Summer 2021 registration will be open in March!
SUMMER ADVANCED ACTORS SHOWCASE
This very unique and highly intensive program gives actors the experience of developing complex characters and performing a full-length production, while receiving top-level training. Each actor will receive a role and will work as an ensemble to rehearse and record a full-length performance at the end of the week, to be shared digitally with family and friends after the program is complete. This program is always focused on the ensemble, meaning each actor is given time to shine on the virtual stage.
WHAT TO EXPECT
On the first Monday we meet, the group of actors audition for roles in a play that they’ve never read. By the end of the day, they have begun developing characters and learning the blocking for the play. This continues through mid-week, along with the focus on specialty skills that may be needed in the production (e.g. stage combat, choreography, etc.) By Thursday, the actors are running the show off-book and memorizing their material. By Friday, the ensemble is performing on stage, in a recorded performance with simple technical elements (lights, basic set, props, costumes, and sound.) A digital copy of the performance will be shared with the actors after the program is complete. This is a very advanced and exciting challenge for any actor.
Due to safety restrictions, space is extremely limited in each age group. Registering early is recommended.
Ages: 12 – 18
Dates: July 26 – 30, 2021
Times: 9:00 am – 3:00 pm (M-F)
Tuition: $425
Discounts: Register by May 15 for $10 off
Location: Mason Fairfax Campus, deLaski Performing Arts Building/Music Theater Building
*After Care not available for Summer 2021
Coming soon!
PROGRAM FACULTY
AFYP Director: Mary Lechter
Faculty at Mason’s School of Theater
Read about Ms. Lechter
Mary founded AFYP in 1997, and has seen the company grow from being its only teacher with a sporadic program schedule in rented spaces to where it is today: a year-round program with a full staff, working in conjunction with Potomac Arts Academy, for which she is Associate Director.
She is a longtime member of Mason’s School of Theater faculty in the areas of Performance and Theater Education. She was named a 2013 “Teacher of Distinction” and was a 2014 TEDxGeorgeMasonU speaker (“Magic Moments: the Transformative Power of Theater“). She previously taught at the Studio Theatre Acting Conservatory and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Her professional memberships include The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, Actor’s Equity Association, and the Educational Theatre Association.
Mary’s directing credits include An Experiment with an Air Pump and Shakespeare in Hollywood (George Mason University); Still Beating Hearts and A Godless Man (Theater of the First Amendment First Light Festival); Happy Holidays, Charlie Brown, 101 Dalmatians, It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play; Willy Wonka, Jr.; Peter Pan, Jr.; A Seussified Christmas Carol; Alice in Wonderland, Jr. (AFYP).
- Be sure to check our policies and procedures regarding withdrawals, refunds, and more for summer programs.
- All students will receive a Welcome Letter via email at least 1 week before the program starts with all necessary details including drop off, pick up, what to bring, etc. Feel free to contact the Academy office with questions at academy@gmu.edu.
- Questions about parking on campus? Find answers here.
- COVID Safety Guideline: Please be assured that all in-person programs will follow strict safety protocols required by George Mason University and are subject to pivoting to all virtual platforms if health and safety conditions warrant. Required protocols could include masks, social distancing, daily health checks, and more. Stay informed by visiting our website and looking out for email alerts and other Academy communications.
