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

Dear Friends,

Forty-three men have served the United States as its Commander in Chief. Many of those men accomplished great feats for which they are remembered and admired. No one, however, is regarded as highly as is Abraham Lincoln, our 16th Lincoln, one is struck by what seems to be an endless supply of energy and the efficiency with which he approached his job.

Lincoln, who was a skilled woodcutter before ascending to the presidency, is credited with having said, "Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the ax."

Historians believe that Lincoln was speaking both literally and figuratively as he was known for being well prepared before undertaking any task. Lincoln believed it was just as important - perhaps, more important - to spend time finding and developing an expertise with specific tools as it was actually using those tools. His reference to sharpening the ax can be seen as a metaphor for achieving success.

When was the last time you sharpened your ax? If you are a performer in South Florida, you have an advantage over actors in other parts of the state and the nation. In you reside in Palm Beach County, you are but a finger's length from one of the most prestigious schools dedicated to the cultural arts--The Burt Reynolds Institute for Film & Theatre.

Acting and filmmaking are highly competitive career choices. Don't think for a moment that "good enough" is actually good enough. If you do, you will be trampled under the feet of those who pursue their craft with passion and verve. Strive to be the best you can be. This summer dedicate time to your craft by attending classes as BRIFT.

Further along in this newsletter you will find a complete list of our courses. They include acting, improvisation, screenwriting, teleprompter proficiency and--for the first time ever--Cabaret Camp (taught by Broadway, film, and television star Avery Sommers). This six-week intensive vocal and performance training ground will hone the skills of actors at every level of expertise.

While you are perusing our newsletter, please take a few minutes to read Managing Director Donna Carbone's editorial reprinted from the Jupiter Courier. Donna stresses the importance of supporting local non-profits who, she says, are the shining jewels just a few feet from your front door. I couldn't agree more. BRIFT is just such a jewel. Our graduates are known not only for the high level of training they receive but for the professionalism they bring to every booking. Our shows are on a par with bigger, more well-known venues but at an affordable cost.

So, find relief from summer's sweltering days and humid nights by signing up for classes at BRIFT. Join our family and discover why laughter and learning are the keys to a successful life, no matter where life takes you.

-Douglas Rill
Chairman of the Board of Directors of BRIFT

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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 classes@brift.org

FUNDAMENTALS OF ACTING FOR ADULTS
Sundays at 1PM
This scene study class is open to all performers, but especially beneficial to novice actors wishing to learn and perfect the finer points of theatrical technique. Taught by Sherman Roberts. Call (561) 743-9955 to RSVP

YOUNG ACTORS SCENE STUDY
TBA
This class, taught by Todd Vittum, is geared toward younger actors (ages 12-17) wishing to hone their scene study skills. Call (561) 743-9955 to RSVP

IMPROV
Thursdays at 7:30PM
Todd Vittum brings his expertise to the classroom, teaching his students to 'think quick' and increase their self-confidence. For beginning and intermediate students. Call (561) 743-9955 to RSVP

IMPROV FOR YOUNG ACTORS
Saturdays at 10AM
This Saturday morning class brings the same level of expertise that is offered to adults but in a manner that children can understand and embrace. A great self confidence builder, Improv For Young Actors will give your son/daughter a lasting edge in a competitive world. Taught by Todd Vittum. Call (561) 743-9955 to RSVP

IMPROV-A-PROMPTER: 100% TOTALLY INTERACTIVE TELEPROMPTER CLASS
4/21, 4/28, 5/12, 5/19, 5/26 and 6/9
Be prepared to laugh and learn. Improv-a-Prompter is a six (6) week course taught by Patty Serrano. Cost: $150* Dates: 4/21, 4/28, 5/12, 5/19, 5/26 and 6/9. 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. Call 561-743-9955 to RSVP *Payment in full--cash/check/credit card--due by first night of class

