*Message From The Chair
*Classes & Seminars
*Headlines, Stories, & Events
*In The Spotlight

Dear Friends,

For the last few weeks, the lyrics to 1967 hit song, Age Of Aquarius have been playing on a constant loop in my mind. After the successful screening of Gator and the talk back with Mr. Reynolds on Sunday, January 25, the words just seem apropos:

"When the moon is in the Seventh House And Jupiter aligns with Mars Then peace will guide the planets And love will steer the stars."

I don’t know if Jupiter is aligned with Mars, but I do know that the Institute has good friends in Stuart. If ever a SRO auditorium was filled with love, the Lyric Theatre simply oozed with admiration and appreciation for the talents of the Institute’s namesake. I do believe that laughter actually rattled the rafters and that lucky ticket holders found their way around Confusion Corner by following a star–our star, Burt Reynolds.

In astrological circles, the Seventh House refers to cooperation between two associated parties. The success of the Gator event cemented a professional relationship with our sister theater, the Lyric, and will lead to more productions in Martin County. Additionally, we are very grateful for the relationship we have forged with the Town of Lake Park. Being able to hold our classes in the beautiful and historic Mirror Ballroom–on the very stage where Mr. Reynolds began his amazing career–is a dream come true.

Fundraising plans are in the works, and I have no doubt that we will be successful in our endeavors. Of course, the many thousands of Burt Reynolds fans who have helped to spread the word and contributed to our building fund are the best in the world. We are so very grateful for your loyalty and dedication.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Becky Repp and her staff at American Road Magazine for their unwavering support of our efforts to build a bigger, better Burt Reynolds Institute. The magazine has carried our advertisement without charge in numerous issues, which has helped to generate nationwide attention. Great friends one and all!

With Mr. Reynolds as our guiding star, there is nothing we can’t accomplish.

-Douglas Rill
Chairman of the Board of Directors
Burt Reynolds Institute for Film & Theatre

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MASTER ACTING CLASS with BURT REYNOLDS
By invitation only and based on completed application, which can be found on our website. For inquiries, please email info@burtreynoldsinstitute.org or call 561-743-9955

FUNDAMENTALS of ACTING for ADULTS
Sundays at 1PM Whether you are a beginner, intermediate performer, or experienced actor, FoA will allow you to hone your craft in a welcoming and nurturing atmosphere. FoA is a scene study class in which students are expected to perform a ten-minute scene on stage each week. Roberts--who is a member of SAG-AFTRA and AEA--has appeared in a variety of roles on stage, in film, and on network television. He teaches student how to choose the right material, how to interpret dialog so that the spoken word is true to what the author has written, character development, and body language. The class meets every Sunday at 1PM. The cost is $25/week. Call 561-743-9955 to RSVP

IMPROV
Call 561-743-9955 for location and time. Todd Vittum brings his expertise to the classroom, teaching his students to "think fast" and increase their self-confidence. For beginning and intermediate students. Call 561-743-9955 to RSVP

IMPROV-A-PROMPTER
February 9, 16, 23 and March 9, 16, 23 Anyone wishing to sign up for this class should contact Donna immediately at briftfinancedirector@comcast.net or call 561-743-9955. Class size is limited. Be prepared to laugh and learn. Improv-a-Prompter is a six (6) week course taught by Patty Serrano. Learn how to be the perfect pitch person/spokesperson using professional techniques and insider secrets. Become a pro at cold reads, walk and talk, working with a partner, making boring products interesting, working the camera, allowing your body to talk for you and maintaining eye contact. Master on set etiquette and learn how to pack a survival bag and why you need one. Students will not only work with prepared scripts, they will have an opportunity to write a 60-second commercial of their own. Sing a jingle! Dance a jig! Find out how to make everything from murder to mayhem to monkey business sound exciting. Look and feel like a pro! Build self confidence so that the unexpected becomes the ordinary. Cost: $150 (payment must be made in full--cash/check/credit card--on first class night). Call 561-743-9955 to RSVP

SATURDAY SESSIONS (IMPROV)
Saturdays at 10AM Saturday Sessions Improv is open to adults and youngsters. Taught by master improvisational artist Todd Vittum, budding and experienced comedians ranging in age will have an opportunity to improve their impromptu speaking and acting skills. Vittum has been teaching Improv for many years and is himself an experienced performer. He has designed innovative scenarios that make the imagination come alive. Under his excellent tutelage, laughter and learning go hand in hand. Saturday Session Improv: where anything can happen and usually does! Adults $25/week, kids $15/week. Call (561) 743-9955 to RSVP

CREATIVE WRITING for the AUTHOR in ALL of US
Tuesdays at 6:30PM Creative Writing for the Author in All of Us is a weekly offering for everyone with a story to tell. Whether you are writing a novel, short narrative, screenplay, stage play, or poem, if words are your oxygen, this is the class for you. Under the instruction of author/journalist Donna Carbone, the class utilizes a supportive "think tank" structure. Each week writers present their work, which is read and shared with the class. Critiques--both positive and negative--are offered as a means of moving a story from conception to completion. This class meets Tuesday evenings at 6:30PM in the Lake Park Commission Chambers. Cost: $25/week. Call 561-743-9955 to RSVP

Please note: prior registration and RSVP are required for all classes, seminars, and workshops--as some have limited enrollment. Class times/locations subject to change. For information and registration, please contact Donna Carbone at 561-743-9955 or email info@burtreynoldsinstitute.org to RSVP now.

