2-Year Professional Curriculum

1st Semester Courses
2nd Semester Courses
3rd Semester Courses
4th Semester Courses

1st Semester Courses

Course Name	Time On Task	Credits	Dept.
Acting I	6 hrs/wk	3	ACT
Dance and Movement I: Ballet	See note*	1	DAN
Dance and Movement I: Jazz	See note*	2	DAN
Dance and Movement I: Modern	See note*	1	DAN
Dance and Movement I: Total Body Workout I	See note*	1	DAN
Musical Theatre History/Literature	2 hrs/wk	1	MUS
Vocal Technique I	4 hrs/wk	2	MUS
Music Theory I	2 hrs/wk	1	MUS
Private Voice Lessons I	1 hr/wk	1	MUS
Voice & Speech I	4 hrs/wk	2	VSP
Script Analysis/Interp #1 (PROD)	2 hrs/wk	2	ACT
TOTAL: 15 weeks of class	Total: 30 hrs/wk

Note: The semester is 15 weeks long.

Dance and Movement: Students dance 9 hours per week. Hours per course vary per rotation.

For information on transferring courses as college credit, please visit the College Credit Recommendations page on our website.

FIRST SEMESTER COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

Acting I: Acting Technique and Scene Study

In the first semester, actors work on being present. They learn the value of a warm-up: how to recognize and release unnecessary tension, how to connect to their breath, and how to correct bad habits so they can be relaxed, energized and focused at any time. That awareness is applied to solo, partner and group exercises -- physical and verbal story-telling -- in a way that allows the actor to see, hear and respond simply and clearly to given circumstances. Other exercises will help actors create a living Physical Score with real behavior and environment. Actors will then work on scenes utilizing the natural tools of the actor (Presence, Memory, Sensory Awareness, Imagination, Research and Text Analysis) in order to create the world, the relationships and the story of the play.

Dance Program Goal: Speaking with the body

From the beginner to the advanced, as students progress in the dance curriculum, they develop and increase awareness of speaking with the body and how dance and movement informs and supports the actor.

Dance and Movement I

In the first year of dance classes, students
are placed into an
appropriate level based on their skill and prior dance training. Students set goals with their faculty members to ensure their advancement. All levels from beginner to advanced are given individual care, attention, corrections, and support from the faculty to ensure progress. The focus in the first year is on working the basics of technique, developing awareness of speaking with the body, and building skill within each of the dance disciplines. The courses in the first year are Ballet, Jazz, Modern, and Total Body Workout.

1st Semester Goals:

Identifying care of the body
Developing posture, alignment, breath
Incorporating basics of technique and placement
Building strength/stamina/flexibility

Voice and Speech I

The objective of this class is twofold: to train the physical actor in the skills and techniques of efficient vocal production for the speaking voice, and to reduce speech regionalisms while developing an ear for Neutral American Speech.

A primary element of the work is the utilization of highly physical exercises involving the entire body, to establish the actor's connection between movement and sound. Kristen Linklater's curriculum for the development of the voice is the foundation of the work. The program also includes concepts and exercises from other master teachers' programs such as M. Feldenkrais and F. M. Alexander. The course emphasizes: body alignment; efficient muscular effort to produce discrete phonemes; extending the actor's pitch range and use of melody to communicate ideas; the actor's use of center pitch (optimum pitch) to find a presence of tone-- and the application of all of these skills in lifting literature off the page to performance.

This semester establishes a strong foundation for use of breath low in the body, as well as introduces the space for resonance throughout the actor's instrument. Through the use of the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), students train to make correct shapes for vowels, to relax and strengthen articulation, and to change their own speech to reduce regionalisms.

