Weekend Acting Intensive

"This was an absolutely incredible experience and one I am so grateful to have been able to attend. I learned far more than I thought I would!" - 2022 participant

"The weekend that I spent with Jess and Éanna from Untold Wants Theatre was completely transformative. For the first time, I performed in front of others and did not feel any imposter syndrome creeping in. It was freeing." - 2022 participant

Registration closes on January 13, 2023 at noon.

Wood Buffalo non-profit theatre company Swamp Rat Experience (SRE) is inviting local actors to learn from professional theatre artists at a Weekend Acting Intensive on January 20-22, 2023 at Suncor Energy Centre for the Performing Arts.

"I feel much more confident in my abilities." - 2022 participant

The Intensive will be led by experienced artists Éanna O’Dowd from Galway, Ireland and Jessica Aquila Cymerman from Los Angeles, US through their theatre company Untold Wants based out of Vancouver, BC. By inviting industry professionals to our community and creating a space where actors can feel safe and supported while being challenged to further their craft, SRE hopes to help local actors build confidence in their work as they identify and strengthen their acting toolkit.

Éanna and Jessica will guide and instruct you in employing established acting techniques. The goal is to strengthen your craft, helping you own your choices in the scene and specify the characters you build. Scenes will be worked toward achieving specificity, based on constructive adjustments from the instructors.

"Please, please, please bring them back. I would attend again even if it was the exact same workshop." - 2022 participant

Before the Intensive

You will be asked to submit a tape of yourself performing a scene or monologue before the Acting Intensive. This is done to help the instructors get an idea about "who you are" as an actor, and what scenes or monologues would be most helpful to you during the Intensive.

The texts you will work with during the intensive will be chosen to best suit your needs, depending on what would be most helpful to you in your learning and development.

Details on how to create a self-tape will be sent out when you register.

Friday, January 20, 7 PM - 9 PM

At the initial meeting with the instructors, actors will receive a technique lecture, do scene work preparation, and have an opportunity to ask questions.

Saturday, January 21 and Sunday, January 22, 10 AM - 6 PM

The weekend will be spent deep-diving into scene work, feedback, and character analysis, building your acting tool box and exploring ways of understanding your character.

Event details

When: January 20-22, 2023

Where: Suncor Energy Centre for the Performing Arts

Who: This intensive is open to ages 18+ and all experience levels.

Cost:

• Full weekend (Fri/Sat/Sun): $240
• Partial weekend (Friday and either Saturday or Sunday): $180

Payments can be made in installments. Please contact swampratexperience@gmail.com for details.

About the instructors

The Intensive will be led by Éanna O’Dowd (Galway, Ireland) and Jessica Aquila Cymerman (Los Angeles, US) through their theatre company Untold Wants, based out of Vancouver, BC.

Aquila Cymerman has extensive directing experience and holds a BA from Sarah Lawrence College and MA in Directing from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, with additional training from Shakespeare’s Globe, UK.

O’Dowd is an actor and producer with stage credits including National Irish tours of Vernon God Little and The Dead School, and Film/TV credits including Limetown, The 100, The Exorcist, A Series of Unfortunate Events, Stitches and Cherry. He holds an MA in Acting from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.