Thursday, August 11, 2016

Why Choose SETSCO?

Our Students are Artists 
The Southeastern Teen Shakespeare Company and First City Shakespeare offer a full range of classes in all aspects of performance. Under the artistic direction of Michelle Hancock, emphasis is placed on the development of the whole actor and focuses on what will be required of the student should he or she desire to pursue acting as a profession. The result is conservatory-type training, at the beginning level, which prepares students for professional training programs. At SETSCO, we do not expect all of our students to become professional actors, but we do treat all of our students like artists.


Professional-level Training 
Having attended conservatory training in New York before getting her MA in education, Ms. Hancock is thoroughly versed in a wide range of acting techniques and styles as well as the nuts and bolts of voice, speech, and movement. She studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, the Sonia Moore Studio of the Theatre, and with Peter Jensen’s workshop. She has studied improvisation with Eric Farone and Jeanmarie Collins, voice over with Susan Berkley, and voice with Carolyn Marcell. She has been acting and directing for over thirty years, has been teaching for sixteen years, and has worked professionally in film, commercials, and theatre. Additionally, Michelle has degrees in English literature and philosophy and is a published novelist.

Ms. Hancock brings a lifetime of experience and learning to Pensacola, a vision that includes anyone who wants to learn, and the ability to give students the confidence to become more themselves. She is a teaching artist who is dedicated to the integrity of the individual, the beauty of the theatre, and the truths that only art attempts to define. These goals can only be achieved by hard work and discipline, and SETSCO’s mission, which was written by Ms. Hancock, is to offer classes and performance opportunities that lead to students’ significant grown as artists, as community members, and as human beings.

A Well-rounded Curriculum 
Theatre artists need classes in a wide range of skills. They must train their voices, their bodies, their guts, and their brains. They must project without straining their voices; they must fight and fall without injury; they must cry on cue; they must understand how a play is written and how to serve the intent of the playwright. SETSCO’s aim is to give students a solid grounding in all of these skills so that when they enter college or professional conservatory training, they are already conversant with fundamental concepts and techniques. Involvement in a program like SETSCO’s gives students who plan to audition for BFA programs or conservatory schools an advantage over students who have only a general high school background. These programs are incredibly competitive, accepting only a handful of students each year.

Inclusion
Whether a student wants to be a professional actor or just wants a fun class, SETSCO’s policy is to include everyone. Our learning atmosphere is based on respect for all class members. There are no stars in SETSCO, no one student who always gets the lead, and no teacher’s pets. We believe that all people are capable of learning and growing, and we believe deeply in the concept of ensemble: that every actor is just as important as every other actor, regardless of the size of the role. As a result, our students feel safe and supported so that they are able to take risks. It is only through taking risks that students grow. Growth begins with inclusion.


No comments:

Post a Comment