Classes

SAT 10-11am · 9/28, 10/5, 10/12, 10/26, 11/2, 11/9, 11/16, 11/23 (no class 10/19) · $250 

What’s out there in the stars? In this play creation class, you can be president of a planet in a far away solar system, or an astronaut on the way to Mars! You’ll meet all kinds of strange and wonderful space creatures, climb aboard your spaceship, and maybe even save the galaxy from destruction! All things are possible in our ever-expanding universe. With the help of Berkeley Rep teaching artists, students will create their own characters and costumes, and together we will create a short play to share with friends and family on the final day of class. 

Instructor: Teresa Salas (she/her) is a performance practitioner, teacher, and mother. She has worked in physical theater, dance and movement-based performances. Her voice and acting training took place within the Grotowski tradition, having worked at Grotowski’s Workcenter in Italy for 5 years. She is a member of the dance company Danza CIEC in Chile, and has participated in numerous experimental productions during the past 10 years. She has also worked as a movement lecturer for theater students in various professional schools, and undergraduate Theater programs in Chile. Her work grapples with the study of movement, voice and singing both for stage productions and performance as research. Her interest lies in finding collaborative tools for creation and the study of kinesthetics as a mean to deconstruct our social experience, from an anti-racist, postcolonial and feminist lens her work intends to observe other ways to look at creative procedures. She holds an MFA from University of California, Davis – Dramatic Arts and B.A Performing art —Theatre from Paris University Vincennes-Saint-Denis. 

TUE 4:30–6pm · 10/8, 10/15, 10/22, 10/29, 11/5, 11/12 · $180 

Are you a "class clown” or an up-and-coming comedian? Is your funny side just waiting to be discovered? Tap into your funny bone and learn how to make Funny Biz! In this class, we will create comedy out of thin air using mime, masks, and clowning techniques. Let your creativity shine with improv, juggling, crafting, and so much more. Then we’ll share our tricks of the trade and gifts of laughter with family and friends during the last class!

Instructor: Nancy Gold is a multifaceted performing artist, director, teacher, and author of Finding Your Funny Bone! The Actor’s Guide to Physical Comedy and Characters. She has studied physical theatre in Paris with Jacques LeCoq, mime with Claude Kipnis, and clowning with Ctibor Turba. She has a BFA from the University of Illinois and a Master’s equivalence. She teaches at Berkeley Rep School of Theatre, ACT Young Conservatory, Academy of Art University, California Shakespeare Theater, Marin Theatre, UCLA, and public and private schools throughout the country. Directing credits include A Servant of Two Masters, Pippi Longstocking, Madeline and the Gypsies, The Caucasian Chalk Circle, as well as numerous original plays about empowering women for young audiences and adaptations based on literature. Nancy performs comedy and vaudeville with her partner, Lol Levy.

TUE 4:30–6pm · 10/8, 10/15, 10/22, 11/5, 11/12, 11/19, (no class 10/29) · $180

Calling all actors, DND players, comedians, and storytellers! Join us as we explore the exciting art of bringing characters to life on stage. This class will introduce students to the fundamental tools of acting including vocal projection, body language, and portraying truthful relationships. Through improvisation games, full-group activities, and small group scene work, we'll investigate how to bring stories to life from first read to final performance.  

Come join a supportive group of students as we harness our creativity, embrace spontaneity, and speak confidently on stage!

Instructor: Elizabeth (Liz) Woolford (she/her) is a director, teaching artist, and immersive theatre-maker from the D.C. area. She has spent the past two years working with the School of Theatre, including as the Interim Curriculum & Educational Programs Manager where she taught theatre to TK-12th grade students and helped lead Berkeley Rep’s Teen Council cohort. Liz is currently the Theatre Director at Mid-Peninsula High School and is pursuing coursework to become a Trauma Informed Educational Specialist. Her passion lies in teaching folks of all ages how to imagine wildly, tell meaningful stories, cultivate empathy, and engage in serious tomfoolery. She is a graduate of Wesleyan University in CT. 

WED 4:30–6pm · 10/9, 10/16, 10/23, 10/30, 11/6, 11/13 · $180

Expand your imagination through improvisation! As an ensemble, students explore technique, theory, games, and tricks that help them open up to the kind of spontaneity that breeds better comedic timing on stage, stronger reactions in rehearsals, laughter at parties, and a lot more fun at family functions. All levels welcome. Returning students will be challenged with more advanced exercises.

Instructor: Hans Probst has been teaching acting and improv to young actors for the past year at Berkeley Rep. He has been acting since middle school. He attended a Summer Camp production of Guys and Dolls and immediately fell in love with the theatre. While attending San Francisco State University’s Theatre Arts program, he directed with Tri-Valley Young Performer’s Academy. Hans led the Kinderdrama Program and the Center Stage Players Program with TVYPA. The Kinderdrama program, a class designed for very young actors ages 4-6, would teach the basics of stage performance using children’s books as inspiration. The Center Stage Players was a company of 20-25 young actors from ages 7 and up that performed a variety of plays such as Fools, Metamorphosis, and A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream. Teaching children the art of theatre is a passion he holds dearly!