Burt Reynolds Institute classes and seminars are held at Lake Park Town Hall (Mirror Ballroom), 535 Park Avenue, Lake Park, FL 33403. Please note, this is not the mailing address. The mailing address is: PO Box 264, Jupiter, FL 33458

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BURT REYNOLDS INSTITUTE ACTORS NEEDED FOR STAGED READINGS

Creative Writing for the Author in All of Us students have been enjoying the talents of the Burt Reynolds Institute actors during the twice-a-month staged readings. Scripts under development are presented in staged reading format so that writers can hear how their words will sound when delivered on film. This allows for questions and feedback from the actors which benefit the writers during the editing process. Both actors and writers have been enjoying their time together and have gained a new respect for the effort it takes to bring a script from conception to completion. Actors wishing to participate in these readings should contact Donna at info@burtreynoldsinstitute.org or by calling 561-743-9955.

Making a donation to the Burt Reynolds Institute for Film & Theatre building fund is easy. Just visit our website and use the PayPal "donate" button. Thank you so much! https://www.burtreynoldsinstitute.org/donations.html

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Todd Vittum recently filmed a nationwide commercial for the anti-stain product, Stain 911.

The Cuartas Brothers film, Twelve Traditions, which won the Audience Choice Award at Indiefilmclub's I'm Not Gonna Move To L.A. in November, will be screening once again at the O Cinema Wynwood on Monday, February 2 at 6:30PM-9:30PM. Since Twelve Traditions received the audience choice award in November, it is part of the competition for the Audience Award for 2014. The film includes Burt Reynolds Institute's Amy Hoerler and Douglas Rill.

Fundamentals of Acting student Miles Kammerman is appearing in a branding spot for an Investigation Discovery offering entitled Senses. Miles is the nerdy guy in the glasses! Here's a link if you would like to catch him in action. Be prepared to cringe! https://vimeo.com/117626349

Fundamentals of Acting student, Mitch Price, plays Carl the bus driver in Bus Stop at the Barn Theatre (running January 23 - February 8, 2015). Tickets are available at the https://www.barn-theatre.com

Takis Pepe, a student in Managing Director Donna Carbone’s creative writing class, has made the semi-finals of the Kairos Prize for Spiritually Uplifting Screenplays with his script, The Crucible of Achilles. The story details the struggles of a cage fighter suffering with brain cancer and his personal battle with life and death. The Kairos Prize seeks to promote positive change in the motion picture industry. The primary purpose of the prize is to further the influence of moral and spiritual values within the entertainment industry as a whole.

BRIFT Master Actor Cindy Morrison recently won the "Best Individual Performer" award at the Magic City Comic-Con in Miami. She performed her Bull Whip artist routine while posing as "Zorro's Black Whip". This 1944 television series of a western super hero featured actress Linda Stirling as the whip-wielding defender of law and order. A production of Republic Pictures.

Are you a current or former student of the Burt Reynolds Institute for Film & Theatre or the Burt Reynolds Institute for Theatre Training? If so, we would love to hear from you! Simply write a one to two paragraph blurb and drop us an email at BRIFTmultimedia@gmail.com before the 25th of each month (subject line: "In The Spotlight") and let us know what projects you are working on or have completed. PLEASE, NO EXTRA WORK!

SUBMISSIONS ARE DUE THE 25TH OF EACH MONTH--no exceptions. We look forward to hearing about--and celebrating--your success!

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Douglas Rill ... Chairman of the Board of Directors
Todd Vittum ... Executive Director
Donna Carbone ... Managing Director/Writer
Amy Schulz ... Editor/Multimedia Coordinator

For more information about classes, events, etc, visit our website at https://www.burtreynoldsinstitute.org.

We strive to get our newsletter out to you in a timely manner at the beginning of each month. Have any suggestions, comments, ideas, musings, or complaints? Please email them to the Editor. Oh, and be sure to follow us on Twitter and Pinterest, and fan us on Facebook!

Are you a local who wants to find out about upcoming shows, events, seminars, and classes? Then you'll want to sign up for the Florida e-Blast! Click on this link to sign up today: https://bit.ly/u3ooXW or scan the QR code to the right.

The Burt Reynolds Institute for Film & Theatre is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that is committed to educating and involving the community and artists in all aspects of film, television, theater, live performances, film festivals, and exhibitions, as well as preserving Mr. Reynolds' memorabilia and the history of the film industry.

Burt Reynolds Institute for Film & Theatre
PO Box 264
Jupiter, FL 33458
561-743-9955 | info@burtreynoldsinstitute.org