Virginia Stage Company to provide online classes and workshops with “Get Virtual with Virginia Stage” distance programming
While schools are closed, Virginia Stage Company’s Education and Community Engagement Department is offering online classes and workshops for students and the general public. Our Virginia Stage artists are here to teach, to entertain, and to connect with the community - even when we can’t meet you in person.
Included in these virtual offerings are a Free Acting Lab and a Free Monologue Lab, both taught by Lead Resident Artist Ryan Clemens. Clemens is a long time member of the Virginia Stage Company Education and Community Engagement Department and was recently seen on stage in A Christmas Carol and Guys and Dolls. Virginia Stage is also hosting a Free Virtual Shakespeare Workshop, taught by Patrick Mullins. In addition to his role as Director of Public Works at Virginia Stage Company, Mullins is a frequent producer and director on the Wells Stage including Romeo and Juliet, The Last Five Years, and A Christmas Carol.
Please see below for details on all classes and workshops, including the date and time of each class and materials needed. Visit www.vastage.org/registration to sign up for a class. Contact Emel Ertugrul, Education Coordinator with any questions: eertu@vastage.org
VIRTUAL ACTING LAB: Free
with Ryan Clemens, Lead Resident Artist of Virginia Stage
Wednesday, March 25 at 12:00PM – Student Session
Don’t let your skills get dull while you stay in. Join VSC Lead Resident Theatre Artist Ryan Clemens as he leads an exploration of the GOTE technique (Goal-Other-Tactic-Expectation) This beginning to intermediate acting class will cover:
Where did GOTE come from?
How do I stay spontaneous in a pre-written scene?
What makes acting compelling?
Why keeps me from sounding plastic?
All you need is a device that can access Google Hangouts Meet, a monologue, and a sense of adventure!
Length of class: 45 with 15-minute question and answer session
VIRTUAL MONOLOGUE LAB: Free
with Ryan Clemens, Lead Resident Artist of Virginia Stage
Wednesday, March 25 at 2:00 PM – Student Session
Thursday, March 26 at 2:00 PM – Student Session
Friday, March 27 at 2:00 PM – General Public Session
Keep your acting skills in shape and get ready for auditions. VSC Lead Resident Theatre Artist Ryan Clemens will you help you solve some challenges like:
What do I do with my hands?
What things can help me stay connected while I’m talking to no one?
How much should I move for a real-time theatre audition? What about an online submission?
Is this monologue “right” for me?
All you need is a device that can access Google Hangouts Meet, a monologue, and a sense of adventure!
Length of class: 45 with 15-minute question and answer session
SHAKESPEARE WORKSHOP: Free
with Patrick Mullins, Director of Public Works
Friday, March 27 at 12:00PM -- General Public Session
Do you ever look at Shakespeare and just glaze over it? Join Director of Public Works Patrick Mullins as he unlocks the Shakespeare code and explains why it was some of the most popular, irreverent, and impactful entertainment of its time. In this irreverent (but family-friendly) 45-minute session, Patrick will talk about why these plays were the WWE of their time. You’ll never view Shakespeare the same again!
Length of class: 45 minutes with 15-minute question and answer session
Mark Twain LIVE: Free
With Ryan Clemens, Lead Resident Artist of Virginia Stage
Sunday, March 29 at 2:00 PM"Meet Mark Twain" brings to life the celebrated American author and demonstrates that Twain's wit and wisdom still remain poignant and funny today. A wonderfully entertaining (and educational) experience for adults and children alike.
Sunday’s “Mark Twain Live” Facebook Live version will be fun and interactive as Mr. Clemens shares humor and stories (while figuring out this new online technology.)
RYAN CLEMENS is proud to work with VSC on the main stage and in the Education Department's touring shows, classes, and workshops. Patrons may remember Ryan from various VSC productions: Mr. Wormwood in Matilda; Trinculo in The Tempest; Lieutenant Brannigan in Guys & Dolls; Vinnie in The Odd Couple; Mortimer in The Fantasticks; Bob Cratchit, Old Joe, Charity Man or Fezziwig in previous years' versions of A Christmas Carol; or as his famous relative Sam Clemens in his one-man show Meet Mark Twain. Originally from Wyoming, Ryan began his career in a travelling Wild West show. He has worked at theaters around the country, including several seasons locally with the Virginia Shakespeare Festival and Tidewater Stage Company, and he regularly performs with Plan B Comedy at Zeider's American Dream Theatre. Ryan holds a BA in Theatre from Western Washington University and an MFA in Acting from Regent University. He also teaches at ODU. (Many thanks and a huge heap of love to his wonderful wife.) www.clemensistwain.com
PATRICK MULLINS is the Public Works Director at Virginia Stage Company. Patrick's personal adaptation and directorial work explores where classical texts intersect with current community issues. Recent projects include: The Tempest, The Dream Clinic; The Wiz; Oliver Twist; The Taming of the Shrew, a synth-pop fantasia mixing Shakespeare's text and the music of Jacki Paolella; Swingtime Salute on the deck of the USS Wisconsin; Miss Kitty's House of Cosmic Love, an immersive experience at the Hermitage Museum and Gardens; Honky Tonk Angels, The Odd Couple, Romeo and Juliet, and many others at the Wells Theatre. For four years he has worked with FestEvents in producing The Midsummer Fantasy Festival - an immersive Shakespearean festival/visual art installation/performance event in Towne Point Park. In addition to work at Virginia Stage Company, he has recently directed shows at Capital Repertory Theatre in Albany, NY and Ensemble Theatre Company in Santa Barbara, CA. Productions he has created for touring and young people include a video heavy Romeo and Juliet that integrated high school students with professional actors, an R&B fueled tour of Julius Caesar and a reworking on A Christmas Carol that celebrated the music and instruments of Dickens' period. A veteran high school teacher of seven years, Patrick holds an MFA from the University of South Carolina and is an adjunct professor at Old Dominion University. In 2010 he was recognized by the Hampton Roads Cultural Alliance with the Bettie Minette Cooper Arts Educator Award. www.patrickkmullins.com
Virginia Stage Company is southeastern Virginia’s leading theatre destination, serving an audience of over 58,000 annually both at the Wells Theatre and throughout the community. Virginia Stage Company's mission is to "enrich, educate, and entertain the region by creating and producing theatrical art of the highest quality.”