ACTING FOR BEGINNERS

Course Overview

Too often, actors jump into monologue and scene work without first understanding the basic foundations of acting. The secret behind a compelling and above-all truthful performance is awareness of one’s voice, body, emotions and those of their fellow actors. By learning to ground yourself in the present moment, and believing yourself into an imagined circumstance, you have the power to then communicate the thoughts and emotions of a character.

This Acting for Beginners course, open to adults 17+ with little to no acting experience, will teach students to be present, connect with their fellow actors and use the power of improvisation to create dynamic and engaging scenes. The course can also be used by intermediate to advanced actors who want to get back to basics and refresh their acting technique. For the first four weeks, students will be guided step-by-step toward becoming more instinctual and brave actors. Through practical exercises, they will understand and apply the basic rules of acting – presence, connection, vulnerability – and most importantly, they will become generous actors who react to, and support their fellow actors every step of the way. In the second half of the course, students will then put this learning into practice through monologue and scene work, both for the stage and screen.

Course Outcomes:

• Unlock imagination and creativity
• Develop basic acting technique
• Learn presence and connection with fellow actors
• Develop spontaneity and reacting to the present moment
• Connect with voice and body
• Learn textual analysis

NOTE: This is PAC’s foundation adult course and must be completed before moving onto the other adult courses on offer. Exception will be made to those students who come to PAC with prior acting experience.

Course Outline

Week 1- The Introduction

• Students will engage in a series of improvisation games and exercises.
• They will develop peer interaction and confidence.
• They will work on their bodies and voices.
• They will have fun and let loose.

Week 2 – The Self

• Students will engage in a series of exercises that will develop their awareness of self.
• They will work on concentration, relaxation and imagination.
• They will learn how to connect to memory and senses.

Week 3 – The Other

• Students will participate in exercises to improve listening.
• They will strengthen connection to the other.
• They will investigate the concept of ‘acting is reacting’.

Week 4 – The Monologue

• Students will be assigned a short monologue.
• They will learn textual analysis including identifying given circumstances and beats.
• They will be introduced to the concept of character objectives and actions.
• They will ask questions like ‘Who am I and what do I want?’

Week 5 – The Monologue

• They will begin working on their assigned character.
• They will introduce production elements like costume and prop to help enhance their character.
• They will work their monologues on the floor and receive feedback from their teacher.

Week 6 – The Scene

• Students will be allocated scene and partner.
• They will begin work on analysing the script.
• They will ask questions like ‘what are the given circumstances?’

Week 7 – The Industry Session

• An industry expert will be invited to run this session.
• Note: this industry guest may cover another aspect of acting (e.g. acting for the screen) or share insight into the business of acting.

Week 8 – The Scene

• Students will begin brining all the elements of script and character work and being rehearsing.
• They will work their scenes on the floor.
• They will continue listen to, and apply adjustments from their teacher.

Week 9 – The Showcase

• Students will perform their monologue and/or scenes to an audience of family and friends.

Week 10 – The Excursion + Wrap-up

• Students will attend a class excursion to a local play.
• They will evaluate their journey.

Course Fees

$475 / 10 week term

Upcoming Courses

Please see our Timetable for upcoming term dates.

Frequently Asked Questions

I have no acting experience. Which course is the most suitable for me?

PAC welcomes students from all acting backgrounds; from those who have never acted before to those who are signed to agencies.

For those with no acting experience, we recommend our Acting for Beginners course.

Do you offer weekend classes?

At this stage, we do not offer weekend classes for adults.

Do you offer free trial classes?

We do not offer a free trial class as such as we feel it can distract the flow of learning for existing students.

What we do offer however is an invitation to prospective students o attend the last class of term. This will give them the opportunity to see, first-hand, the class in action.

PAC is also proud to offer a 100% money-back guarantee on all classes. Should you not enjoy the first lesson of a term (we’re pretty confident you will though!), then we will happily refund the full amount of the course.

Does PAC offer payment plans?

PAC's policy is that full payment is to be made before the commencement of a course. We are happy, however, to discuss a payment plan with a student who might be experiencing temporary financial hardship.

How many students are there in each class?

We like to keep our class sizes quite low so as to guarantee personalised attention for each student.

Our maximum class sizes are as follows:

Acting for Beginners, Improvisation - max. 15 students

Scene Study, Screen Acting - max. 12 students

Note: A class will not go ahead unless there is a minimum of 6 students enrolled. On the rare occasion that a class has to be cancelled due to low numbers, paid students will be notified in advance.

What should I wear to class?

We encourage all students to wear loose and comfortable clothing to all lessons so as to free their ability to move and explore.

I'm running late to a class. What should I do?

In the event of running late to a class, please call the centre on 1300 828 144 and inform management. Alternatively, send an email to info@13.210.12.134.

I can’t make class. Can I get a refund?

PAC does not offer a refund for missed classes.

Can I start a class in the middle of a term?

In order to get the most out of the course, students are strongly encouraged to attend all classes.

For this reason, we do not take enrolments after the commencement of the first lesson.

Where do you run the acting classes?

Our classes are run out of the Information and Cultural Exchange (ICE) in Parramatta.

The address is 8 Victoria Road, Parramatta. Corner of Victoria Road and Villiers Street.

If you're driving:

We recommend parking in the carpark of North Parramatta McDonalds next door and walking over.

If you're catching public transport:

ICE is a 15-20 minute walk from Parramatta train station. Walk all the way down Church Street until you hit Prince Alfred Park. Cross diagonally through the park and ICE will be on the corner across Victoria Road.

On the rare occasion that a class will be held elsewhere, parents will be notified in advance.

I can't commit to a weekly course. Do you have weekend intensives or masterclasses?

Yes.

Keep an eye out on our Adults course page for for future intensives and masterclasses.

Do you offer any industry advice?

Of course. Our co-founder, Nisrine Amine, is both an educator and working actor giving her plenty of insight into the acting industry. As are all of our acting teachers.

Feel free to organise a meeting with the team to chat about your needs.

Email info@13.210.12.134.

Is PAC affiliated with any acting agencies?

Although PAC can suggest names of Sydney Acting Agencies to keen students, they are not affiliated with any of them.

Any advice or recommendations given by the team at PAC regarding acting agencies are personal opinions of the team members themselves.

While staff at PAC may pass on audition notices to actors, they in no way receive payment (monetary or otherwise) for doing so.

How are PAC's short courses delivered?

Each short course runs for 8 weeks.

Every lesson is 2 hours long and runs weekly for the 8 weeks.

What are your 2024 Term Dates?

Term 1: Monday 5 February – Saturday 13 April 2024
Term 2: Monday 29 April – Saturday 6 July 2024
Term 3: Monday, 22 July – Saturday, 28 September 2024
Term 4: Monday 14 October – Saturday 21 December 2024