Dear Friends,

Where has 2016 gone? It seems like just yesterday we were making New Year’s resolutions and toasting family and friends with champagne. Now, summer is almost over and Labor Day is nearly upon us. Despite the fast pace of our lives, the past few months have been very productive at the Institute and the months ahead will offer much to celebrate.

On October 15th, Rosarian Academy will host a Burt Reynolds Institute for Film and Theatre fundraiser with a special screening of Mr. Reynolds’ 1978 hit movie, Hooper. Following the movie, Mr. Reynolds and the Institute’s Executive Director Todd Vittum will take part in a Q&A;, answering questions presented by members of the audience.

On November 15th, the Eissey Campus Theater at Palm Beach State College in Palm Beach Gardens will offer a retrospective of Mr. Reynolds 55-plus year career which will also include a Q&A;, giving the audience an opportunity to ask questions of Florida’s favorite son and Jupiter’s hometown boy.

More details on both of these events will be given in upcoming newsletters and Institute email blasts.

On August 6th, CMT presented the network premier of The Bandit, a new and exciting documentary about everyone’s favorite Good Ol’ Boy of film. Directed by acclaimed documentary filmmaker Jesse Moss, the film tells the little-known story of Burt Reynolds and his best friend, roommate and renowned stuntman, Hal Needham, who wrote Smokey and the Bandit. Included are interviews with Mr. Reynolds and several of his Master Class students.

For the history buffs and secret cowboys among us, Mr. Reynolds has been appearing in the eight-week series The American West, which was produced by his good friend Robert Redford. The series airs on the AMC network.

Coming in January 2017, Mr. Reynolds will appear in another documentary--this one focused on another good friend, Florida State Seminole’s football coach Bobby Bowden. Bowden coached the Seminoles from 1976 to 2009, during which time the team won 12 Atlantic Coast Conference championships. Burt Reynolds played football for Florida State and has always been an ardent supporter of their athletic program and the entire university.

If you are on social media and have not as yet "liked" the Institute’s Facebook page, please do so now. You will be among the first to know where Mr. Reynolds will be appearing and what is being offered through our classes.

Douglas Rill
Chairman of the Board of Directors
Burt Reynolds Institute for Film and 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 email Donna Carbone at info@burtreynoldsinstitute.org or call 561-743-9955.

FUNDAMENTALS of ACTING with Sherman Roberts
Sundays at 1PM in the Lake Park Mirror Ballroom. Each Fundamentals class is split into two sections. The first half of the class is dedicated to scene study in which students will work with a different partner on stage each week. After a scene has been performed, students are given redirect by our instructor, Sherman Roberts. They are then encouraged to take the scene home and work on with the intention of performing it again the next week. The second half of the class is Acting for the Camera. Sherman will provide short scenes from movies, television shows and commercial which will be taped and played back. During the playback portion, Sherman will give redirect. Individual classes cost $30 per week. Students paying for a month in advance will pay $25/week ($100 per month). Payment must be made on the first Sunday of every month.

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 ON HIATUS
Saturdays from 10AM-noon Todd Vittum teaches the ever popular Side-By-Side on Saturday mornings from 10AM to noon. This class offers adults and children between the ages of 10 and 15 an opportunity to share the stage in a nurturing and fun environment. The class incorporates monologue delivery, scene study, and improvisation for a well-rounded experience. Cost: $20/week.

SCENE STUDY and CHARACTER ANALYSIS with Todd Vittum ON HIATUS
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. 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. 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. For the moment, the class will be held in in the Commission Chambers. Cost: $25/week.

CREATIVE WRITING for the AUTHOR in ALL of US with Donna Carbone ON HIATUS
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.

