alumnus from North Surrey Secondary and a former CIG performer! Currently I am at UBC (majoring in Psychology) and also, I am a part of UBCi (the UBC Improv club). Improv has truly given me great experiences to build my self-confidence, create remarkable team chemistry, and form long-lasting friendships that I still have today. Looking forward to meeting all of you and having some fun ‘prov with y’all!
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Hip Hop Choreography with Mark Drum (EdTA) Come break it down! The tempo and complexity of each class will be tailored to the participants involved, so all are welcome to join the crew! You'll learn not just a basic hip hop routine, but also to not be too timid to try new things or to ask questions. Bio - A NYC-based Filipino immigrant artist and graduate from the University of Northern Colorado, with a B.A. in Theatre. Mark (He/him/his) is an EdTA professional member, ETF Board of Trustee, EdTA Board Member, proud Thespian alum from Thespian troupe 6513 and Junior Thespian troupe 88331 in Michigan. He was also an ITO representative in 2005-2006. Mark has been featured on MTV (90's House and TRL) and ABC (For Life and Match Game). Follow him on social media @whoismarkdrum and check out his website www.whoismarkdrum.com
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Tech Design Challenge Prep with Derek Lane (DR Lane Designs)
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Adapting Theatre to Film with Paul Moniz de Sá (Arts Umbrella) Description: Acting is Acting. Whether your students are working on stage, voice over, or on camera, the work of an actor remains same. It is the medium that changes. Our job as teachers is to help our students share the story. Understanding how each art form works allows us, as teachers, to refine our own artistic expression to suit the method of storytelling. This workshop is meant to expand our awareness of how we communicate through stage and screen both non-verbally and through text, as well as explore ways of shifting, adjusting, and connecting to the work to suit each medium.
Bio: Paul has been working as a professional actor for over 20 years both on camera and on stage. Film credits include The BFG directed by Steven Spielberg, Arrow and an upcoming feature in which he worked with Viola Davis. He has appeared on stages across North America including the Bard on the Beach, the National Arts Centre and at the Charlottetown Festival in PEI. He received Jessie awards for his performances in "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe" with Pacific Theatre and "The Overcoat" at the Vancouver Playhouse as well as Jessie nominations for his performance in "Driving Miss Daisy" at Pacific Theatre and his sound designs for "One In A Million" and "The Prodigal Son". Paul began his theatrical training at Arts Umbrella when he was 16 and continued on to study at the prestigious Studio 58 at Langara College. Paul has also made a career as an instructor teaching sound design and acting both on and off camera with organizations such as Bard on the Beach, Douglas College, the Shadbolt Centre and Learning Through the Arts. In 2008, Paul became the Artistic Director of Theatre and Music at Arts Umbrella.
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Playwriting with John Lazarus (Queen's University) John Lazarus has been an award-winning professional playwright since 1970, and a teacher of playwriting since the 1980s. His plays have been produced across Canada and the U.S. and around the world. They include Village of Idiots, Dreaming and Duelling, Babel Rap, and four short plays for young audiences produced by Green Thumb Theatre. He has taught playwriting and related subjects for 10 years at Vancouver’s Studio 58, for 20 years at Queen’s University, and sporadically at Vancouver Film School and his alma mater, the National Theatre School. He lives in Kingston, Ontario, with his wife Lin.
Like his generation of Canadian playwrights, John is self-taught, and took some years to figure out how to put together a play that really affects the audience. In this interactive workshop, he will describe his discovery of the two sides of the process, and lead the students through a game that generates weird and wonderful plots. John's workshops are famous for generating lots of laughs.
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Tech Theatre Safety with Don Parman Manager Programs and Services, Performing Arts Actsafe Safety Association Bio: Don’s twenty five-year career has taken him from student, to crew, to supervisor and manager. Along the way he has worked with some amazing organizations, The Massey Theatre, Vancouver Folk Music Festival, Royal City Musical Theatre, The Canadian Institute for Theatre Technologies to name just a few. Don now brings all of that experience and love for live performance to Actsafe Safety Association. From ladder safety to air quality Don has experienced it first hand and can help you navigate the world of Performing arts safety.