WED 4:30–6pm · 10/9, 10/16, 10/23, 10/30, 11/6, 11/13 · $180 

Being funny is a serious business! Explore the art of comedy from every direction— physical, vocal and improvisational.Test the basics of clowning and take the next step in vaudeville and sketch comedy, before graduating to monologues and scene study - all the time improving your improvisational chops. Have fun being funny! Then share your creations with family and friends during our last class. 

Instructor: Nancy Gold is a multifaceted performing artist, director, teacher, and author of Finding Your Funny Bone! The Actor’s Guide to Physical Comedy and Characters. She has studied physical theatre in Paris with Jacques LeCoq, mime with Claude Kipnis, and clowning with Ctibor Turba. She has a BFA from the University of Illinois and a Master’s equivalence. She teaches at Berkeley Rep School of Theatre, ACT Young Conservatory, Academy of Art University, California Shakespeare Theater, Marin Theatre, UCLA, and public and private schools throughout the country. Directing credits include A Servant of Two Masters, Pippi Longstocking, Madeline and the Gypsies, The Caucasian Chalk Circle, as well as numerous original plays about empowering women for young audiences and adaptations based on literature. Nancy performs comedy and vaudeville with her partner, Lol Levy.

WED 4:30–6pm · 10/9, 10/16, 10/23, 10/30, 11/6, 11/13 · $180 

Tell your story and curate your artistic voice through filmmaking! We will begin by exploring film as an expressive art form and how artistic vision is anchored in each filmmaker’s unique point of view. Students will concentrate on developing their visual storytelling and critical thinking skills through a series of exercises as well as short film and feature length scene viewings towards that end. Other elements the course will cover are: collaboration between filmmakers and actors, blocking and camera placement, generation of ideas, pitches and loglines, and scripts.

Students will have an opportunity to make short, five minute films together in the final classes, to be screened for family and friends during our final session.

Instructor: Samuel Tomfohr is a filmmaker and actor who holds a BA in Film from UC Berkeley and an MFA in Film Directing from Columbia University. He is also a former Fulbright Scholarship recipient in filmmaking to Brazil.  His past short films have screened in film festivals throughout the US. He has taught courses and workshops in screenwriting and filmmaking in New York and Brazil. More recently Sam has been acting in Bay Area theatre and short films. Sam loves the collaborative nature of film and continues to write scripts and stories for future work. He lives in Oakland.

TUE 4:30–6pm · 10/15, 10/22, 10/29, 11/5, 11/12, 11/19 · $180

Students will explore the tools of the actor through monologue and scene work by analyzing scripts and performing for one another. This is an opportunity for students to gain valuable rehearsal and stage experience with feedback on their work, improve stage presence and confidence as a performer, and sharpen their text analysis!  

Instructor: Pamela Rickard is an international theatre director, teacher, actress and private acting coach. Over her 40-year career, she has directed more than 150 classical and contemporary plays, musicals, and original shows throughout France, England and the US. Pamela has been a resident director and teacher at American Conservatory Theatre since 1994 and a lecturer in theatre history and contemporary productions for the San Francisco Arts and Humanities Elderhostel program. She was the head of the theatre department at Convent of the Sacred Heart/Stuart Hall high school for 12 years and has run the theatre program at the Katherine Delmar Burke School since 1990. She has taught Grotowski-based theatre workshops at Stanford University since 2016. 

  
As a private acting coach, Pamela has prepared students for high school, college, advanced  degree and professional auditions. She is committed to meeting each student where they are and giving them the support they need to develop confidence, imagination and trust.  Pamela’s students have been accepted into Carnegie Mellon/Juilliard/ UCLA/USC/NYU/Emerson and other highly respected theatre programs. Pamela received a Conservatory Degree from the Stella Adler Theatre Conservatory in NY, Master’s Degree in Theatre Arts from SFSU, and BA in Dramatic History and Literature from UC Berkeley where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa, Summa Cum Laude.

TUE 7–9:30pm · 10/15, 10/22, 10/29, 11/5, 11/12, 11/19 · $290

This course explores the art of acting in a playful, encouraging, collaborative atmosphere, and offers a dynamic and engaging introduction to the craft of acting. Develop a basic understanding of acting fundamentals through Stanislavski-based practice. Using exercises and scene work, this class introduces students to the elements of dramatic action, text analysis, and character development, as well as the tools for releasing inhibitions and expanding vocal and physical range. May be repeated.

Instructor: Pamela Rickard is an international theatre director, teacher, actress and private acting coach. Over her 40-year career, she has directed more than 150 classical and contemporary plays, musicals, and original shows throughout France, England and the US. 
Pamela has been a resident director and teacher at American Conservatory Theatre since 1994 and a lecturer in theatre history and contemporary productions for the San Francisco Arts and Humanities Elderhostel program. She was the head of the theatre department at Convent of the Sacred Heart/Stuart Hall high school for 12 years and has run the theatre program at the Katherine Delmar Burke School since 1990. She has taught Grotowski-based theatre workshops at Stanford University since 2016. 

  
As a private acting coach, Pamela has prepared students for high school, college, advanced  degree and professional auditions. She is committed to meeting each student where they are and giving them the support they need to develop confidence, imagination and trust.  Pamela’s students have been accepted into Carnegie Mellon/Juilliard/ UCLA/USC/NYU/Emerson and other highly respected theatre programs. Pamela received a Conservatory Degree from the Stella Adler Theatre Conservatory in NY, Master’s Degree in Theatre Arts from SFSU, and BA in Dramatic History and Literature from UC Berkeley where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa, Summa Cum Laude.