Vocal Technique I

The objective of the Vocal Technique class is to improve singing skills through specific exercises and song. In the first semester, the technique of legit and mix are learned and applied to musical theatre material. In-class performances offer actors the opportunity to manage adrenaline and apply their musical theatre singing skills. The technical skills addressed include:

Posture/Alignment
Breathing
Articulation
Developing practice and preparation skills
Utilizing basic terminology of singing

Music Theory I

Upon entrance into the program, students take a two-part placement exam (written exam and sight singing of melodies) to determine their placement in an appropriate level of study. Levels range from beginner to advanced. The objective is to build the actor's skill in reading music, and specifically, sight reading, as callback auditions often require the actor to sight-read material. Music Theory will include sight singing, ear training and written theory with the emphasis on sight singing. Confidently singing harmony in an ensemble is crucial for working actors. Specific drills include:

Learning basic pitch and musical notation (key signature, time signatures, note values, intervals, major and minor scales, triads, chords—simple chords to seventh chords)
Sight singing patterns using the number and solfege system
Mastery of basic conducting patterns
Pitch notation exercises include aural and rhythmic dictation
Sight reading ensemble sections from music theatre repertoire

Private Voice Lessons I (Singing Lessons)

This one-on-one experience
allows students the opportunity to polish the skills introduced in Vocal Technique. In each lesson, students work on vocal exercises to further develop technique and then apply that technique to material. CAP21's voice faculty is experienced in teaching the sounds required for legit material, mix, belt and even pop-rock material for contemporary idioms. Students meet with their private voice teacher weekly (12 hours total) during the semester.

Musical Theatre History and Literature

In this course, students learn the history of the art form, exploring landmark shows within each historical era. Discussion topics:

Identify the most influential works, creators, and performers of the American Musical
Articulate the social, historical, and commercial forces that lead to the creation of the most important musicals
Articulate the effect the most ground-breaking musicals have had on arts, entertainment, and culture
Identify quality in a work of musical theatre, and exercise intelligent and responsible critical thought

FIRST SEMESTER PRODUCTION PROJECTS

Interpretation I

This PROJECT is designed to enable the actor to dissect and deconstruct a play. The primary elements of text analysis and research will be implemented to identify and develop the skills necessary to enhance their comprehension of a role, and the overall journey of the play. The course will focus its study on breaking scenes into beats, finding actions, and applying research physically to the work. Two key texts from the Modern American Realism cannon will be examined. The first text will be worked on solely in the classroom, and the second will be studied in classroom, rehearsed and performed.

2nd Semester Courses

Course Name	Time On Task	Credits	Dept.
Acting II	8 hrs/wk	2	ACT
Vocal Performance I	4 hrs/wk	2	ACT
Dance and Movement II: Ballet	See note*	1	DAN
Dance and Movement II: Jazz	See note*	1	DAN
Dance and Movement II: Modern	See note*	N/A	DAN
Dance and Movement II: Tap	See note*	1	DAN
Vocal Technique II	3 hrs/wk	1	MUS
Music Theory II	2 hrs/wk	1	MUS
Private Voice Lessons II	1 hr/wk	1	MUS
Voice & Speech II	3 hrs/wk	2	VSP
TOTAL: 12 weeks of class*	Total: 30 hrs/wk
PROD: Interp #2	12 hr/reh wk/7 wks	3	ACT
PROD: Composer Project	12 hr/reh wk/8 wks	3	ACT

*Note: The semester is 15 weeks long, some courses meet for 12 weeks, some for 8 weeks and some for 7 weeks.

SECOND SEMESTER COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

Acting II: Acting Technique and Scene Study

In the second semester, the acting work will divide into two segments: Improvisation and Scene Study. In Improvisation, the actor continues working on storytelling, collaboration, affecting the other actor, and spontaneous behavior in given circumstances through workshops led by master teachers in Mask, Clown, Vocal and Physical Improvisation. In Scene Study, the actor continues to sharpen his/her craft and rehearsal technique by working on scenes from the works of Chekhov and Williams.

Vocal Performance I

This course synthesizes skills of Vocal
Technique, Acting and musicality in the actor's performance of a song as a monologue or scene. The actor will analyze text, create character and environment, use advanced acting techniques and learn how the musical construction of a song supports the journey of the actor and the journey of the song. Actors will explore a variety of material both in context and out of context (songs from a book musical as well as songs without a back story). In Vocal Performance I, actors will explore a variety of styles in their material while working on standards.

Voice and Speech II

This class continues the exploration of the voice and body synthesis initiated in the first semester as students eliminate speech regionalisms while perfecting an ear for Neutral American Speech. This perfection is achieved by the additional concentration on crisp consonant sounds. The students take the resonance of the actor's instrument to the next level by delving into a large spectrum of text – including classical plays and verse. Knowledge of Classical Speech sounds is added to the actor's repertoire, and the students work on Shakespearean text.

