Interested in acting? Want to add some practical tools to your toolbelt? Join our instructors, Jasmine Myers and Amelia Smith, as they take us through some foundational acting skills and principles! Both instructors have worked in theatre education, and regularly direct and act with Still Small. ​

Actor's Toolbox: Workshop 1

Scene Scoring and Intention
How does an actor work with a scene on a page to bring it to life? What is scene scoring, and how does it help? How do I understand a character's intention in order to play the scene compellingly? Dig into these questions and more with this session on Scene Scoring and Intention.

Actor's Toolbox: Workshop 2

Character Work: Stepping into the Story
Ignatian contemplation has long used the practice of imaginatively “stepping into” a Biblical story to deepen one's spiritual experience. Actors use a similar technique to more fully understand the characters they play. How does this work? How do we step into a story imaginatively in order to develop a character – and our own character as well?

Actor's Toolbox: Workshop 3

Text and Monologue Work
Monologues are frequently used for auditions, yet working with such a big chunk of text can seem daunting. How can we find the dynamics in a monologue so it doesn't just seem like talking? How do we work with text to give it texture when spoken aloud? And is there anything that can help with memorizing the thing?

Actor's Toolbox: Workshop 4

Character Work: Establishing History
A character's history – personal and interpersonal – vitally affects how that character is played on stage. How do we establish a character's history? How do we establish relational history between characters? And how do we connect these things to the story playing out on-stage, so they truly undergird and inform a performance?