SOLD OUT— Email school@berkeleyrep.org to get on our waitlist.

WED 7–9:30pm · 9/25, 10/2, 10/9, 10/16, 10/23, 10/30, 11/6, 11/13 · $355

This course explores the art of acting in a playful, encouraging, collaborative atmosphere, and offers a dynamic and engaging introduction to the craft of acting. Develop a basic understanding of acting fundamentals through Stanislavski-based practice. Using exercises and scene work, this class introduces students to the elements of dramatic action, text analysis, and character development, as well as the tools for releasing inhibitions and expanding vocal and physical range. May be repeated.

Instructor: Marvin Greene is a professional actor and has performed with major regional theatres such as ACT, Aurora Theatre Company, Marin Theatre Company, Westport Country Playhouse, Long Wharf Theatre, and San Jose Rep. Marvin served as an instructor at ACT for over a decade and also teaches at the Academy of Art College and Voice One in San Francisco. Marvin has taught at the Berkeley Rep School of Theatre since 2003.

TUE 7–9:30pm · 9/24, 10/1, 10/8, 10/15, 10/22, 10/29, 11/5, 11/12 · $355

Build a strong portfolio of audition pieces for both film and theater! Your monologue is your handshake.  It’s your way of reaching out and introducing yourself to a director, casting director or agent.  Monologues are an important tool to help you thrive in the audition process, and they are a tool that many actors overlook.

In this class we’ll look at types of monologues and situations that call for different kinds of pieces.  We’ll examine in depth how to take a monologue apart, rehearse it, and set it on its feet. We will discuss the kinds of monologues that every auditioning actor should have in their portfolio. Lastly, we’ll experiment with the difference between using monologues for theater and for film.  The etiquette for each type of audition will be discussed and practiced.  Best practices for filming your own auditions will also be emphasized as self-submissions are becoming more common and necessary. 

Instructor: Marvin Greene is a professional actor and has performed with major regional theatres such as ACT, Aurora Theatre Company, Marin Theatre Company, Westport Country Playhouse, Long Wharf Theatre, and San Jose Rep. Marvin served as an instructor at ACT for over a decade and also teaches at the Academy of Art College and Voice One in San Francisco. Marvin has taught at the Berkeley Rep School of Theatre since 2003.

WED 6:30–9:30pm · 9/25, 10/2, 10/9, 10/16, 10/23, 10/30, 11/6, 11/13 · $420

Working with the play Almost, Maine by John Cariani, students will spend the eight weeks diving deep into a scene from the play, culminating in an evening of scene shares. We begin with a script analysis toolbox and proceed to scene work rehearsals. Special emphasis is placed on activating dramatically effective choices by playing provocative actions, discovering the event within the scene, and finding creative obstacles. We will share our work for invited friends and family during the final session of class.

Instructor: M. Graham Smith is a freelance director, educator and producer. He was raised just outside New York City and has been based in San Francisco since 2004. He served as the producer of Aurora Theater’s new play development program and festival, The Global Age Project, from 2009-2015. Recent directing credits include world premieres of Obie winner Christopher Chen’s Home Invasion, Kevin Rolston’s Deal with the Dragon at Magic Theatre & Edinburgh Fringe, Kait Kerrigan's Father/Daughter at Aurora, west coast premieres of Mia Chung’s You for Me for You at Crowded Fire, and James Ijames’ White at Shotgun. During the pandemic, he directed his first full length film, a hip-hop musical adaptation of As You Like It, produced by American Conservatory Theater, where he has directed MFA students since 2007. Other pandemic projects include the audio cycle of Harrison Rivers’ hold me the forgotten way produced by Tigerbear in collaboration with seven Queer theaters across the country. His most recent world premiere is the new musical, The Mortification of Fovea Munson, which premiered at The Kennedy Center in March. His new project, FDR’s Very Happy Hour is being developed at the Denver Center and is a commission from The Perelman Center in NYC.

SAT 1–4pm · 10/5, 10/12, 10/19, 10/26, 11/2, 11/9, 11/16 · $375

This scene study class is designed for students who have participated in one of Berkeley Rep's previous Taste of Meisner Workshop or Meisner Technique: Repetition classes or have some previous experience with the Meisner technique. The 7 weeks will build on Meisner's foundational "repetition exercise" and start applying the same skills of attunement to text work with the concept of "conversational reality."

The instructor will then introduce tools of emotional preparation, objectives, actions, and particularizations as students learn to carve out more meaning and specificity in their scenes. Students should have some acting experience paired with a desire to deepen their listening skills, vulnerability, spontaneity, imagination, and sense of truth when performing in a scene.

This course requires consistent attendance and work outside of class, including weekly rehearsals with scene partners and additional imaginative private homework. Students will be asked to show up as the most authentic versions of themselves, with a willingness to look at the social habits and defenses that may be getting in the way of honest human connection.  

Prerequisite: A short, informal interview with the instructor is required to determine rightness of fit for the course. 

Instructor: Carolyn McCandlish has taught the Meisner acting technique at NYU Tisch’s Experimental Theatre Wing, the Terry Knickerbocker Studio, Acting Studio Chicago, the Actors' Center D.C., and the Greenbrier Valley Theatre. Carolyn trained with Terry Knickerbocker in two subsequent 2-year Meisner conservatory programs, first as an actor at the William Esper Studio, then again as a teaching apprentice while assisting the opening of his own Terry Knickerbocker Studio. Other creative mentors over the years include Maggie Flanigan, Fay Simpson, Richard Armstrong, Elena McGhee, Alisa Endsley, Ted Morin, and Jeff Wirth. Some of Carolyn's favorite theatre credits are The Spoon River Project (Green-Wood Cemetery), Crimes of the Heart (Fable Farm Theatre), Stomp and Shout (Babel Theatre Project), and Donnie Darko (American Repertory Theater). She was a founding member of art.party.theater.company, which specialized in designing creative performance installations and reinvigorating classical texts through site-specific, physical theater, and she co-founded the interactive, dramatic improv ensemble Playing With Reality, with which she performed and taught in Amsterdam and across New York City. Carolyn co-wrote, co-produced, assistant directed and acted in Whispers in the Dark, an interactive 24-hour film project for the New York Film Festival at Lincoln Center. She received a B.A. from Harvard and a Master's in Social Work from NYU with an additional focus on therapeutic drama techniques. She is a firm believer in the healing and transformative powers of acting.

WED 7–9:30pm · 9/25, 10/2, 10/9, 10/16, 10/23, 10/30, 11/6, 11/13 · $355

Discover how to breathe new life into Shakespeare by adapting the original practices of the 16th Century for 21st Century performances. In this class, we'll explore physicality, breath, projection, diction, characterization, and how to combine heightened verse with Stanislavsky techniques. Using techniques developed at Shakespeare’s Globe in London, you will come away from this class with a usable audition monologue and a unique understanding of how to craft a Shakespeare performance for today’s stage. Additionally, students will get a taste of the authentic Elizabethan player experience through the use of onstage music, puzzling “cue scripts,” limited rehearsal time, and lively audience interaction with your fellow classmates! 

Instructor: Paul Jennings, a Bay Area native, has performed Shakespeare locally and abroad over the last 40 years.  A deep love of history, theatre, and travel has led him to performing in places as diverse as Shakespeare's Globe, London, to the streets of Seoul Korea. Notable credits include: Antipholus of Syracuse in The Comedy of Errors (Pop-up Globe, New Zealand)  Macbeth (Berkeley Rep) with Frances McDormand and Conleth Hill, Jerry in Harold Pinter's Betrayal (Pacific Repertory Theatre), Richard III, in Dick 3 (Theatrepub), Judge Danforth, in The Crucible (Custom Made Theatre Co.), Pilate in The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, and John Wayne Gacy in Behind the Screams: Killer Clown for the Reelz Network. Paul has trained at A.C.T, CalShakes, Berkeley Rep, and Shakespeare's Globe, London.

MON 7–9:30pm · 9/23, 9/30, 10/7, 10/21, 10/28, 11/4 (no class 10/14) · $290

Have you ever longed to orchestrate every aspect of performance? Do you have a passion for telling stories from script to stage? Do you want to have a better sense of how to read a production on the stage and follow the clues the director has left? This course will give an overview of directing: from how to analyze a script, how to think about design, how to coach actors, and how to synthesize these different skills into a full production concept.  

Instructor: M. Graham Smith is a freelance director, educator and producer. He was raised just outside New York City and has been based in San Francisco since 2004. He served as the producer of Aurora Theater’s new play development program and festival, The Global Age Project, from 2009-2015. Recent directing credits include world premieres of Obie winner Christopher Chen’s Home Invasion, Kevin Rolston’s Deal with the Dragon at Magic Theatre & Edinburgh Fringe, Kait Kerrigan's Father/Daughter at Aurora, west coast premieres of Mia Chung’s You for Me for You at Crowded Fire, and James Ijames’ White at Shotgun. During the pandemic, he directed his first full length film, a hip-hop musical adaptation of As You Like It, produced by American Conservatory Theater, where he has directed MFA students since 2007. Other pandemic projects include the audio cycle of Harrison Rivers’ hold me the forgotten way produced by Tigerbear in collaboration with seven Queer theaters across the country. His most recent world premiere is the new musical, The Mortification of Fovea Munson, which premiered at The Kennedy Center in March. His new project, FDR’s Very Happy Hour is being developed at the Denver Center and is a commission from The Perelman Center in NYC.

TUE 7–9:30pm · 9/24, 10/1, 10/8, 10/15, 10/22, 10/29, 11/5, 11/12, 11/19, 12/3 · $440

Ever wanted to write a play? Got a little time on your hands? Push that dream forward in a 10-week playwriting workshop online. We’ll meet weekly, discuss the basics of playwriting, and share excerpts of developing scripts. If you’ve never written a play before, this is a good way to get started. If you’ve got a script in the works, but no one to share it with, here’s a writer’s group ready to listen and respond supportively. Do you find (like most playwrights) that nothing motivates you like a deadline? We’ll provide that, too. Join us, and start working on that play you’ve always wanted to write.