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The Director's Checklist with: Natalie Murao (The Cinematheque)
Description: Interested in directing films, but not sure where to begin? "The Director’s Checklist" will provide you with the necessary information to help you get started. This workshop will put you in the director’s perspective and guide you through the filmmaking process, from pre-production to sharing your film at festivals. Participants will learn the duties and responsibilities of the director, while also gaining insight into different filmmaking methods and techniques.
Bio: Natalie is a Learning & Outreach coordinator at The Cinematheque. She has a BFA in Film Production from Simon Fraser University. Her short films have screened at festivals such as the Asian American International Film Festival, Center for Asian American Media Festival, and Whistler Film Festival. Natalie sees the process of filmmaking as an environment for personal growth and hopes to provide this valuable experience to youth through Learning & Outreach’s various programs.
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Casting & Directing Talent (SCAD) with Steve Stanley Description: Focusing on the film and TV director's process, students will learn best practices in auditioning and working with actors through interactive activities. Bio: Steve Stanley is a producer, filmmaker, and educator with a broad background in development, production, finance and distribution. Most recently, Steve produced the sci-fi thriller What Lies Below with Mena Suvari, the supernatural drama They Live in the Grey starring Michelle Krusiec, the feature documentary Figures of Speech narrated by Chris Pine, and the LGBTQ+ festival hit The Revival. He has directed two features, multiple shorts, and the award-winning short documentary Conway Pride. Steve started his career at The Gersh Agency, one of the industry’s most established talent agencies, in their Film Finance and Distribution division. His team financed, packaged and sold a broad array of titles for the established Hollywood talent agency’s clients including David Schwimmer, Josh Radner, and Tom McCarthy. After leaving Gersh, Steve spearheaded the launch of Ketchup Entertainment’s Film Distribution Division. There, he oversaw the acquisition and release of Ketchup’s initial slate of over twenty-five films in both the US and the UK. Steve received an MFA in Film and Television Production from the Savannah College of Art and Design in 2007. He lives in Savannah with his husband Joe Bush.
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7 Lessons for Dreamers & Makers with Peter May (SCAD) Description: seven lessons focus on the transformative power of curiosity, how to find your people, the secret of turning a passion into a profession, and more. As SCAD President Wallace says, “This book is written for every student, no matter where you’re studying or hope to go. Future neurologists, pilots, attorneys, and veterinarians—this book is for you, too! What has worked for our creative graduates works for everyone who wants to learn, do more, and go further.”
Bio: Peter May serves as the Associate Director of Admission for the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) where he has worked for ten years in both admission and international student services. Peter is an art school graduate himself, with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting and Printmaking. Peter went on to complete a Master of Art in Intercultural Relations so that he could pursue his other passion of working with international students. Previous to SCAD, Peter coordinated international cultural exchange programs and with a U.S. visa agency, where he began his expertise on U.S. visa law and international student advising. Working at SCAD has given him the opportunity to combine these interests, by helping international students to pursue their passions in creative careers.
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Build Sustainability into your Theatre Productions with Kyla Gardiner (SFU)
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Acting for the Film & Television Industry with Daniel Bacon (Vancouver Acting School) Description: Find out what it takes to start your career in the busy Vancouver film & television industry, by learning the skills of auditioning for the camera, taught by busy professional actor Daniel Bacon! Bio: Over the past 20 years Daniel has amassed a resume over 125 credits in film and television along with over 20 theatre credits. Daniel played a supporting lead in the Steven Spielberg directed film, The Big Friendly Giant, along with featured roles in the films Toxic Skies and The Day The Earth Stood Still and guest starring roles on the television shows The Bridge and Supernatural, as well as voicing the character of Rhodey/War Machine on the multi-season animated series Iron Man: Armored Adventures. Aside from working on set and teaching up and coming actors, Daniel has also worked for many years as an audition reader for casting directors Clark & Page, Mayers & Brandstatter and Michelle Allen. His professional demeanor and strong reading skills have earned him a strong reputation for additional work on set and other various projects.
