The Burt Reynolds Institute Monthly Newsletter

JUNE 2015

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

Dear Friends,

Rainy season may have started a bit early this year but sunny skies can be found at The Burt Reynolds Institute for Film and Theatre. Very soon we will be announcing some exciting plans that could make the dream of “living like the Bandit” a reality for one lucky fan. Additionally, we are finalizing the details for a book signing when Mr. Reynolds’ new tell it all, But Enough About Me” hits bookstore shelves worldwide in November. Pre-orders can be placed on Amazon at https://amzn.to/1PXgsxA.

The month of May ended on such a high note! Fundamentals of Acting, taught by Sherman Roberts, is always filled on Sunday afternoons with students anxious to hone their skills in new and exhilarating ways. Scene Study and Character Analysis on Monday nights with Todd Vittum has given students a chance to stand in the spotlight with new confidence. This intensive course takes the actor into the minds of the characters they are portraying so that their development is more three dimensional. The Thursday night Improvisation classes, also led by the ever-fast-on-his-feet Todd Vittum, are going strong with novice and experienced students learning to think quick with increased self-confidence. For complete information on our classes, please visit the Burt Reynolds Institute website.

Although the six-week Teleprompter Proficiency Course is on hiatus for the summer, Patty Serrano will be available to anyone who would like a two hour intensive training session. Tuesday night’s Creative Writing course, under the direction of Managing Director Donna Carbone, is getting rave reviews. Many of Donna’s students have seen their names in the paper as a result of the editorials they are taught to write in class and a few have published books and screenplays that received high marks at writing festivals. Perhaps, the next Academy Award or Pulitzer Prize winner will be a Burt Reynolds Institute graduate.

Students in Mr. Reynolds’ master acting class are becoming regular faces on television and in film. These fine actors are booking jobs locally and in exotic places due to the amazing training they receive under Mr. Reynolds’ guidance. Updates on our students and their adventures in “Hollywood” can be found in this newsletter and every newsletter under Actors on the Move.

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

MASTER ACTING CLASS with Burt Reynolds
By invitation only. Students must complete a required number of Fundamentals of Acting classes and reach a certain level of expertise. For inquiries, please call Donna Carbone at info@burtreynoldsinstitute.org or call 561-743-9955

FUNDAMENTALS of ACTING for ADULTS with Sherman Roberts
Sundays at 1PM Fundamentals of Acting continues to fill the Mirror Ballroom with actors at every level of expertise. Whether you are a beginner, intermediate performer or experienced actor, Fundamentals will allow you to hone your craft in a welcoming and nurturing atmosphere. This is a scene study class in which students are given the opportunity to perform a ten minute scene on stage each week followed by redirect from the instructor, Sherman Roberts. 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 dialogue 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.

IMPROVISATION PLUS with Todd Vittum
Thursdays at 7:30PM Improvisation Plus, taught by master improvisational artist Todd Vittum, offers budding and experienced comedians an opportunity to hone 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. The class meets on Thursday evenings at 7:30PM in the Mirror Ballroom. Cost: $25/week.

SIDE-BY-SIDE (IMPROV) with Todd Vittum
~~Saturdays at 10AM~~ (class on hold until further notice)Todd Vittum teaches the ever popular Side-By-Side, a weekly improvisation class in which adults and children tickle each other’s funny bones by saying and doing the unexpected. This unique offering teaches adults and youngsters to work together on stage and in life. The class meets on Saturday mornings at 10AM in the Mirror Ballroom. Cost: $25/adults, $15/kids.

CREATIVE WRITING for the AUTHOR in ALL of US with Donna Carbone
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 are offered as a means of moving a story from conception to completion. The class meets on Tuesday evenings at 6:30PM in the Commission Chambers. Cost: $25/week. Limit: 10 students.

SCENE STUDY and CHARACTER ANALYSIS with Todd Vittum
Mondays at 7PM (except for the first Monday of each month) Todd Vittum teaches an advanced class in scene study and character analysis, which includes intermediate and advanced acting techniques. The class will be offered three Monday evenings a month beginning April 20. Please note that there will NOT be a class on the first Monday of each month. There WILL BE classes on the second, third, and fourth Mondays of each month. The off week will give students an opportunity to perfect whatever scene or monologue they are working on for presentation in class. The cost of class is $25/week--checks or cash only. RSVP: 561-743-9955 or email info@burtreynoldsinstitute.org For the moment, the class will be held in the Lake Park Commission Chambers, Lake Park Town Hall, 535 Park Avenue, Lake Park, FL 33403 Students are required to bring their own scenes and should provide three copies--one for the student, one for the scene partner, and one for the instructor. Learning to choose material that is right for you is part of your training. If you have any questions, the instructor will be able to help you decide on the proper material. A 2-3 minute monologue is required for the first class. This class will allow actors to hone their acting skills while providing an opportunity to study scene structure and character development. Scene study is the foundation of all performance and is instrumental if actors are to develop an emotional connection to the character they are portraying. Scene study is also used to teach the vocabulary of acting and how to respond to a director’s instructions. Character analysis helps an actor to understand the role they are playing. To be successful, an actor must replace their personality with that of the character being portrayed. However, it is still necessary for an actor to allow their natural emotional response to a situation to show through at appropriate times. The ability to blend the real and the imagined creates a more stable and dynamic character.

IMPROV-A-PROMPTER with Patty Serrano (email for dates/times)
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).

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

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.

Sherman Roberts recently directed Shrek: The Musical at Rosarian Academy. Check out one of the highlights from the show by clicking here: https://youtu.be/3dTcqUXifDM

Beverly Blanchette was just cast as the female lead in the upcoming play, At Home at the Zoo to be seen at the Ground Up & Rising Theatre Company in South Miami this fall. Beverly is also shooting two films this summer: The Big Frozen Gumshoe and My Breakthrough. You can also catch Beverly performing with Shooting Blanks Improv.

Ay Langdon recently booked a TV commercial with DISH Latino and a local TV commercial for Friedman Dental Group.

Cindy Morrison's mixed media art, titled Right Side of The Hyphen, will be on exhibit from May 20-June 27 at the Art on Park Gallery in Lake Park, FL

Annya Bright recently played the role of "Jeanette" in Last of the Red Hot Lovers. Annya also booked gigs at various clubs as "Irish Performer" doing stand up, song, and step dance, as well as performing salsa and step dance on the Spanish music awards TV program, Premio Lo Nuestro.

Watch Lee Marlow talk about her role as "Judy Garland" in the play The Property Known as Garland: https://bit.ly/1JhVMuC

Megan Zwaans has seen her career take off like a rocket. She played a on-air journalist reporting on NASA’s unveiling of the mystery Atlas V Mission from the Kennedy Space Center (view here: https://bit.ly/1BAaA1c). Megan also spent three days in Jamaica filming a Coppertone commercial for Canadian television. She has also been cast as a regular in the paranormal series, Fear Nation, and booked a role on the HBO show Ballers.

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!