Instructor: Gary Graves is a playwright and director living in the San Francisco Bay Area. Since 1998, he has been a company co-director of Central Works “The New Play Theater” in Berkeley, California, where he has overseen the development of over 65 world premiere productions. He received a PhD in dramatic art at UC Berkeley in 1994, and he teaches playwriting at the Berkeley Rep School of Theatre throughout the year.

WED 7–9:30pm · 9/25, 10/2, 10/9, 10/16, 10/23, 10/30 · $290

Would you like to land your ideas with more impact? Do you lose control of your breath when anxious? Are you unsure how to gauge or deliver correct volume at auditions or interviews? Whether as yourself or as a character, voice is the epicenter of your communication with the world; when we free our voices, the rest of our expressive instrument follows!

Incorporating movement with vocal exploration, this gently physical class helps you to connect the dots between mindset, gesture, and emotional expression.  In addition to learning how to use your voice and physicality in performance, you will come away from the class with a well-worked piece of speech appropriate to your situation (interview preparation, audition monologue, presentational speech). A complimentary mp3 of the core exercises will be provided to support your practice beyond this class. 

Instructor: Susan-Jane Harrison (aka SJ Harrison) is a British American playwright and performer, trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, with a Masters of Fine Arts from UC Davis.  The originator of the Inhabiting Technique for Actors, SJ Harrison has over 20 years experience working internationally. She has taught at UC Davis, ACT, Berkeley Repertory School of Theatre, Empowerhouse Acting Studio, and California Shakespeare Company.  She has a private voice and performance coaching practice locally and globally.   A member of VASTA (Voice and Speech Trainers Association), Susan-Jane specializes in working with ‘third culture’ and multilingual clients.  Unusual collaborations in Harrison’s artistic work have allowed her to develop across disciplines.  Her teaching work draws from Linklater, Stanislavsky, Growtoski, Cicely Berry and Rudolf Laban. To name a few, she has worked at the Pop-Up Globe in New Zealand, with BBC Radio, A&BC Theatre Co, RADA and the Royal National in the UK, and at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Aurora Theatre Company, ACT, California Shakespeare Company in the US.  She has been a Brady Fellow at 3Girls Theatre in San Francisco and continues to work with them on her plays. 

SAT 11am–1:30pm · 9/28, 10/5, 10/12, 10/19, 10/26, 11/2, 11/9, 11/16 · $355

This course explores the art of acting in a playful, encouraging, collaborative atmosphere, and offers a dynamic and engaging introduction to the craft of acting. Develop a basic understanding of acting fundamentals through Stanislavski-based practice. Using exercises and scene work, this class introduces students to the elements of dramatic action, text analysis, and character development, as well as the tools for releasing inhibitions and expanding vocal and physical range. May be repeated.

Instructor: Bobby August, Jr. is an actor, improviser, and teacher. Bobby is also a recipient of the prestigious NBC Bob Curry fellowship at Second City. His group just finished an extended run of completely sold out performances at Second City Hollywood. He earned an MFA in Acting from the University of California, Davis. Some of his favorite past performances include portraying Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing, Howie in Rabbit Hole, Petruchio in The Taming of the Shrew, and The Player in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. Bobby also devises physical theatre pieces with long-time collaborator Iu-Hui Chua. In addition, Bobby is the owner and director of the award-winning Made Up Theatre (MUT) in Fremont, California. His theatre specializes in presenting completely improvised plays. He has performed with MUT at improv festivals throughout the country—most recently winning Best Improv Group at the Sacramento Comedy Festival. His improv education includes training at the world-famous Second City and Annoyance Theatre in Chicago.

MON 7–9:30pm · 10/7, 10/14, 10/21, 10/28, 11/4, 11/11, 11/18, 11/25 · $355

Building upon skills and tools learned in Beginning Acting, students will have the opportunity to delve deeper into character development and scene study while exploring new approaches to physicality and vocality. Special emphasis is placed on encouraging students to make dramatically effective choices by playing provocative actions, discovering the event within the scene, and finding creative obstacles. May be repeated.

Prerequisite: Prior acting experience or previous acting classes at the Berkeley Rep School of Theatre or another reputable theatre studio that stressed the fundamentals of text analysis, beat breakdown, and character objectives. 

Instructor: Jennifer Le Blanc is an actor, director, playwright/adaptor, and teaching artist. Jennifer has acted regionally and internationally. Her plays and adaptations have been produced in the U.S. and Canada. Jennifer has taught for Perspective Theatre Company’s and Livermore Shakespeare Festival’s education programs, taught workshops at Cerimon House, and coached style and movement for productions at several local companies. Jennifer has an MFA from the National Theatre Conservatory and a BA in English Literature from UC Berkeley. 

SOLD OUT— Email school@berkeleyrep.org to get on our waitlist.

SAT 10am–12:30pm · 9/28, 10/5, 10/12, 10/19, 10/26, 11/2, 11/9, 11/16 · $355

In this beginning/intermediate level class, students will focus on creating character by thoroughly understanding the relationship between the text, situation, and the technical aspects of camera work. When these fundamental tools are genuinely understood and used correctly, only then can actors be free to work to the best of their ability in front of a camera. Areas of study will include script analysis, scene study, and character development, as well as camera technique, set discipline, and set etiquette. All scenes will be rehearsed with direction from the instructor, and copies will be given to students for their reference; please bring a 16GB SD card. A variety of other subjects will also be discussed relating to the business side of show business, including audition technique, agents, union membership, photographs, and websites.

