Acting Skills 2

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2012:

72 contact hours. 120 hours total.

Combination Class 1.

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

With the acquisition of new acting processes and language, Acting Skills 2 will afford students the opportunity to apply these new skills, with early exploration of text process, as well as in improvisation and movement classes. The focus continues to be on developing the actor’s individual intuitive and imaginative response alongside technical craft skills. Students will be introduced to the principle that these two approaches integrate personal interpretation with the demands of serving the style and substance of story and text to provide performance that is rich in both form and content, with the clear understanding that in theatre, analytical work must have full and free physical and emotional expression to be meaningful.

On completing this subject students will be able to:

• consistently work with both internal and interpersonal connection;
• exhibit a working understanding of language and concepts central to the actor’s craft and implement these in practice;
• utilise processes in text work, including explorative, play-based and technical processes specifically, imaginatively and physically;
• exhibit greater freedom, expression and articulation in the body;
• reflect on and describe their experiences of the work;
• offer, receive and utilise constructive critical feedback;
• consistently exhibit an ability to work in an ensemble with personal integrity, trust and unconditional respect for the work of others;
• gain a sense of autonomy in their artistic process by identifying personal patterns and areas of resistance or difficulty and working positively to overcome them.

Continuous: preparation and participation in classes, demonstrating continuous application to given task and progress in learning and engaging with key concepts (Acting skills 45%, movement 10%)

Formal: based on performance of two set tasks, one in acting skills (15%) and one in movement (10%) in Week 12

Written: self-assessment of progress based on a journal of classroom experiences, reflection and self-directed study to be submitted in week 12 (10%) and a one page assignment on an aspect of acting technique to be submitted in week 8 (10%)

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

On completing this subject students will be able to:
• exhibit extensive practical and theoretical understanding of their discipline including acquisition of skill level, discipline, relevant professional knowledge, and ethics appropriate to professional artistic practice;
• be critical and creative thinkers, with an aptitude for continued self-directed learning;
• recognise and value their uniqueness as an artist whilst developing diversification;
• participate fully in collaborative learning and to confront unfamiliar problems.