TELEPROMPTER: A TOOL FOR THE BUSINESS PROFESSIONAL
Call (561) 743-9955 for date/time/info
Two hour, one-on-one course. Our teleprompter proficiency course provides an opportunity to learn and grow comfortable with one of the most helpful tools used by business professionals. For the corporate executive, knowing how to use a teleprompter can enhance presentation skills and speed the climb up the ladder of success. Even those who have already successfully faced an audience will gain greater confidence from mastering this skill. Taught by Patty Serrano--owner of Little Panther Prompting--who has more than twenty years experience in film and television. Call (561) 743-9955 for date/time/info

WRITING THE FEATURE SCREENPLAY
Thursdays at 6:30PM
This intensive course is designed to take your screenplay from conception to completion. Learn how character development interacts and dictates plot structure, including the concepts of character past, character wants versus character needs, character arc and self-revelation. Learn the importance of discovering one's authorial identity and writing from personal belief. As the student begins to write a screenplay, he/she must bring a working copy for each member in the class. Scripts will be read in class and critiqued for benefit of author and students. Under the direction of Donna Carbone. Call (561) 743-9955 to RSVP

CABARET CAMP WITH AVERY SOMMERS
6/17, 6/24, 7/1, 7/8, 7/22, and 7/29
Well-known Broadway star and cabaret singer, Avery Sommers, will teach a six (6) week Cabaret Camp course focusing on vocal and performance training. Cost: $175 (includes piano accompanist for the final Showcase). Space is very limited. Call (561) 743-9955 to RSVP

VOCAL & VOICE PROJECTION
TBA
Avery Sommers will offer the first in a series of classes designed to elevate performance to a higher level. Utilizing Broadway show tunes and music from the American Song Book, Avery will instruct singers and non-singers alike how to make the most of their voices so that they can reach out and touch everyone in the audience. This class will include learning to: (a) be your own calling card-the art of walking into a room and presenting yourself in a manner that is sure to impress, (b) deliver the proper handshake-send a message of confidence with just the right touch, (c) talk it through-find the meaning behind the words by treating songs as monologues. Don't miss out on this wonderful opportunity! Call (561) 743-9955 to RSVP

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Please note: prior registration and RSVP is required for all classes 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@brift.org to RSVP.

All classes are held at Lake Park Town Hall (Mirror Ballroom), 535 Park Avenue, Lake Park, FL 33403

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BURT REYNOLDS INSTITUTE ANNOUNCES CABARET CAMP WITH AVERY SOMMERS
SIX WEEK COURSE WILL FEATURE VOCAL AND PERFORMANCE TRAINING
by Donna Carbone

The Burt Reynolds Institute for Film and Theatre (BRIFT) will offer a six week Cabaret Camp beginning June 17 and continuing through July 29. Cabaret Camp, which will be taught by well-known Broadway star and cabaret singer Avery Sommers, will be held at the Lake Park Mirror Ballroom.

In announcing this summer offering, BRIFT Managing Director Donna Carbone said, “She’s back and we are thrilled! Avery, who has been a big part of the BRIFT family for many years, taught a ten-week workshop in 2013. I am still getting phone calls from people who attended the closing Showcase and now wish to study under her excellent tutelage.”

On Broadway, Sommers starred in two highly-regarded and much loved shows--Ain't Misbehavin’, Chicago, and Showboat. She has been featured in national tours of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas opposite Ann-Margaret and Chicago with Chita Rivera and Joel Grey. Earlier this year, she appeared in Dividing the Estate at Palm Beach Dramaworks in West Palm Beach.

Sommers is equally comfortable on the big screen and on television as she is on stage. She appeared on Miami Vice and in many episodes of B.L. Stryker, which starred her mentor and friend, Burt Reynolds. In a recent interview, Sommers talked about the man who is known for dedication to the performing arts: “I met Mr. Reynolds when Charles Nelson Reilly cast me in Whose Life Is It Anyway, a play being done at the Burt Reynolds Dinner Theater. He was so supportive and came to all of our rehearsals. He has been a great mentor to me. I think he is a wonderful actor and I am so happy to call him a dear friend.”