Instructor: Marvin Greene is a professional actor and has performed with major regional theatres such as ACT, Aurora Theatre Company, Marin Theatre Company, Westport Country Playhouse, Long Wharf Theatre, and San Jose Rep. Marvin served as an instructor at ACT for over a decade and also teaches at the Academy of Art College and Voice One in San Francisco. Marvin has taught at the Berkeley Rep School of Theatre since 2003.

THU 7–9:30pm · 9/26, 10/3, 10/10, 10/17, 10/24, 10/31, 11/7, 11/14 · $355 

Play helps us stay connected—through improv you can bring play and laughter into your life during these times of uncertainty! This class is designed to introduce you to the thrills and chills of improv and to develop your acting and narrative skills to boot, all while reconnecting with others in real time. Tap into your sense of joy, connection, and creativity as you learn the basic building blocks of improv!

Instructor: Joshua Waterstone is a director, arts producer/administrator, actor and educator. He has taught improvisation and devising classes with The Horizon Theatre, The Center for Creative and Performing Arts GTCC, Bay Area Children's Theater, BlankStage, SFYT, Berkeley Repertory School of Theatre, the O.T.C., and multiple colleges and universities on the East Coast. On the improv performance side, Joshua was an ensemble member of the O.T.C. (Off The Cobb) Improv Troupe, as well as an ensemble member of Blank Stage Improv and Fly-By Theater: a dance/theater improvisation troupe. He has also created the ongoing improvisation troupes Lazzi at U.N.L, and Spontaneous at G.T.C.C.

MON 7–9:30pm · 9/30, 10/7, 10/21, 10/28, 11/4, 11/11 (no class 10/14) · $290

Professional Level Acting is an advanced scene study intensive. Students will work on solidifying technique, deepening internal connection, and strengthening textual analysis skills. Scenes are drawn from a variety of styles and genres, and students should expect to spend substantial rehearsal time outside of class.

Instructor: Jonathan Moscone is thrilled to be returning to the Berkeley Rep School of Theater. Most recently, he served as the Executive Director of the California Arts Council and for 7 years as Chief Producer of Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. As Artistic Director of California Shakespeare Theater from 2000-2015, he received the inaugural Zelda Fichandler Award, given by the Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation for “transforming the American theater through his unique and creative work.”  

Jonathan has directed classics and new work at regional theaters across the country, including: Berkeley Repertory Theater; American Conservatory Theater; Alley Theater; Magic Theater; Campo Santo; Oregon Shakespeare Theater; Huntington Theater; Dallas Theater Center; Milwaukee Repertory Theater; Goodspeed Musicals, among others. 

SOLD OUT— Email school@berkeleyrep.org to get on our waitlist.

TUE 7–10pm · 10/1, 10/8, 10/15, 10/22, 10/29, 11/5 · $345

One of the joys of improvisation is sharing creativity and spontaneity with an audience. This class introduces the skill of performing improvisational games and stories in a light and generous atmosphere. Students explore the philosophy of “giving” rather than “shining,” and practice interaction techniques that demystify the perceived barriers between performers and an audience. There will be one scheduled performances during the 6 week time frame.

This class is limited to 12 participants.

Prerequisite: Approval from instructor prior to registration.  

Instructor: Diana Brown is an award winning performing and teaching artist, a producer, director and playwright. She was named Most Valuable Mentor and Teacher at the San Francisco Improv Festival. She’s taught with Laguna Playhouse, Grupology, and as a guest teaching artist at City College San Francisco. She is Director of Community and Senior Producer with Leela Improv Theatre Company in San Francisco. She serves as director for the improv ensemble The Professionals. Diana is also a communication facilitator, working with physicians and business leaders, helping them to interact with patients and clients in ways that promote empathy and cultural equity. She is half of the nationally touring improv comedy duo Bingewatch. Bingewatch was awarded Best Improv at the Fringe Festival of Pittsburgh. She’s performed and presented workshops at festivals around the country including San Francisco Sketch Fest, New York Improv Festival, Twin Cities Improv Festival, New Orleans Improv Fest, Vintage Improv Fest, Denver Improv Festival, 2nd Best Comedy Fest, San Francisco Improv Fest, Tucson Comedy Arts Fest. She’s appeared in theater productions in New York, San Francisco and Washington D.C. Diana has studied with master improv teachers from Second City, IO, Annoyance Theatre, UCB, The Pack Theatre. She studied performing arts with the Arizona Theatre Company Conservatory. Diana co-authored and performed the solo play When You Are Called with award winning playwright Susan Jackson. 

WED 7–9:30pm · 10/2, 10/9, 10/16, 10/23, 10/30, 11/6 · $290 

Dive into the possibilities of improvised theatre! In this class we’ll do lots of scene work to deepen comfort and spontaneity in a variety of genres. Students will work on establishing character, building and exploring the world of the scene, and co-creating a cohesive story together. Students will receive direct, tailored, and supportive feedback. No matter what, we will play and laugh—a lot.