Dance and Movement II

In the second semester of dance, the skills introduced in the first semester are refined. There is a high technical expectation of the student. All exercises and dance combinations are progressively more advanced stylistically and technically.

2nd Semester Goals
(in addition to the 1st Semester Goals):

musicality /phrasing
style and expression of movement
spatial awareness
professional approach to the work

At the end of the first year, students will participate in a demonstration of their work in dance classes so faculty members can evaluate their progress and assess the class structure for the following year.

Vocal Technique II

In the second semester, the lessons from the first semester are reinforced and refined. New styles introduced are belt for traditional and contemporary material. The technical skills addressed include:

Coordinating register transitions
Extending pitch range
Musicality
Vocal Variety: legit, mix and belt

Music Theory II

Music Theory is cumulative. All the skills introduced in the first semester will be further developed in the second semester. By the end of the first year, beginner students should have sufficient skills to sight sing melodies with no accompaniment and advanced level students will be confident readers within ensemble segments of Musical Theatre literature. Sight reading skills are crucial for working actors. The music theory courses at CAP21 focus on the skill that working actors need—sight-reading. Academic knowledge informs the actor but sight-reading skills may be the deciding factor for an audition panel at a callback audition.

Private Voice Lessons II (Singing Lessons)

This one on one experience allows students the opportunity to polish the skills introduced in Vocal Technique. In each lesson, students work on
vocal exercises to further develop technique and then apply that technique to material. CAP21's voice faculty is experienced in teaching the sounds required for legit material, mix, belt and even pop-rock material. Students meet with their private voice teacher weekly (12 hours total) during the semester.

SECOND SEMESTER PRODUCTION PROJECTS

Interpretation II

In this course, students will explore the fundamentals of creating an ensemble production from existing literary text, utilizing imaginative
voice and body work to create atmosphere, "set," character, and story. Students will undertake lessons and exercises in Storytelling, Character work using Voice, Body, and Imagination, and Ensemble Technique. Lessons and exercises will be drawn from Neutral Mask Work, Mikhail Chekhov technique, Laban Movement Analysis, Anne Bogart's Gesture and Viewpoint work, and Viola Spolin and Joseph Chaikin.

Composer Project

The purpose of this course is to enable the actor to sustain and further develop the skills acquired in Vocal Performance and employ them in a rehearsal and public performance setting. Material from the cannon of a successful musical theatre composer will be chosen and songs will be studied in the classroom,rehearsed and performed.

3rd Semester Courses

Course Name	Time On Task	Credits	Dept.
Acting III	4 hrs/wk	2	ACT
Musical Scene Study I	6 hrs/wk	2	ACT
Vocal Performance II	4 hrs/wk	2	ACT
Dance and Movement III: Ballet	See note*	1	DAN
Dance and Movement III: Jazz	See note*	1	DAN
Dance and Movement III: Tap	See note*	1	DAN
Private Voice Lessons III	1 hr/wk	1	MUS
Audition Repertoire	4 hrs/wk	2	MUS
Voice and Speech III: Dialects	2 hrs/wk	1	VSP
TOTAL: 12 weeks of class*	Total: 30 hrs/wk
PROD: Song and Dance	12 hr/reh wk/7 wks	2
PROD: Creative Ensemble Project	12 hr/reh wk/8 wks	3

*Note: The semester is 15 weeks long, some courses meet for 12 weeks, some for 8 weeks and some for 7 weeks.

Dance and Movement: Students dance 9 hours per week. Hours per course vary per rotation.

For information on transferring courses as college credit, please visit the College Credit Recommendations page on our website.

THIRD SEMESTER COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

Acting III

Actors will expand and deepen the work learned in first year with continued technique and scene work. In the first semester, a Character Workshop helps the actor create characters who are large, eccentric and truthful. These lessons are then applied to scene work.

Musical Scene Study I

In the second year of training, the actor takes all the tools and insights gathered from Acting, Scene Study, Improvisation, Voice and Speech, Vocal Technique, Vocal Performance, Dance/Movement and Private Voice into the work on musical scenes.

