by Elaine Walker
Class ACT plans a number of winter theater classes and workshops at Anacortes Community Theatre, 918 M Ave.
Call 293-6829 for more information or to register for a class.
• Slapstick and Pratfalls, 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Jan. 10; $10. Willow McLaughlin will teach ages 13 and up ways to be physically funny on stage. This is a great class for actors or directors looking to add more physical comedy to their shows.
• Scenes and Songs: A Music Review, 3:30-5 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays, Jan. 12 to Feb. 18; $100. Andrea Vanderpool will help students in grades 3-6 step into a musical. Learn how to create a character in a scene and then carry it through into a song, through dramatic games and exercises. Students will create a short Music Review of scenes and songs from four Broadway musicals that they will perform on ACT’s 2nd stage at 7 p.m. Feb. 18.
• Crazy Characters, 3:30-5 p.m. Tuesdays, Jan. 13 to Feb. 17; $45. Students in grades K-2 will learn to create crazy characters physically and vocally through theater games and a series of short plays based on famous children’s books. The last class includes an informal performance for friends and family.
• Improv Intensive, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 31; $15. Eal Lundquist will teach beginners and more experienced students 13 and older, who will expand skills while learning new games and having a barrel of laughs. Learn about CROW, why to never say no and how to make a rutabaga funny.
• Top Director: Developing Characters, with Melissa Bridges for age 18 and older. Classes are 8:30 a.m. to noon Saturday, Feb. 21, and Saturday, March 7. A performance is 8 p.m. March 14 on ACT’s Second Stage. Cost is $50. This hands-on class covers the basics of directing and character development. Each student will have the opportunity to direct an actor through a short scene using principles from the class. The scenes will be performed on ACT’s Second Stage and critiqued by three of ACT’s well-loved directors. The top director wins a trophy.
