Study fundamental acting technique and start to build your reel on camera, release your imagination through improvisation, stretch your physical and vocal horizons in Movement and Voice & Speech classes, and develop insights into the larger story through script analysis in the Academy of Art University’s AA Acting program. The curriculum is designed to prepare students for a seamless transition into our BFA Acting program.
This program is only available onsite.
Jump into the world of objective-based acting! Through scene study, you will learn the basics of professional acting technique, focusing on making compelling acting choices and improving your performances based on adjustments. (This course is cross-listed with LA 104.)
Acting is behaving truthfully under imaginary circumstances. You'll practice authentic moment-to-moment responses with a partner to breathe life into a text and discover techniques to create an organic emotional life between two actors.
Develop your resonance, range and vocal power as you work on contemporary texts. Learn how to awaken and warm up your physical instrument and connect with your authentic voice through physical relaxation and breath awareness.
Use your imagination, active listening, and free-flow response to create instant stories and characters. You'll learn risk taking and spontaneity to play off your partner's suggestions, connect with characters, and create environments on the spot with confidence.
Learn how to make things happen in a scene! Practice the skills of objective-based acting, focusing on scene structure, varying strategies, and using subtext and verbal action to pursue your goals.
Learn to use your imagination, body awareness, and physicality as instruments of expression and communication. Practice building characters using behavior, gesture, commedia dell'arte, mime, and props.
Develop your acting skills through scene study, working on truthful behavior and physical actions. You'll continue to build reflexive and active listening skills to create dynamic subtext. Designed to be taken concurrently with ACT 205.
Achieve body authenticity. Blending the Alexander Technique with acting, you'll expand your physical facility, range, focus and depth, resulting in more authentic performances. Learn to release habits that impede performance and efficient movement.
Build on your work in Voice and Speech 1, exploring more complex and heightened contemporary and classical texts. Become familiar with the sounds and symbols of the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) and use it to enliven your embodied articulation and for dialect notation.
Characters are the heart of every story. You'll acquire the skills to develop compelling three-dimensional characters and to create strong, believable backstories.
| Major Coursework | Units |
|---|---|
| Core | 33 |
| Major | 9 |
| Liberal Arts | 18 |
| Total | 60 |
AA ACTING DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
After above general education requirements are met, take Liberal Arts electives as needed to fulfill the Liberal Arts unit requirement.
Additional Information
Undergraduate students will meet the following student performance criteria:
Voice and Speech
Academy of Art University Learning Outcomes
Graduates of the Academy of Art University will demonstrate the ability to:
