The Burt Reynolds Institute Monthly Newsletter

SEPTEMBER 2015

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

Dear Friends,

With fall just around the corner, the arts community is gearing up for a season of live theater, workshops, training opportunities and much more. At the Burt Reynolds Institute for Film and Theatre we have a lot to celebrate. July and August saw the launch of both of Dream Giveaways Sweepstakes—winbandit.com—and our ecommerce store, offering unique clothing and gift items found nowhere else but at www.burtreynoldsinstituteapparel.org.

Our fall/winter class schedule has been finalized and has generated lots of interest from people in both the film industry and the corporate world. This season we are offering a new and exciting intensive on-camera Acting in Commercials course taught by television and radio personality Jo Ann Pflug. Jo Ann, who is remembered for her role as Lt. Dish in the popular film M*A*S*H as for her appearance in over 250 television shows, will direct the class in the fine points of commercial auditioning and performance. This is a limited enrollment class which will run on two consecutive Friday evenings—September 18 and September 25—from 7PM to 9PM. Students are required to bring a memory card on which their performance will be recorded. The cost of the class is $99.

The ever-popular Fundamentals of Acting (FOA) meets on Sunday afternoons from 1PM to 4:30PM. FOA allows novice and intermediate performers to learn and perfect the finer points of acting for film and theater. Advanced actors also benefit by the opportunity to hone their skills under the expert eye of instructor/actor/director Sherman Roberts. The class is ongoing and costs $25 per class.

Sundays from 1:30PM to 3:30PM also mark the return of Teleprompter Proficiency. This six-week course provides training in one of the most requested skills for actors by South Florida casting directors and talent agents. Knowing how to use a teleprompter is also beneficial for the business executive whose presentation skills will be enhanced, allowing for a speedier climb up the corporate ladder. An intensive two hour one-on-one course is available for those unable to commit to a six-week course. Teleprompter is helmed by Patty Serrano, owner of Little Panther Prompter. Serrano has more than 20 years experience in film and television. The cost is $150. Class size is limited. Early registration is strongly suggested.

Monday evenings at 7PM offer the opportunity for beginning, intermediate, and advanced actors to become comfortable in their own skin. Scene Study and Character Analysis is a multifaceted course with actor/producer/director Todd Vittum. The course begins with students learning how to deliver a memorable monologue by developing an emotional connection to the character they are portraying. Students then progress to scene work, which is the foundation of all performance. Vittum’s class also teaches the vocabulary of acting and how to respond to a director’s instructions. The cost is $25 per class.

Creative Writing on Tuesday evenings from 6:30PM to 9:30PM is an on-going think tank environment for the serious writer. The class, which requires a commitment to attend on a regular basis, is moderated by author/playwright/journalist Donna Carbone. Carbone encourages both her novice and experienced writers to “listen to the voices in their heads.” Any form of writing—novel, screenplay, stage play, memoir, etc.— is welcomed. The cost is $25 per class.

For those 16 years of age and older interested in the art of Improvisation, the Institute offers a class on Thursday evenings from 7:30PM to 9:30PM. The cost is $25 per class and is taught by Todd Vittum, who is himself an experienced improvisation performer. Improvisation is a guaranteed confidence builder and teaches participants to “think quick” when the need arises.

On Saturday mornings, Side by Side 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. Class hours are 10am to noon and the cost is $20 per week. The class is taught by actor/producer/director Todd Vittum.

Classes at the Burt Reynolds Institute are held in the Lake Park Town Hall located at 535 Park Avenue, Lake Park, Florida. This is a class location only. There is no business office for the Institute on site. Prior registration is required for all classes as some have limited enrollment. For information and registration, please contact Donna Carbone at 561-743-9955.

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

Have a safe and happy Labor Day weekend.

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 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.

ACTING in COMMERCIALS with JOANN PFLUG
Well-known film and television actor JoAnn Pflug will teach a two day intensive seminar focused on auditioning for/working in commercials. This special class will be offered on Friday evening, September 18, and Friday evening, September 25, from 7PM to 9PM. Students are required to bring a memory card so that their performance can be recorded and reviewed at home and/or used as a part of their professional reel. The cost is $99.

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 from 10AM-noon (beginning September 12) 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.

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. 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.

TELEPROMPTER for the ACTING PROFESSIONAL with Patty Serrano
Sundays from 1:30PM to 3:30PM (beginning September 13) 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—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.

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 FIRST RECIPIENT OF FILM FLORIDA LEGENDS TOURISM AMBASSADOR AWARD

Before a crowd of over 1100 fans and friends, Oscar nominated actor and Florida’s favorite son, Burt Reynolds, was presented with the Film Florida Legends Tourism Ambassador Award at the Governor’s Conference on Tourism in Tampa on August 31, 2015. Looking fit and dapper in an elegant black on black ensemble, Reynolds expressed his love for his adopted state and how privileged he felt to be the first ever recipient of this honor.

“I love Florida,” Reynolds told the crowd once the thunderous applause had quieted. “Filmmaking in Florida is a postcard to the world. It goes on for many years. It is a clean industry. When people re-visit a film years later, it all happens again. I’ve made a number of pictures in Florida and I’ve always wanted to make more.”

Looking out upon the crowd, a smile forcing his famous mustache to twitch, Reynolds said, “Whenever I return from a trip, especially from California, I can immediately feel my blood pressure drop ten points. Name any star and you probably have no clue where they are from but everybody knows I’m from Jupiter, and it’s important that they do. Tourism benefits everyone just as filmmaking benefits tourism. I have always done my best to promote the making of films in Florida. It’s such a beautiful state.”