Instructor: Diana Brown is an award winning performing and teaching artist, a producer, director and playwright. She was named Most Valuable Mentor and Teacher at the San Francisco Improv Festival. She’s taught with Laguna Playhouse, Grupology, and as a guest teaching artist at City College San Francisco. She is Director of Community and Senior Producer with Leela Improv Theatre Company in San Francisco. She serves as director for the improv ensemble The Professionals. Diana is also a communication facilitator, working with physicians and business leaders, helping them to interact with patients and clients in ways that promote empathy and cultural equity. She is half of the nationally touring improv comedy duo Bingewatch. Bingewatch was awarded Best Improv at the Fringe Festival of Pittsburgh. She’s performed and presented workshops at festivals around the country including San Francisco Sketch Fest, New York Improv Festival, Twin Cities Improv Festival, New Orleans Improv Fest, Vintage Improv Fest, Denver Improv Festival, 2nd Best Comedy Fest, San Francisco Improv Fest, Tucson Comedy Arts Fest. She’s appeared in theater productions in New York, San Francisco and Washington D.C. Diana has studied with master improv teachers from Second City, IO, Annoyance Theatre, UCB, The Pack Theatre. She studied performing arts with the Arizona Theatre Company Conservatory. Diana co-authored and performed the solo play When You Are Called with award winning playwright Susan Jackson. 

TUE 7–9:30pm · 10/8, 10/15, 10/22, 10/29, 11/5, 11/12 · $290

Let’s dive in and write a song! In this interactive workshop we’ll explore the nuts and bolts of writing, as well as the emotional side of sharing a musical story that means something to you. Each week, we’ll explore a different tool for shaping a song, while also leaving time for you to create your own new piece. In this supportive class for beginners and intermediates, we’ll co-create an environment where we feel inspired to try new things, share our voices, and tell stories through song, all while having fun! 

Instructor: Rachel Garlin is a touring singer-songwriter with 20 years of experience as a teaching artist in the Bay Area, New York, and beyond. Her latest album “The Ballad of Madelyne & Therese” debuted in June 2023 as a one-woman-show and features 13 original songs for the stage. As a recording artist, Garlin has produced 9 albums and written for film and theater, including a production featuring the voice of Vanessa Williams that debuted in Paris in 2019. With recent recognition from the San Francisco Chronicle and Americana Highways, Garlin continues a longstanding performance career while teaching locally whenever she is in town. 

SAT 1–2:30pm · 10/26, 11/2, 11/9, 11/16 · $125

Learn how to tap in the tradition of the old masters and break ground with some of the new contemporary styles. Ear training, weight transfer, balance, stamina, style, and a chance to experiment with choreography are just a few benefits of the tap class. Whether you are a professional dancer or just starting out, come study with a world-renowned tapper who has danced with Gregory Hines, Savion Glover, Nicholas Brothers, and Michelle Dorrance! Open to all levels. 

Instructor: Joe Orrach is a choreographer, director, performer and educator. Orrach started out as a boxer, but soon realized he had better ways to communicate and entertain. The ballet he studied for his boxing footwork led him to tap dance and performing vaudeville throughout the US and Europe. Orrach has conceived, written, performed, and directed original plays and solo shows for live stages worldwide. His dramatic pieces are frequently in collaboration with a jazz trio. Orrach choreographed and was featured in Terrence Blanchard’s opera Champion at SF Jazz and with National Opera at the Kennedy Center. Orrach gives back to the community through Joe Orrach Performance Project (JOPP) a 501 © (3) nonprofit and has taught for LA’s Urban Peace Institute and the Latino Leadership Institute. Orrach has created performance workshops with lockdown juveniles in San Francisco General Hospital, for formerly incarcerated at Delancey Street Foundation Headquarters, and for the general population at San Quentin State Prison. Joe is the recipient of the Dance Studio Life "Generous Heart” Teaching Award, for his work with at-risk communities. He has taught acting and movement as far away as St Petersburg, Russia as the American cultural ambassador for Track Two Diplomacy Institute.  Mr. Orrach has an MFA from University of Southern California’s School of Dramatic Arts.

SAT 10:30am–12:30pm · 10/26, 11/2, 11/9, 11/16 · $165

Connect with your body and discover new depths of your mind! Butoh is an avant-garde Japanese physical-theatre dance form developed in the 1950s by Tatsumi Hijikata and Kazuo Ono. It illuminates the wonders of the unconscious, the abstract, and the integrated imagination through the body. The fundamental movement work of this class will enable students to more consciously engage body, mind, and feelings simultaneously. This class will help participants develop sensory awareness and engage in embodied expression through durational and imagery-based work that engages the somatic-imagination. Using sense-memory and visualizations, we will embark on embodied explorations of different landscapes, states of being, and the connections that create the world within and around us.

Hybrid classes may be attended online via Zoom, or in-person at the School of Theatre.

Instructor: Iu-Hui Chua choreographs, performs, directs, and devises experimental physical theatre, dance, and video performance. Chua has performed professionally with Anna Halprin, Dandelion Dancetheater, Headmistress, Inkboat, Disneyland, and was a founding member of the butoh company, Ledoh and Salt Farm, for 14 years. She is an award-winning dance-film artist whose video and live performance works have been supported nationally and presented in North America, Asia, and Europe. She directed Gruesome Playground Injuries, nominated for “Outstanding Production of a Play” by the Theatre Bay Area Awards in 2015. Chua has taught dance as a lecturer at the University of California Davis and currently works as a professional expert teaching movement for actors at Tamalpais High School’s Conservatory Theatre Ensemble program.

SAT 10am–1pm · 11/9, 11/16, 11/23, 12/7 (no class 11/30) · $285

Redirect physical responses to stress in high stakes scenarios and learn how to fuel your zealousness while developing soft skills with your team. We will work with improvisation exercises based on the leading principle of "yes and" and work to explore each student’s unique goals. Students will receive practical tools, take aways, and detailed handouts which address how to control your breathing and redirect anxiety, as well as best ways to open yourself to spontaneity.

Instructor: Deborah Eubanks been teaching and directing voice and speech to actors and non-actors for over 3 decades in UK and US. She is currently in her 7th year with Strictly Speaking Group, coaching under EDI, and in her 12th year at Academy of Art University, where she has built classes and is  teaching Acting and Voice. Deb has been with BRT for over 15 years. She received her Theater Arts degree in UK at Harold Pinter Studios, UEA, and has written and performed in Covent Garden Arts Center, Cambridge. Deb has also toured the UK with a series of one woman shows. Deborah has taught Voice, Acting Techniques and Dialects at American Conservatory Theatre,  University of San Francisco and S.F. Shakespeare. Deborah was the 2021, inspirational speaker at Google Women’s summit, and has created workshops specifically for LGBTQ vocal transitioning. She is a trained Registered Nursing Instructor and has an extensive understanding of anatomy of voice and speech. She was in residence with Stephen Hawking’s company and has an acting resume which includes many classic and contemporary roles. She is an SF Divafest Playwright, and in October 2021, she was guest to Ralph Fiennes’s dialect coach for The Dig, on BBC radio. 

SAT 1:30–4:30pm · 11/9, 11/16, 11/23, 12/7 (no class 11/30) · $285

This 4-week class is a combination of the methods of Kristen Linklater, The Tao of Voice, and Deborah’s own approach. Hand-outs will be given prior to classes. We will practice warm up exercises designed to release unique vocal freedom, which will serve to build and sustain a safely supported voice and access each clients’ whole range. Each week texts will be chosen in order to build upon vocal variety. Sides and scenes will be practiced incorporating pace pitch power and pauses, and expanding range and resonance. Passion pieces will be chosen by clients in order to weave together unique creative imaging and unique interpretation thereby authentically embodying language, in order to bring the words alive, and truly own the text.

Instructor: Deborah Eubanks been teaching and directing voice and speech to actors and non-actors for over 3 decades in UK and US. She is currently in her 7th year with Strictly Speaking Group, coaching under EDI, and in her 12th year at Academy of Art University, where she has built classes and is  teaching Acting and Voice. Deb has been with BRT for over 15 years. She received her Theater Arts degree in UK at Harold Pinter Studios, UEA, and has written and performed in Covent Garden Arts Center, Cambridge. Deb has also toured the UK with a series of one woman shows. Deborah has taught Voice, Acting Techniques and Dialects at American Conservatory Theatre,  University of San Francisco and S.F. Shakespeare. Deborah was the 2021, inspirational speaker at Google Women’s summit, and has created workshops specifically for LGBTQ vocal transitioning. She is a trained Registered Nursing Instructor and has an extensive understanding of anatomy of voice and speech. She was in residence with Stephen Hawking’s company and has an acting resume which includes many classic and contemporary roles. She is an SF Divafest Playwright, and in October 2021, she was guest to Ralph Fiennes’s dialect coach for The Dig, on BBC radio. 

WED 7–10pm · 11/6, 11/13, 11/20 · $265

Storytelling is an art form as old as human civilization and there has never been a better time to explore personal stories from the heart than in this current moment. Our personal stories are dovetailing into the global narrative, resulting in powerful tales yearning to be told. Whether you have a solo show dying to be birthed or you want to hone your storytelling skills for professional reasons, this class will help you harness your creativity, trust your instincts, quiet your inner critic, and find your unique voice. Through acting, improv, and writing exercises, we will get that story out of your head and into the world. There will be a final showcase of work on the last night of the class for an invited audience.

Instructor: Joyful Simpson is an actress, writer, and creativity educator who combines improv theatre, behavioral sciences, and mindfulness to create dynamic trainings for businesses and institutions. She studied theatre and psychology at Sarah Lawrence College in New York and earned an MFA in Dramatic Art from UC Davis. While at Davis, she spearheaded an applied improv-based training program for the Graduate School of Management. In 2013 she founded Pro-CreativeArts—an applied theatre organization—and is hired throughout the United States to lead trainings that foster creativity, collaboration, and communication for teams and leaders. Born into an iconic theatre family, she brings to her classes a unique body of experience gained from creating and performing theatre professionally since childhood. Her solo comedy recently won Best of Fringe at the 2016 San Francisco Fringe Festival. Her theatre credits include lead actor and co-author of four plays for “Prize of Hope”-winning company Human Nature and co-founder of the ensemble-driven theatre company Rococo Risqué, winner of SF Weekly Best Theater Ensemble 2005. Joyful has also appeared as an actor in many projects on stage and film, including Odyssey Works, an immersive theatre project; The Pursuit of Happiness, with Will Smith; and Spring Awakening, directed by Broadway and West End director Stafford Arima.