In the first semester, this class builds a foundation in acting the musical scene by working on the Rodgers and Hammerstein canon (South Pacific, King and I, Carousel, Oklahoma, and Sound of Music) and continues with selections from the Golden Age (e.g., Guys and Dolls, Gypsy).

Vocal Performance II

In the first semester of second year, actors will work on songs from contemporary musical theatre.

Voice and Speech III: Dialects

The objective of this class is to provide the actors with the ability to utilize the primary dialects found in musical theatre, as well as to understand the process of researching all dialects first-hand. The primary dialects studied are: Standard British (RP), Cockney, Traditional Southern, Texas, Southern Irish (Dublin), and New York. Finally, students work in small groups to research another dialect (North Country, Yorkshire, Scottish, French, German, Hispanic, etc.) from contemporary musical theatre, and teach this to the rest of the class. The course builds on the work from the first year, adding the application of all of these skills in replicating authentic dialects on text.

Dance and Movement III

In the second year of dance classes, students are re-evaluated to determine their appropriate level. Students further develop their awareness of how dance and movement supports the actor performing in a variety of styles in musical theatre. The Jazz classes will introduce new Theatre Dance styles and begin preparations for Song and Dance work. In addition to regular dance classes, students will participate in a Song and Dance project. This project will focus on combining acting, singing, and dancing to create a dance musical production. See Song and Dance Project Course Description for more information.

Dance courses in the third semester continue to develop the skills addressed in the first two semesters. In this semester, the lessons include:

dynamics of movement
interpretation of music
singing while dancing
ensemble work/duets/trios
working with a musical director

Audition Repertoire

In this semester, students research, choose and prepare appropriate audition material from all genres of American Musical Theatre. Students prepare a minimum of two songs per week for each style and era of musical theatre from standards to pop-rock material. Many new shows require a pop-rock style of singing. Knowing how to make the sounds as well as what type of material is appropriate for auditions is crucial to working actors. Homework assignments include reading Backstage and being aware of which shows are currently auditioning and what is en route to Broadway. Class discussion topics include:

Identifying your "type"
Preparing appropriate music for an audition
Presenting a successful headshot and resume
Entering the room and addressing the panel
Talking to the accompanist
Exiting the room

Private Voice Lessons III (Singing Lessons)

This one on one experience allows students the opportunity to polish the skills introduced in Vocal Technique. In each lesson, students work on vocal exercises to further develop technique and then apply that technique to material. CAP21's voice faculty is experienced in teaching the sounds required for legit material, mix, belt and even pop-rock material. Students meet with their private voice teacher weekly (12 hours total) during the semester.

THIRD SEMESTER PRODUCTION PROJECTS

Song and Dance Project

In this project, students incorporate their acting, singing and dance into a "Song & Dance" presentation. The primary techniques of Jazz, Ballet, and Tap will be utilized within the choreography to enable the actor to acquire discipline, strength, and stamina. Song and Dance presentations will be selected from the musical theatre cannon including, but not limited to: Chicago: "All That Jazz", "Cell Block Tango", "Me and my Baby"; White Christmas: "Blue Skies"; Singing in the Rain: "Good Morning"; Jelly's Last Jam: "Jelly's Jam"; Cabaret: "Two Ladies, "Money Money"; Damn Yankees: "Shoeless Joe", "Who's Got the Pain"; Annie: "Easy Street"; Crazy for You: "I Got Rhythm"; Irving Berlin: "Puttin' on the Ritz"; Kiss Me, Kate: "Too Darn Hot".

Creative Ensemble Project

The project strengthens the artist's facility as a full collaborator by creating an original musical theatre performance piece with an ensemble of fellow actors. The focus will be on integrating and augmenting the actor's technique and skill levels to include the creation of stories and music and the
structuring of themes and written materials.

4th Semester Courses

Course Name	Time On Task	Credits	Dept.
Acting IV	6 hrs/wk	2	ACT
Musical Scene Study II	6 hrs/wk	2	ACT
Dance and Movement IV: Ballet	See note*	1	DAN
Dance and Movement IV: Hip-Hop/Tap Audition	See note*	1	DAN
Dance and Movement IV: Theatre Dance	See note*	1	DAN
Private Voice Lessons IV or Coaching*	1 hr/wk	1	MUS
Audition Technique	4 hrs/wk	2	MUS
Business of Musical Theatre	2 hrs/wk	1	MUS
Voice and Speech IV: Cold Reading/Monologues	2 hrs/wk	1	VSP
TOTAL: 12 weeks of class*	Total: 30 hrs/wk
PROD: Pop-Rock Project	12 hr/reh wk/7 wks	2	MUS
PROD: Mainstage	12 hr/reh wk/8 wks	3	ACT
		Program Total: 72

*Note: The semester is 15 weeks long, some courses meet for 12 weeks, some for 8 weeks and some for 7 weeks.

