Summer Program Curriculum

The summer program offers two levels of instruction, based on your experience. Each level is four weeks long and the workshops meet from approximately 9am to 6pm, five days a week. Class size is limited to maximize individual time and attention.

Technique Level

The technique level lets the beginning performer explore the physical, emotional and vocal life necessary for an energized, focused, creative camera performance. The curriculum for the workshops include:

ACT112

Acting Technique

This course introduces the ideas of Stanislavski and the foundation of acting through script analysis, monologues, exercises, and scenes.

COM110

Commercial Basics

Achieve awareness of one's potential for a professional acting career. Work on commercial copy through improvisation, on-camera copy, discussion of student's type, and how student will fit into the acting profession.

DAN110

Actors Movement

Develop a particular brand of physical comedy using one's individual personality. Students engage in exercises to refine the senses, strengthen concentration and improve the qualities of movement, rhythm, tempo, and breath.

DAN112

Stage Combat

Apply basic principles and safety factors to unarmed stage combat. Students engage in exercises to illustrate various concepts, such as body centering and grounding, slaps, punches, chokes, slaps, punches, kicks, and reactions.

FIL110

Film and TV Basics

Discuss basic film acting technique; lay a foundation for the audition process and for more advanced training in film and TV performance. Students engage in exercises in auditioning, breaking down a scene, and exploring basic acting technique.

IMP110

Improvisation

Achieve spontaneity and freedom through improvisational techniques, using body, gestures, and emotion, for use in aspects of on-camera performance. Students engage in group scenes, two-person exercises, and solo work, emphasizing spontaneity, listening, making and committing to choices, agreement, and working with others.

SPE110

Voice I

Work toward fully supported forward placed sound that is responsive and flexible; gain awareness of clear speech and articulation. Students engage in exercises in breathing and posture, breath and emotional connection, connection of breath to sound, articulation, resonance, applying good voice and articulation to demands of the text.

Performance Level

The Performance Level offers the more experienced actor a challenging workout as they make the transition from stage to screen. The curriculum emphasizes on-camera technique in both single and multi-camera performance. The curriculum for the workshops include:

COM201

Commercial Course

Handle basic demands of a variety of commercial auditions. Students engage in exercises in MOS (without sound) commercials, tasting, eating, one-line auditions, and spokesperson auditions, and gain familiarity with cue card usage. Professional behavior and decorum in auditioning is emphasized.

DAN212

Stage Combat II

Advanced level, continues to focus on the principles and safety factors of stage combat. Students engage in exercises to illustrate various concepts, such as body centering and grounding, slaps, punches, chokes, slaps, punches, kicks, and reactions.

DAN223

Michael Chekhov Technique for Actors

This class will explore Michael Chekhov's "psycho-physical" approach to acting, through the basic principles and exercises outlined in Chekhov's book "To the Actor", including psycho/physical exercises, character work and ensemble improvisation. Each class begins with a warm-up specifically designed to develop the organic connection between the actor's inner life, creative imagination and expressive body. Through the rigorous practice of Chekhov's core exercises students will explore; Archetypes, Imaginary Centers, Imaginary body, Character Atmospheres, Overall scenic Atmospheres, Qualities of Movement, Imaginary Place and Psychological Gesture, along with on camera adjustments, and more.

FIL212

Scene Study

This class gives the more advanced students in the Summer Program an opportunity to review his/her craft and begin to learn how to apply the actor's work to the camera. Students will learn how to prepare scenes chosen from film and television scripts on their own and show up to the set camera ready. Technical skills such as memorization, hitting marks, finding your camera, acting in specific shots, and on-set behavior are also part of this syllabus.

SPE210

Voice Shakespeare Workshop

Appreciate and handle classical text material, particularly in verse; apply basic skills in breath, articulation, resonance, and pitch. This course explores blank verse, Shakespearean texts, and vocal technique.

SPE211

Voice-over/Microphone Technique

Act and speak specifically in voice-over microphone work; prepare the moment before; apply subtext to meaning and inflection; identify key words; work with a partner. Students engage in exercises in physical alignment, inner dialogue, breaking down texts, styles, tags, slating, accents and character, focus, breath awareness, and broadcast jargon.

Admission + Registration

Admission in our summer program is by interview with an Admission Representative either in person or by phone. Please contact our admissions office at 1.888.645.0030 to arrange your interview. Summer program applicants may audition for scholarship awards at an audition event near you or in New York City.

Space is limited in each section. To register, please complete our application and mail it, along with a non-refundable application fee of $30 to the Office of Admission. Please include a current picture, resume, and a letter of recommendation.

Early Registration Savings: Register and pay in full by March 1st for a 10% tuition reduction.

College Credit

Credit for the summer program may be available upon successful completion of the program. The New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Theatre and its college credit recommendations are supported by the National Program on Non-Collegiate Sponsored Instruction. The four-week Summer in the City program is recommended for seven credits.

