CLASSES & DESCRIPTIONS
FALL 2023 | October 2 - december 15
Classes Run: October 2 - December 15 | with late and early-start classes
Additional classes will be added throughout October
Registration Opens: September 25
Scholarship / Financial Assistance: Open rolling
There will not be classes Thanksgiving Week
SINGING & VOICE
Singing with Scrumbly with Scrumbly Koldewyn
Week of October 2 - Week of December 11 |
Mondays, Tuesdays & Thursdays, 10am - 12pm
Mondays & Thursdays, In-person | First Congregational Church of Oakland | Angel Room
Tuesdays, In-person @ Downtown Oakland Senior Center
Are you ready to unlock your passion for singing? No matter your skill or experience, our resident maestro Scrumbly Koldewyn will build up your confidence by providing one-on-one singing coaching in a supportive class environment. Through performing any songs of your choosing and watching others work with Scrumbly himself, you will transform into a true vocalist while building up to an incredible final performance. Maximum enrollment: 12
Note: For the Monday and Thursday classes, accommodations will be made for both online as requested.
Price: $350
THEATRE & PERFORMANCE
GrimmWyn Studios I: Starting at the Top with Joanne Grimm & Scrumbly Koldewyn
October 4 - December 13 |
Wednesdays 12:00 to 2:00PM
In-person | First Congregational Church of Oakland
Where will the cast of the fourth GrimmWynn production find themselves this time? A haunted mansion, a tropical island, or on a train ride.
During the Fall Semester, the actors will discuss plot development, create the characters they play, and try their hands at composing original song lyrics and working in different musical styles.
In the winter quarter, the cast will work towards performing as an ensemble and will learn the importance of movement and delivery to a production while continuing to develop the script and songs. Songs will start to be rehearsed as they are finished being written.
Rehearsals for the production will begin in the spring quarter. The actors will learn about and participate in a production's backstage and front-of-the-house work necessary for a successful production.
The production will be done live at the end of the spring quarter. Students registering for GrimmWyn Studios classes must be willing to commit to all classes in the Fall, Winter and Spring Sessions. Maximum enrollment 12 students.
Price: $350 per session
The Laramie Project directed by Ely Sonny Orquiza: A Student Led Production
If you have wanted to participate in a full scale production of a play, this may be your opportunity. This fall and winter, Stagebridge is proud to offer The Laramie Project, a student-chosen, student-produced, and student-acted production that will be performed in Berkeley January 19-21, 2024.
This presentation commemorates the 25th anniversary of the murder of gay university student, Matthew Shepard, in Laramie, Wyoming. The full-length play is a painful, gripping, and sadly still relevant work about a small University town grappling with a shocking, brutal event.
Created by a group of theater artists at the Tectonic Theater Project in 2000, The Laramie Project celebrates the power of theater to address socially topical events and develop understanding and empathy. The play confronts a variety of issues, opinions, sensitivities and differences that are still impacting American lives - which is why our group decided to revisit and present this important piece.
Class and Production Timeline:
Auditions will be held at Stagebridge on October 10th between 10:00 and 2:00. Some previous acting experience will be helpful and memorization of lines will be expected. Auditions will involve reading from the script; no advance preparation required but reading the play is recommended. Several pdf’s of The Laramie Project are available to read online or check your public library. If you cannot make it in person on October 10, Zoom auditions are possible.
Rehearsals will be held at Stagebridge on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10:30 to 1:30 beginning November 13, with no rehearsals scheduled the weeks of December 18th and 25th or on New Year's Day, January 1st. There are a variety of parts and not all actors will need to be at every rehearsal. There will be mandatory tech rehearsals at the Hillside Club the two days before opening night. Exact times are still to be arranged. There will be opportunities later to sign up for production assistance.
Performances will be at the Hillside Club in Berkeley January 19th, at 7:00 pm, and January 20th and 21st at 2:00 pm.
Register for audition appointments. Maximum enrollment 12 students.
