Advanced Acting Project

Course

Helen Paris and Leslie Hill

This class offers a bespoke introduction to dramaturgy and advanced acting techniques and processes of devising, culminating in a Main Stage departmental undergraduate student production. For example, for the production of Theatre Workshop’s Oh What a Lovely War, the course covered Laban, Meyerhold and Stanislavski actor training techniques and applied them directly to production rehearsals as well as providing bespoke dramaturgical materials on WW1 and Joan Littlewood and Theatre Workshop.

Student Evaluations

“This course, more than anything offered by Stanford, has given me insight into a field I wish to pursue after graduation. It is completely necessary, when studying an acting technique or historical period, to supplement theory with hands-on experience. I am humbled by the professionalism, expertise and thought the instructors dedicated to this course. I’m very grateful for this opportunity.“

“This show replicated the experience of being in an ensemble. Everything that we learned in the class made it to the stage and everything that we read about was immediately relevant to the work that we were doing. The two together are what made this experience so artistically gratifying.“

“Incredible to be able to work with such talented people and to have the time to talk through themes, artistic choices, dramaturgical elements, and other stuff that usually gets left out of productions for time-related purposes.“

“It was truly a life-changing experience that I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to participate in.“

“I think the design of the class is flawless and should absolutely be offered annually. It was a seriously pivotal experience for me as an actress to work on a play from both a technical and intellectual foundation. I would recommend the course to anyone who is serious about theatre and I would take it again myself as many times as I possible could.“