The season is just beginning and that means training, opportunities, and advancement at the Burt Reynolds Institute. On October 4, our Improv actors will present "Double Secret Probation Side by Side Improv"--an evening of laughter and hilarity featuring students young and young in spirit. The show will take place in the Lake Park Mirror Ballroom beginning at 7:30 PM. Please note that no advance tickets will be sold so come early and stay until the last laugh dies away. Tickets are $20 each--cash or check only.
A much anticipated Showcase of short scenes under the direction of Burt Reynolds is being readied for your enjoyment. Please continue to check the Institute website at www.burtreynoldsinstitute.org and watch for our email blasts announcing a date and time.
Anyone interested in improving their ability to do more than walk and talk at the same time should call Managing Director Donna Carbone at 561-743-9955 to reserve a spot in Patty Serrano's Improv-a-Prompter Proficiency class. The cost is $150. Teleprompter proficiency is one of the most requested talents by South Florida casting directors today. Call to RSVP now!
Learn Todd Vittum's three rules of Improv on Thursday nights at 7:30PM. Join Todd and his troupe of merrymakers and share a sense of camaraderie rarely found in new situations. Cost: $25/class. Class is held in the Lake Park Mirror Ballroom.
Creative Writing for the Author in All of Us with Donna Carbone will turn a blank sheet of paper into a dream come true. We all have stories to tell. We all have experiences to share. Knowing how to put those stories into words that will hold a reader's attention is a gift that can bring many happy hours of enjoyment into our lives. Donna's students are writing screenplays, stage plays, novels, and short stories. The think tank atmosphere abounds with tales of pirates and politics, creeps and crime, and even lessons for children and parents. If you've got an idea you'd like to share, join them on Thursday evenings at 6:30PM in the Lake Park Commission Chambers. Cost: $25/week.
Last but not least, Fundamentals of Acting on Sunday afternoons at 1PM in the Lake Park Mirror Ballroom brings actors at every level of expertise together to work on scenes and fine tune their skills. Not everyone in class wants to act. Some students take the class to improve their self-confidence in public speaking and give them self-assurance on the job. Some take it to improve their reading skills. Some take it just to have fun. If you enjoy laughing while you are learning, if you enjoy seeing how a scene is developed for the stage and the screen, if you enjoy feeling good about yourself, then this is the class for you. Cost: $25/week.
See you at the Institute.
-Douglas Rill
Chairman of the Board of Directors
Burt Reynolds Institute for Film & Theatre
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 Thursdays at 7:30PM
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
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. Adults pay $25/week and kids pay $15/week. Call (561) 743-9955 to RSVP
CREATIVE WRITING for the AUTHOR in ALL of US Thursdays 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. The class meets Thursday evenings at 6:30PM in the Lake Park Commission Chambers. Cost: $25/week. Call 561-743-9955 to RSVP
IMPROV-A-PROMPTER: 100% TOTALLY INTERACTIVE TELEPROMPTER CLASS Dates TBA. Anyone who wants to sign up for this class should contact Donna at briftfinancedirector@comcast.net or call 561-743-9955 now! Class size is limited so students must RSVP ASAP.
Be prepared to laugh and learn. Improv-a-Prompter is a six (6) week course taught by Patty Serrano. Cost: $150* 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.
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
DON'T MISS THE DOUBLE SECRET PROBATION SIDE-BY-SIDE IMPROV (SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4)
On Saturday, October 4, at 7:30 PM, the Lake Park Mirror Ballroom will host a fun, family night of improvisation presented by the wholesome and hilarious Burt Reynolds Institute Improv Players.
The evening’s offering will be unique in that it brings together both adult and young actors performing side by side in an unscripted and always unexpected two hours of laughs and guffaws.
Under the direction of master improvisational artist Todd Vittum, budding and experienced improvisational artists from child to childlike will have the audience rolling in the aisles. The show comes with only one warning: “Laughing is mandatory!”
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 and his “no scripts–no rules” approach to training is guaranteed to bring a look of surprise and pleasure to the faces of ticket holders. The spontaneity of response--especially when children are involved--is the stuff of legend.
In an interview about his training techniques, Vittum said, “Most people think Improv is only about being funny. It isn’t. However with my troupe, the humor comes from the honesty of the scene and funny just happens!”
The good times start at 7:30 PM and don't end until the laughter dies away. Guests are encouraged to bring a prop for use by the performers. Props will be returned at the end of the evening.
Tickets are $20. Reservations are not necessary. Pay at the door cash or check only. Come early as seating is limited. Doors open at 6:45 PM.