Avery Sommers recently completed work on the new television series Tweet, bringing the role of Prudence Wildflower to life. The show, which is in pre-production, is scheduled to air this summer. On the popular soap opera, As the World Turns, Sommers created the role of Regina Darby.

Her film credits include The Man from Left Field with Burt Reynolds, Letters to God, Lost Everything, Mysterious, and Hiding Victoria. While in Monte Carlo in 2011, she won the Best Supporting Actress award for her performance in Immigration Tango.

In 1994 Sommers won a Best Actress Carbonell Award for her one-woman autobiographical show But Not for Me. She was also nominated for her 2011 performance in Hairspray, which was presented at the Actors Playhouse in Coral Gables.

Cabaret Camp with Avery Sommers will be held at the Lake Park Mirror Ballroom inside the Lake Park Town Hall (535 Park Avenue, Lake Park, FL). For more information or to reserve a space in this class, please call (561) 743-9955.

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THE ARTS! BRING A COMMUNITY TOGETHER

The following is a Guest Editorial written by a member of the Jupiter area community (via Jupiter Courier):

In 2010, as managing director of the Burt Reynolds Institute for Film & Theatre, I began attending monthly meetings of the Northern Palm Beaches Cultural Alliance.

This is an organization of arts related nonprofits, each of which offers the residents of Palm Beach County and, in particular, those living north of West Palm Beach, an opportunity to immerse themselves in a wide and varied selection of entertainment offerings all at an affordable price.

Four years ago, being new to the world of nonprofits, I did not realize the struggle these organizations faced year after year to raise much needed funding.

An albatross named Advertising and Marketing continually circled over their efforts, threatening to slap an “Out of Business” sign on their doors.

SIMPLE?

You probably think, as I did, that the solution is relatively simple.

Pick up the phone and place an ad in one of our local papers or buy ad space on local television/radio. Certainly, paid advertising would get these organizations the attention and revenues they need to survive.

Oh, that it was so easy. ...

To advertise, one needs money. Money is earned by ticket sales. Tickets are sold only if the general public knows the what/when/where of an event. To notify the public, one must advertise.

We’re back to needing money.

Most small non-profits have little, if any, money available for advertising. A Catch 22 if ever there was one.

At each of our monthly meetings, members of the NBPCA discuss their struggle to find affordable ways to inform the viewing audience of what is being planned for their enjoyment.

We are lucky that among our members are two very supportive news sources The Jupiter Courier Newsweekly; and the Florida Weekly. Without these two laudable publications, many wonderful organizations would be just a memory by now.

GOT THE FEELING ...

Not all nonprofits struggle to get their message heard.

Some venues are owned by influential individuals or corporations with the financial resources to keep their venues afloat.

Some have large donor and sponsor membership lists people who show support year after year by contributing to building funds and buying ticket subscriptions. Some but not most.

In the latter part of last year, I attended SmartBiz, which was a collaborative effort of PNC Bank and the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County intended to increase awareness of the importance arts and culture play in the success of local business. Representatives from, at least, 200 nonprofits attended, and each representative I spoke with voiced frustration regarding the lack of support from residents and businesses in their community.

I got the feeling that if I had thrown a dollar bill into the air, a flash mob would quickly form so desperate was their need to raise money.

SO EMBRACE THE ARTS!

Grants are available from various sources but they offer limited help to those few lucky enough to be awarded the funds.

For the most part, ticket sales are the bread and butter that feed the kitty and keep the ballet, opera, theater, concerts and art exhibits alive. So, how do we sell tickets without the means to advertise?

I wish I had the answer.

My hope with this editorial is to encourage all business enterprises in the northern end of Palm Beach County lawyers, doctors, big corporations, mom and pop stores to embrace the arts by looking beyond the bigger, more recognizable venues and donating to the hidden jewels right outside their doors.

Arts and cultural organizations are vital to making and keeping a community strong, safe, and successful.

You need look no further than your own city or town to find a worthy recipient of your largesse.

The next time someone asks you for a donation, think about keeping your support “at home.” ... I guarantee you that within a few minutes driving time, a world of entertainment and beauty awaits you.