Dance and Movement: Students dance 9 hours per week. Hours per course vary per rotation. If a student completes all 4 semester of study, an additional 3 credits may be added for Dance and Movement.

For information on transferring courses as college credit, please visit the College Credit Recommendations page on our website.

FOURTH SEMESTER COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

Acting IV

The second semester begins with a Style Workshop. Lessons learned are combined with dialect work and applied to scenes from Shaw, Wilde and Coward. Students will then work on a final scene from the language- and metaphor-rich worlds of Shakespeare.

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Musical Scene Study II

The second semester includes current trends in musical theatre (e.g., Next to Normal, Spring Awakening, In The Heights, American Idiot). The year-long Musical Scene Study class is where students put it all together.

Voice and Speech IV: Cold Reading

This course helps the actors refine their acting audition skills through exploring a variety of materials commonly used at auditions. Work on this material is designed to aid students when auditioning for plays, musicals, agency offices, theater seasons, summer stock auditions, independent films, Actor's Connection, etc. Actors are empowered to make smart, strong, informed acting choices in an audition, callback or industry meeting.

Voice and Speech IV: Monologues

In this course, the actors learn how to approach the monologue audition, including how to select appropriate and effective pieces. They develop two monologues—one dramatic and one comedic—appropriate for successfully auditioning for plays, musicals, agency offices, theater seasons, summer stock auditions, independent and student films, and The Actors' Network.

Dance and Movement IV

In this final semester of study, there is a greater emphasis on the style/expression and presence of each individual as well as a continuation of high technical expectation of the student. Exercises and dance combinations become progressively more advanced stylistically and technically. Dance courses and goals in the 4th Semester focus on fine tuning the goals and work done in the first 3 semesters.

applying acting technique
storytelling
physical presence
style/expression according to choreographer and period

Additional workshops may include Mock Auditions, Body Building, Make-up and partnering work (i.e. Latin Styles).

Vocal Coaching

A Vocal Coach helps students refine their audition material including building the acting journey in the song, preparing appropriate cuts, choosing the best key, and arranging the cut for varied styles. Students meet with their
Vocal Coach weekly (12 hours total)
during the semester.

Audition Technique

In this semester, students refine and polish audition material explored in the first semester. Mock auditions allow students to practice the skills introduced in the first semester. The audition course divides into two segments: Traditional material and Pop-Rock material. Work sessions in each genre are conducted so students can polish full songs, as well as 16-bar and 8-bar cuts. Mock auditions with industry professionals enable the students to present the material for feedback.

Business of Musical Theatre

This course gives students advanced business information to prepare them as savvy, self-employed performers. During this course, students will identify:

Types of musical theatre auditions and appropriate material for those auditions
Types and type casting in musical theatre auditions
Important players they will encounter at auditions
Benefits of signing with an agent or manager
Production contracts
Unions: rules and regulations
Business strategies to market themselves before and after auditions
Networking strategies

FOURTH SEMESTER PRODUCTION PROJECTS

Pop-Rock Project

This course teaches the student how to present Pop-Rock material in a performance. The material performed will showcase their type, demonstrate storytelling skills, utilize a physical score, and develop personalization in all
material. Rehearsals include individual work on solo material as well as ensemble work.

Mainstage Musical

The production strengthens the artist's facility as a full collaborator by participating in the rehearsal process and public performance of a Book Musical with an ensemble of fellow actors. The focus will be on integrating and augmenting the actor's technique and skill levels. A Book Musical from the cannon of musical theatre will be selected (examples: Into the Woods, The Boyfriend, Grand Hotel, State Fair, Urinetown, The Boys From Syracuse, Sweeney Todd, Cabaret, Pippin, The Wild Party, etc.).