Flash! New Lower Price for Laramie Project class!
Tuition for The Laramie Project will be $350 (to be paid upon being cast). Cast members will be encouraged to participate in fund-raising and publicity activities.
For more information contact: suzlatham3@gmail.com
Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” with Kim Saunders
October 25 - December 13 |
wednesday | 11:00 to 1:00PM
In-person | First Congregational Church of Oakland | TBD
A storm, a shipwreck and a magical island! What do all these have in common? ...Shakespeare!
Join veteran and award winning actor, director and Shakespeare enthusiast, Kim Sauders on a journey through the "The Tempest"! Listed as a comedy in Shakespeare’s first folio, the play contains music and songs that evoke the spirit of enchantment and explores many themes, including magic, betrayal, revenge, and family. “The Tempest” has it all.
Students will tackle scenes and monologues, working toward a final staged reading. The presentation will string the selected works together to tell the entire enchanting story.
Note: No experience is required; however, familiarity with Shakespeare is encouraged. There will be a discount offered for those who sign up for any other Theatre & Performance class for Fall of 2023. Maximum enrollment 12 students.
Price: $200
Exploring Your Musical Theatre Characters Through Song with Kim Saunders
October 19 - November 9 | Thursday’s 12:30-2:30PM
In-person | First Congregational Church of Oakland | Angel Room
Do you have a favorite musical or song that would benefit from a more developed understanding of your character? This is the class for you.
Here students are encouraged to explore new ways of breathing life, specific intentions, and a grounded freedom to their singing pieces. Students will be asked to pre-select 2 songs, ones you are familiar with, and have worked on vocally. Once you have selected your songs, find the soundtracks, without vocals , and bring them to class. On day one, we’ll be ready to take you and your material to the next level.
My award winning techniques have helped numerous students nail the audition and land the part. Take risks, be inspired by others and together we’ll make magic. Maximum enrollment 12 students.
Price: $200
Turning Life Stories into Theatre
with Martin Holtz
October 10 - December 5 | Tuesdays, 3 - 5pm
Online
Award winning educator and 40 year Theatre veteran Martin Holtz will help you transform your unique, true stories into theatrical pieces using Playback Forms. Holtz will work with students to develop each performer’s skills with deep listening, dramatic spoken words and improvised movement, this class acts as a close-knit ensemble. While building up to an engaging and interactive showcase of audiences, this cathartic experience is both challenging and fun. Maximum enrollment: 10
Note: Returning students will have registration priority, in addition to individuals with previous experience. Maximum enrollment 10 students.
Price: $300
STORYTELLING & WRITING
Discovering and Developing Your Unique Voice with Liz Nichols
October 6 - November 3 | Fridays, 10 - 12:30pm
In-person | First Congregational Church of Oakland | Angel Room
Beginners to the seasoned storytellers will benefit from Liz’s hands-on approach to discovering and developing your own unique voice. Students are encouraged to bring a story to work on, and/or choose from a sampling of easy-to-learn folktales and true stories provided by the instructor. Through fun exercises and positive, supportive feedback, we will explore authentic stage presence, connecting with different kinds of listeners, character development, and powerful tips like finding the "frozen moments" in your story. Maximum enrollment: 8
Price: $150
Telling Tales from the Pandemic
with Eleanor Clement Glass
October 26 - November 16 | Thursday, 1 - 2:30pm
In-person | First Congregational Church of Oakland | oakland Room
Come and join with others in our community, sharing our stories about what life has been like for us during the pandemic – how we coped, what we learned, what we felt – and envision the future.
During the pandemic we have all made many life-changing adjustments that radically altered our lifestyles, influenced where we live and work, and affected our closest relationships. As we begin to venture out from our self-protective pandemic practices, we are beginning to think about what a post-COVID or “living with COVID” life might look like.
Eleanor Clement Glass will facilitate our conversations, provide prompts to help us think about our pandemic experience and engage us in fun activities to meet other people in our community! Maximum enrollment: 10
Price: $75.00