The Northern Palm Beaches Cultural Alliance meets on the second Friday of every month at 10 a.m. The location changes monthly, giving a guest the opportunity to visit each nonprofit and see for themselves all that is available.

Everyone is welcomed! Please, be my personal guest ... and join us on June 13. Call me 561-743-9955. I will gladly give you the location.

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BRIFT ACTORS NEEDED FOR STAGED READINGS

Writing the Feature Screenplay students have been enjoying the talents of BRIFT 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 briftfinancedirector@comcast.net or by calling (561) 743-9955.

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UPCOMING SHOW! Catch Alan Myles Heyman in One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest. Only five shows remaining (6/1, 6/5-6/8) at Andrew's Living Arts Studio in Fort Lauderdale (23 NW 5th Street, Ft. Lauderdale). Visit andrewslivingarts.org or call 954-874-5084 for tickets and more information.

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UPCOMING SHOW! Beverly Blanchette recently directed a few one-act plays for Pigs Do Fly Productions' Fifty Plus-A Celebration of Life...As We Know It (A Collection of Seven Humorous Short Plays) at Empire Stage. Did you miss the show? Don't worry. Fifty Plus will be remounted this summer (August 14-17 and 21-24) at Showtime Performing Arts Theatre at the Royal Palm Plaza in Boca Raton. Discount tickets will be available through Gold Star.

Beverly will also be directing four one-acts for “Girl Play,” presented by the Women's Theatre Project. Three evenings of different shorts with gay themes. Listing details: June 26-29 at the Gay & Lesbian Community Center in Wilton Manors.

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Sarah recently filmed a music video for her latest iTunes single "Mama Sweet Mama (Fran's Song)" which is directed by acclaimed filmmaker/cinematographer, Lasse Hoile. Sarah is also filming a documentary entitled Medical Murder, which chronicles the heartbreaking, premature loss of her mother and exposes the ongoing national disgrace and killing machine called "Medical Malpractice." In April, Sarah was featured in The Los Angeles Music Scene for her performance at The Dresden in Hollywood, CA. Visit SarahSpiegel.com for more.

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Veronica Simpson’s The Ultimate Sacrifice recently premiered at Wellington Theatre 8. Based on true events, the film--narrated by Dan Aykroyd--addresses the subject of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and the effects it has on those who suffer from it and those around them. Simpson wrote and starred in the film, with the objective of raising awareness about PTSD. With the film’s theme of faith, hope, and love, Simpson’s message of raising awareness and getting help for PTSD are clear. Directed by Octavian Onuc, includes BRIFT actors Sharon Pfeiffer, Amy Hoerler, and David Ausem. All money raised at the premiere benefitted The Gary Sinise Foundation. Learn more about the film, PTSD, and how you can help here: theultimatesacrificefilm.com

Pictured are some of the cast and crew from The Ultimate Sacrifice (photo: Sheri Shea)

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Annya Bright won "Best Actor in a Supporting Female Role"’ for her portrayal of ‘Mina Murray’ in James E. Doan's original play, Irish Dracula, presented by the Irish Theatre of Florida at the 2014 Acting Irish International Theatre.

Award winners Alan Heyman (photo: Michael Mclaren) and Annya Bright, pictured above.

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Annya Bright was recently cast in the film, Don Matteo.

Are you a current BRIFT Master Class actor or a BRIFT/BRITT alumni? Are you a student currently enrolled at BRIFT? 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. 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 of BRIFT
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 BRIFT.org.

We strive to get the BRIFT Blast 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.

Be sure to follow us on Twitter and fan us on Facebook!

Want to find out about upcoming shows, events, seminars, and classes? Then you'll want to sign up for the BRIFT Florida e-Blast! Click on this link to sign up today: https://bit.ly/u3ooXW

The Burt Reynolds Institute for Film & Theatre ("BRIFT") is a nonprofit 501c3 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.

The Burt Reynolds Institute for Film & Theatre
PO Box 264
Jupiter, Florida 33468
(561) 743-9955 | info@brift.org