TELEPROMPTER for the ACTING PROFESSIONAL with Patty Serrano
Sundays from 1:30PM to 3:30PM Learn how to be the perfect pitch person/spokesperson using professional techniques and insiders secrets in this six-week interactive course. Become a pro at cold reads and in depth presentations. Becomes friends with the camera and put your body and face to work for you. Become proficient at walk and talk, partner pairing and turning boring into brilliant. Master on set etiquette and understand the importance of packing a survival bag. Look and feel like a pro! Class size limited. Cost: $150 Call 561-743-9955 or email briftfinancedirector@comcast.net to RSVP

TELEPROMPTER ONE ON ONE with Patty Serrano
This two hour one-on-one class is individualized for your needs and designed with the busy professional in mind. Learn to speak in a clear, confident manner with or without the aid of a teleprompter. Even those who have already successfully faced an audience will gain greater confidence mastering the skills of highly trained key note speakers. Be more than you ever thought you could be! Class size limited. Cost: $150 Call 561-743-9955 or email briftfinancedirector@comcast.net 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 for the Burt Reynolds Institute is PO Box 264, Jupiter, FL 33458

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

October 15th: Fundraiser for the Burt Reynolds Institute hosted by Rosarian Academy. Includes a special screening of the hit film Hooper and audience Q&A.

November 15th: Q&A retrospective of Mr. Reynolds 55-plus year career at the Eissey Campus Theater at Palm Beach State College.

BURTREYNOLDSINSTITUTEAPPAREL.ORG

Check out our e-shop at www.burtreynoldsinstituteapparel.org and purchase awesome items for you and/or your loved ones! Great gifts for you, your family, and friends!

ORDER YOUR COPY OF BURT'S MEMOIR

This memoir tells his story through the people he’s encountered on his amazing journey. In his words, he plans to “call out the assholes,” try to make amends for “being the asshole myself on too many occasions,” and pay homage to the many heroes he has come to love and respect.

But Enough About Me is a must read for each and every Burt Reynolds fan.

If you have not yet ordered your copy of Burt Reynolds’ memoir, But Enough About Me, orders can be placed at www.amazon.com/But-Enough-About-Me-Memoir/dp/0399173544.

If you prefer the audio version, you can purchase that online, too: www.audiobooksnow.com/audiobook/but-enough-about-me/1148600

Tickets are on sale now for Donna M. Carbone's Shell of a Man, which will be presented at Another Broken Egg Café Harbourside Place on September 1, 2016. The dinner portion of the evening begins at 5PM and will include a fixed price menu with a selection of two main courses. The meal will include a glass of wine and/or a cold beverage. The cost for both the dinner and the show is $30. The play begins at 7PM. Seating is limited. Tickets can be ordered by calling 561-384-1584.

Shell of a Man is based on the life of an actual Vietnam veteran and focuses on the effects of his 40-plus year battle with PTSD. Her goal is to personalize this much talked about but barely understood condition in order to raise awareness of the need for better healthcare for our men and women in uniform. The play features three actors from the Burt Reynolds Institute for Film and Theatre: Ewan Leslie, Jeanne Tidwell, and Nancy Wood.

For more information, contact Donna M. Carbone at write4you@comcast.net or call 561-743-9955.

Susan Grantham--a student at the Burt Reynolds Institute--has been cast as Lady Elizabeth in Richard III, Lady Capulet in Romeo and Juliet, and Hecate in Macbeth at the ACT Studio Theater. Opening night is August 12th. Runs through August 21st ACT Studio Theater (399 SE Ocean Blvd. Stuart, FL 34996). Tickets available at www.actstudiotheatre.com/buy-tickets.html or by calling 516-662-2903

Annya Bright traveled to Milwaukee via The Irish Theater of FL to perform for the Irish Int'l Theater. She also acted and did stunts for LA ISLA DE LOS ZOMBIES, which will be aired on a Spanish channel this fall.

Are you a current or former student of the Burt Reynolds Institute for Film and 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 info@burtreynoldsinstitute.org before the 25 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 25 OF EACH MONTH—no exceptions. We look forward to hearing about—and celebrating—your success!

The Burt Reynolds Institute for Film and 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.

For more information about classes, events, etc, visit our website at https://www.burtreynoldsinstitute.org. To order merchandise, visit our online store at www.burtreynoldsinstituteapparel.org. Friend and follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

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