WRITING CHARACTER

• Included in the PROFESSIONAL PROGRAM
• Taught by James Napoli.

One of the most valuable skills for an actor to have in their pocket is the ability to write convincingly. Generating one’s own material as an actor is something that can prove very useful for a performer looking to showcase his or her strengths. In this writing and acting class, students will write and create a character based on someone they know, and gradually watch that fictionalized person take shape–with each writing assignment, the student imagines his or her character in a gradually escalating series of situations, from wordless and alone to more dramatic situations with other characters. These scenes are acted out by the students in the class, allowing the writer to see their work interpreted, and allowing each student to gain a deep connection to these characters throughout the course. Along with the DIRECTING FOR ACTORS & SOLO PERFORMANCE LAB classes, our work will culminate with the writers themselves taking on the characters they have been developing over the entire course in the performance of their solo piece.