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Devising Performance: Mini Creation Session with Jessica Camichael (Concordia University) Description: Take an idea to actualization by engaging with a thematic provocation to begin a creation process. This workshop gives prospective students a peek into some of the course work in play making within the Performance Creation Specialization.with Concordia University
Film Acting Self Tape Techniques with: Jennifer Clement, Bart Anderson And VFS Alumna and actor & teacher: Veenu Sandhu The film and TV casting process is now reliant on self-taped auditions. Now you can learn to put your best take forward. This mini workshop will give you a compact introduction to the basic guidelines to submit an online audition on your phone from home. Make the creative and technical choices in your control that can propel the self-taped audition from good to great. We will leave time for interactive Q & A's with a working VFS alum and members of our faculty.
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Creating a life in the Theatre with Elia Kirby (Great Northern Way Scene Shop)
Description: The theatre! We love it, and so do you. No doubt you've dreamed about pursuing it after graduation. But -- spoiler alert -- it can be hard to make a go of it as a performer. But that doesn't mean you have to abandon your calling. There are lots of other jobs that aren't in the spotlight, but that do allow for a life in the theatre. Join Elia for an encouraging look at how you can take offstage skills to fuel your onstage passion.
Bio: Elia Kirby is a professional Technical Director and Production Manager for Theatre, Public Art, and Live Events. He is also the CEO of the Great Northern Way Scene Shop (GNW) in Vancouver, where he has been involved in well over 400 construction projects for the arts industry. He has taught Production Management and Technical Direction at Capilano University, UBC, and SFU. Elia is also the President of the Arts Factory, a professional artist studio facility, in Vancouver.
Acting the Song in Musical Theatre with David Snider MFA (Rosebud School of the Arts)
Description: In singing a musical theatre song, the music communicates a lot of meaning, but the actor must find the actions and discoveries in the text and their subtext! The engaging exercises in this workshop empower the actor's need to communicate. When our specific thoughts unite with the music, we gain a whole other level of impact for your audience. Participants need a memorized musical theatre song, paper, coloured pens or crayons.
TV & Film Audition Technique with Amy Marcs (NYCDA)
Description: We’ve seen the casting business move toward self-taping in the last few years. This trend will continue and expand as time goes on. Whether it’s college auditions for this fall, meeting agents before pilot season, or trying to break into the business through open calls, you’ll need to get your act together and present good work within the constraints on online meeting tools and self-submissions. From “where should I look?” to “what do they expect?” we’ll look at crafting monologues and cold reads that survive social distancing.
Bio: Amy has appeared at many regional theaters across the country. Most recently she was seen as Gorgeous Teitelbaum in The School House Theater’s production of The Sisters Rosensweig. Other credits include featured roles in Geminin, Kingdom of Earth, The Star Spangled Girl and And Miss Reardon Drinks a Little. She has performed in the independent film The Waiting Game. Her voice can be heard on numerous national network television and radio commercials. She recently played the role of Peg the Pig in the animated feature film Impy’s Island. Amy received a BA in Theater from Rider University and is a long time student of Fred Kareman. TEACHES: MEISNER TECHNIQUE I AND II, ACTING IN COMMERCIALS, VOICE-OVER at NYCDA
Musical Theatre Audition Techniques with Michael Mendez (NYCDA)
Description: First impressions are critical, and your first impression takes place the moment you walk in the door at the audition. In this workshop we will discuss how to cut your music and present it to an accompanist, enter the audition room and introduce yourself, choose the best material to showcase you, as well as tips about what makes a great performance. Come prepared with a 32-bar cut audition song, preferably with a track if not, a capella will do! There’s no need to be nervous about your college or professional audition… we got you!