Reynolds reminisced about the many films and television shows that have been birthed locally. “We used Tampa’s Skyway Bridge in Smokey and the Bandit Part Two. I shot Cop & 1/2 here. The Crew was filmed in Miami and BL Stryker was filmed in Palm Beach. There were other films as well and I plan to continue making movies here at home.” The crowd cheered again as Reynolds humbly expressed his thanks for the award.

Having made nearly 200 movies in his more than 50 years in the entertainment industry, Burt Reynolds has been recognized as America's Favorite All Around Motion Picture Actor (People's Choice Award) a record six consecutive years. The National Association of Theatre Owners presented him with Star of the Year recognition and named him the Most Popular Star for five years running. He was also named the #1 Box Office Star for five years in a row—still an unmatched record. Reynolds was honored with the 2007 Taurus World Stunt Award for Lifetime Achievement for an Action Movie Star and will be inducted into the Stuntman Hall of Fame in September 2015. Despite the many accolades he has received, it was obvious from his words and demeanor that the love and admiration of his fans and friends at home in Florida held a special place in his heart.

Reynolds was presented the Film Florida Legend award by VISIT FLORIDA President and CEO Will Seccombe and Film Florida President Michelle Hillery at the Tampa Bay Convention Center. The Florida Governor’s Conference on Tourism is the premier annual educational conference for the Florida tourism industry and is designed and coordinated by VISIT FLORIDA, the Official Tourism Marketing Corporation for the State of Florida.

Photo: Burt Reynolds, Michelle Hillery, Will Seccombe
Credit: Todd Vittum

SIGN UP NOW FOR ACTING IN COMMERCIALS WITH JOANN PFLUG!

By special invitation of the Burt Reynolds Institute for Film and Theatre, well-known film and television actor JoAnn Pflug will teach a two day intensive seminar focused on auditioning for/working in commercials. The class will be offered on Friday evening, September 18, and Friday evening, September 25, from 7PM to 9PM. The cost is $99. Students are required to bring a memory card so that their performance can be recorded and reviewed at home and/or used as a part of their professional reel.

JoAnn Pflug, who lives in Tequesta, is best known for her role as Lieutenant Dish in the ever popular motion picture M*A*S*H directed by Robert Altman. She also appeared in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil starring John Cusack and directed by Clint Eastwood as well as Catlow with Yul Brynner and Richard Crenna and The Travelers with Bill Paxton and Mark Wahlberg. On television she is fondly remembered for her guest appearances on Love American Style, The Love Boat, Adam-12 and Quincy M.E. She became a regular on Operation Petticoat and The Fall Guy starring Lee Majors. In a recent interview, Ms. Pflug proudly pointed out that she also worked with mega-star Burt Reynolds in his popular Palm Beach based series, B.L. Stryker.

With more than 30 years professional experience, JoAnn Pflug has also worked as a
spokesperson on television and radio. In the past she has hosted a live televised talk show on which she interviewed a wide range of celebrity guests including then governor/now-presidential candidate Jeb Bush, TV star Betty White, singers Johnny Mathis and Dionne Warwick and talk show host Larry King. Most recently, her stories of Hollywood past and present were heard on Saturday mornings on Seaview Radio as host of “The JoAnn Pflug Show,” where once again she reminisced with such luminaries as Shirley MacLaine, Pat Boone, Dina Merrill, and Mary Wilson.

Pflug is as comfortable behind the camera as she is in front. She enjoys teaching up and coming actors how to hone their craft in order to be successful in a highly competitive business. Having trained with Lee Strasberg at The Actors Studio in New York and Milton Kasselas and Nina Foch in Los Angeles, she more than has the credentials to back up her resume.

Acting in Commercials with JoAnn Pflug will be held on Friday evenings, September 18 and 25 in the Lake Park Mirror Ballroom. Advance registration is required. To reserve your seat, please call Donna Carbone at 561-743-9955. Seating is limited.

PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY OF BURT'S NEW MEMOIR NOW! CLICK HERE TO ORDER

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. This is a must read for each and every Burt Reynolds fan.

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

CHECK OUT OUR BRAND NEW E-STORE! WWW.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!

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.

Fundamentals of Acting student Mitch Price has two reasons to be happy. He has been cast as 'Jesus Costazuela' in the female version of The Odd Couple by Neil Simon. The show will be performed at the Barn Theatre in Stuart, Florida from September 25 through October 11. Performances are Thursday through Saturday at 8PM and Sunday at 2PM. Call the theatre for information and tickets: (772) 287-4884.

Mitch has also been cast as 'Haynes' in the Sam Shepard play, The God of Hell, at the American Classic Theatre (A.C.T.) in Stuart, Florida. The character of Haynes is on the run from a secret government project involving plutonium. Contact with him will make you “spark.” Show dates November 13 through November 29. Performances are Friday and Saturday evenings at 8PM and Sunday afternoons at 3PM. Call the theatre for a complete performance schedule and tickets: (772) 485-0080.

Beverly Blanchette is starring in Philip Ridley's VINCENT RIVER at Artistic Vibes on September 4, and then at the Miami Beach Botanical Gardens on September 5, 6, 11, and 13.

Anyone wishing to attend a performance should contact Lee Marlow who is hoping to put together an evening of dinner and the show. Lee's email is: leemarlow2000@yahoo.com.

Lisa Eva Gold has been busy writing books and producing and directing her own documentary series. She also teaches piano and is in production on a 13-episode web series entitled, A Will To Survive, which is based on a true story.

James Ferrigno, Damaris Cruz, Douglas Rill, Andrew Moss, and Amy Hoerler—all members of "The Rekking Krew"—recently performed at a fundraising event at Kitchen 305. Their well-received 20-minute set included 'Freeze Tag', 'Oracle', and 'Props'.

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!