Tuition + Housing

Tuition for the 2008 summer program is $3,860 (this includes a $750 non-refundable tuition deposit). Housing, if needed, is $1,550 (this includes a $150 refundable damage deposit and a $300 non-refundable housing deposit). Housing is limited, so the sooner you're in the sooner you can secure your room.

Low cost loan options available through our partners at Wachovia Bank can make your summer at The New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts quite affordable. The Teri/Wachovia Elementary and Secondary loan is available to parents of students under 18; the Teri/Wachovia Continuing Education loan is available for all students 18 and over.

Payments + Refunds

The New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts accepts MasterCard, Visa, American Express, and Discover. Checks and money orders are acceptable, as is cash.

• A $750 non-refundable tuition deposit is required at the time of registration
• A $300 non-refundable housing deposit is required at the time of registration, along with the refundable damage deposit of $150. Total housing deposit equals $450
• Balance payments for tuition and/or Housing are due on or before May 15, 2008 or at the time of late registration
• All payments are to be in U.S. Dollars

Students withdrawing 48 hours prior to the program start (orientation) are entitled to a full refund of tuition charges minus the $750 tuition deposit. Students withdrawing less than 48 hours prior to the start are entitled to a 50% refund of tuition charges after the $750 tuition deposit. Students withdrawing after the program start and before the end of the first week of classes (the first Friday of the program at 5pm) are entitled to a 25% refund of tuition charges minus the $750 tuition deposit. No tuition refunds are made to students withdrawing after the first week of classes. No refunds are made for any housing charges.

Important Dates

Important dates for Summer in the City

FAQs

What is required for acceptance into the Summer Program?

A minimum age of 16 and a personal interview, usually done by phone, are required. Fluency and literacy in English are also required.

Do I have to audition to get into the Summer Program?

Acceptance into the summer program does not require an audition. Acceptance is based on recommendation and a personal interview usually conducted by phone. Applicants seeking scholarships must audition. Auditions are held regularly in New York and throughout the country - see "events" for the next scheduled date in your area. You will need to prepare a contemporary 1-2 minute monologue for the scholarship audition.

How is my level determined?

If you audition, your level may be recommended by your auditor. On orientation evening students will do their monologues for a faculty panel. That plus experience makes the final placement decision. All students must perform a placement audition at orientation, which should be a single 1 to 2 minute contemporary monologue.

Where will I live during my four weeks in New York?

Students live at the St. George Student Residence which is located in historic Brooklyn Heights. The residence is only a short subway ride away from the school's studios.

What are these accommodations like?

They are mostly double rooms, some singles. Each has a private bath. They are air-conditioned, have cable TV, a refrigerator, unlimited local phone usage and high-speed internet access. Students provide linens, dishes, coffee makers and any other simple cooking implements. Students should plan an adequate food budget for their stay.

What kind of security does the dormitory have?

There is a 24-hour security desk that monitors all entries. No one can go up to a living floor without proper identification and/or an okay from the person in the room. The living floors are patrolled by uniformed security guards during the overnight hours.

Does the School provide chaperones?

The School provides dorm parents who live at the student residence with the students. They enforce curfews, answer questions and solve problems. They also oversee weekend whereabouts. Students are not chaperoned to and from class or during lunch and evening hours.

Curfews?

Students under the age of 18 have an 11PM curfew on Sunday through Friday and a 1 AM curfew on Saturday night.

Is New York City Safe?

We put safety concerns at the top of our priority list. New York has never been safer. Crime is dramatically down, the city is clean and the open spaces have never been more beautifully kept. The School is located in an historic section of New York called Chelsea. Within its borders are the historic Ladies Mile, Gramercy Park and lots of great shopping and eating. It is adjacent to the beautiful West Village and a short bus or subway ride from the theater district. On Orientation Evening we provide students with instructions and information about how to stay safe in any urban environment.

What age are most of your students?

We have a range of ages in our Summer Program, about 1/2 are between 16 and 18 and an additional 1/2 between 18 and 21.

How many students are in the program?

Classes are divided into study sections of 14 to 16. Within each section, maximum attention is spent on the individual development of each actor.

How can I pay for the summer program?

SFT accepts most major credit cards, checks and cash, and has payment schedule and alternative loan options thorough its partners at Wachovia Bank.

How much free time will there be? Are there any activities planned?

In the Summer Program, evenings and weekends are opportunities to rehearse and practice for your classes; there is quite a lot of preparation work to do in your off-hours. However, professional seminars are planned. We will also be giving you information about free low-cost performances taking place. On the final Friday of the session a celebratory completion cruise is planned.

Do I need experience to take classes?

The Summer Program offers two levels, one for beginners and another for those with prior training.

Are there any special events or activities?

Yes. Students participate in a variety of extra-curricular activities that only New York can offer. In apition to a double-decker bus tour of the city and a graduation cruise around the Statue of Liberty and Lower Manhattan, there will also be a guest lecture series exploring the realities of the business of acting.

Will I meet any industry professionals while in New York?

During the four-week sessions, students will be invited to attend "evening talks" given by New York agents and casting directors, and working actors about the reality of the business of the business.