Bio: Michael Mendez originated the role of Fatty Arbuckle in the Broadway Production of Chaplin, directed by Warren Carlyle, and is featured on the Original Broadway Cast Recording. Off-Broadway: Fat Camp the Musical, and Hey, Look Me Over! at City Center Encores! featuring Joel Grey, Vanessa Williams, and Bebe Neuwirth. Some Regional Credits Include: Man of La Mancha at Westport Country Playhouse, How The Grinch Stole Christmas at The Old Globe, Damn Yankees at Goodspeed Opera House, Peter and the Starcatcher at Weston Playhouse, Billy Elliot at North Carolina Theatre, The Full Monty at American Music Theater of San Jose, and Paquito’s Christmas at the Kennedy Center. Michael graduated from the University of Arizona with a B.F.A in Musical Theatre. TEACHES: SONG PERFORMANCE AND PERFORMANCE PROJECTS at NYCDA
Scene Study: Playing the Subtext & Acting as Reacting with Shelley Liebembuk (UFV Theatre) Bio: Shelley Liebembuk is an assistant professor in the Theatre department at the University of the Fraser Valley. She holds a doctoral degree from the Centre for Drama, Theatre, and Performance Studies at the University of Toronto, and completed her postdoctoral fellowship at York University’s Theatre and Performance Studies program. Shelley works as an actor and dramaturg, most recently with Toronto Laboratory Theatre. She is a graduate of the Atlantic Theatre Company acting conservatory in New York City. She has previously taught at Mount Allison University and the University of Toronto. Workshop Description: Actors are engaged in the exciting work of bringing a text to life. Two key tools for performing a dynamic scene are 1) learning how to move beyond delivering the lines to playing the subtext (that is, the implicit meaning that underlies the script), and 2) reacting to the scene partner and shifting one's performance according to what is actually taking place. In this online workshop, students will work with short neutral scenes to play with subtext and acting as reacting, and have the opportunity to perform and get live feedback.
Physical Comedy/Clown Workshop with Dayna Lea Hoffmann Bio: Dayna is a multidisciplinary artist from Surrey, BC, however, she has been living in Edmonton for the last year, honing her skills of clown, devised theatre, acting, and dance in the BFA program at The University of Alberta. She holds a diploma in Theatre from Douglas College and is a former performer, student and teacher of the Vancouver Circus school where she focused on juggling and aerial silks. When Dayna is not in school, she performs as a roving clown and juggler and has recently worked on translating her work into an online medium, by making physical comedy short films. Upcoming credits include Flicker andThe Man Who Fell to Pieces (Edmonton Fringe Festival), A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Twelfth Night (University of Alberta Corner Stage). Previous credits include Forks Makes a Friend (Fear the Festival), Jerusalem, (United Players of Vancouver), Training of the Shrew (1001 Steps Theatre) Antigone, The Diviners, and Tales From Ovid (Douglas College).
Description: Students will jump into the world of physical theatre by developing and discovering a clown-esque physical character and voice, which they will put into practice with short scene studies. Students will receive a crash course on the history of physical comedy and the modern clown. Simple costumes and hats are encouraged.
Bio: Chilton is an Actor, Instructor, Director and acting coach in Vancouver, B.C. She currently runs a full time 12 month Acting conservatory program at Vanarts, where she is one of the lead Instructors. She is also an Acting Instructor at Capilano University. Chilton has been acting professionally for over 30 years with over a hundred film and tv credits, including recurring roles on Once Upon A Time, Supernatural, Romeo Section, L Word, 4400, X-Files, Cold Squad, Beggars and Choosers and Guest Starring in many others, some of which; iZombie, Travellers, Smallville, Fringe, Outer Limits, Twilight Zone just to name a few. Chilton has been teaching and coaching actors in Vancouver for over 20 years; her love of the craft whether acting, directing or teaching is only matched by her never-ending energy and compassion. Working with actors from all across the country she is proud of all of her students accomplishments, some earning Gemini, Leo and UBCP Awards. It is her passion for the work, the search for heart and truth and love of story that propel her to Act, Teach and Direct and always keep learning.
Description: How do I prepare? How is my prep different for Film & TV vs Theatre? What are the similarities and what are the differences? What are the traps and how do I avoid them? How do I work quickly when time to prepare is an issue but still be specific? This will be an introduction on prepping for film and tv, whether for an audition, self-tape or on set. Taking what you already know from live stage acting and tweaking it to work for film & tv. How is the professional world of film and tv different from making a short with my friends? We will both discuss and use exercises to explore the introduction of how-to prep for film and tv. Q & A if time permits.