The Lake Park Mirror Ballroom is located at 535 Park Avenue, Lake Park, FL inside the Lake Park Town Hall. For information about the show, call 561-743-9955.
For more information on classes at the Burt Reynolds Institute, visit www.burtreynoldsinstitute.org
BURT REYNOLDS INSTITUTE HOSTS FILM SHOOT AT LAKE PARK MIRROR BALLROOM
FILM LEGEND OFFERED EMOTIONAL INSIGHTS INTO FILMING OF “WHITE LIGHTNING” AND “GATOR”
On Friday evening, September 5, The Burt Reynolds Institute for Film & Theatre hosted an emotional film shoot with screen legend Burt Reynolds discussing the films White Lightning and its sequel, Gator. White Lightning, which introduced Reynolds’ iconic Southern character Gator McKlusky, was the first southern-themed film to break through cultural barriers and become a hit outside the south. The film is also one of Director Quentin Tarantino's favorite movies. Gator, which was released in 1976 and was Reynolds’ first directorial feature film effort, paired him with model Lauren Hutton for the first of their three films together.
These intimate interviews were conducted at the historic Lake Park Mirror Ballroom, the actual site of Reynolds’ stage debut, and will be used as bonus material in the upcoming Blu-ray releases of both White Lightning and Gator. In addition to Reynolds, fellow Gator cast members Dudley Remus and Patrick Moody were on hand, recalling not only anecdotes about the film but also off-screen memories involving Jerry Reed, Jack Weston, Alice Ghostley, Hal Needham, and Reynolds’ mentor, Watson B Duncan III. Duncan, who was responsible for Reynolds becoming an actor, was included in a cameo as one of the governmental officials.
Seeing Reynolds sitting on the stage where Duncan first cast him was an emotional highlight of the interview. With deep and sincere affection, Reynolds said "… without Duncan getting me into acting right here, in this room, on this stage, none of this would've ever happened."
KINO LORBER STUDIO CLASSICS has scheduled the White Lightning and Gator blu-ray releases for November of 2014. For information go to www.kinolorber.com
Photos courtesy of Pete Marzilli and Aaron Wells. Burt Reynolds, Dudley Remus, and Patrick Moody (photo: Aaron Wells); Todd Vittum, Aaron Wells, and Burt Reynolds (photo: Pete Marzilli)
SPECIAL GUESTS AT THE BURT REYNOLDS INSTITUTE
Award-winning Writer/Director/Producer/Actor Adam Rifkin stops by to chat with Mr. Reynolds. He's currently directing the film, Directors Cut, written by Penn Jillette.
2014 Student Showcase of Films Burt Reynolds Scholarship winner Raymond B. Knudsen drops by to see Mr. Reynolds (photo: Pete Marzilli)
Consulting Producer Paula Lindsay of Mississippi Gulf Coast Studios and Producer Barry Rosen dropped by to show and discuss the film, Category 5, which stars Mr. Reynolds, C. Thomas Howell, Chelsea Kane, and Yani Gellman.
BRITT (Burt Reynolds Institute for Theatre Training) Alumna and Playwright Lisa Soland visited with Mr. Reynolds and sat in on the Master Class, where a few of her scenes were put up by the students. "It was a great class," said Soland. "Burt is the most generous, kind, loving teacher ever." Soland had a book signing at the Lighthouse Art Center Museum for her book, The Christmas Tree Angel and read from her book The Unmade Moose, which is due out next month (photo: Pete Marzilli)
BRITT Alumni Mark and Julie Fauser also sat in on the Master Class and visited with Burt Reynolds afterwards. Mark's latest project is a documentary film called, Making a Mark (photo: Pete Marzilli)
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.
Phyllis Brown booked role as waitress in the Untitled KZK NETFLIX series and booked a commercial for Simply Healthcare, where she had the opportunity to work with Magic Johnson.
James Hook and Jeff Long filled the roles of Danforth and Barney, respectively, in Stephen A. Stone's adaptation of Charles Bukowski's short story, The Gut Wringing Machine. Click here to read more about the film.
Michael Montrond booked the role of Frank Rizzi in the movie After Midnight, directed by Damian Fitzsimmons. He and Adele Zin were booked by Dynamic TV & Marketing as husband and wife for Mediterranean Soul Wine, directed by Joanne Harris and Steve Harkey. In addition to this booking with Dynamic, Michael also booked an infomercial for them called Hot Logic.
The Tweet series, starring Taylor Blackwell, is in full swing. Miss an episode? No problem. Check out the series by clicking on this link: https://bit.ly/1mERwwM
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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.