The Burt Reynolds Institute Monthly Newsletter

DECEMBER 2015

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

Dear Friends,

On behalf of Mr. Reynolds, our staff, students and volunteers, I would like to express our very best wishes for a happy and healthy holiday season. It is difficult to believe that another year is almost to an end. At the Burt Reynolds Institute we are looking back and smiling at the many milestones that have been achieved.

This year has seen Mr. Reynolds deservedly recognized numerous times for his contributions to the entertainment industry. In July, he was honored with the Georgia Film Legend Award at the Macon Film Festival. In September, he received the Richard Farnsworth Lifetime Achievement Award for his work as a stuntman and for his support of stuntmen in the industry. Also in September, Mr. Reynolds was inducted into the Wild West Walk of Fame while attending the Gunsmoke 60th Anniversary Reunion.

Our Bandit charmed fans at Comic Con Philadelphia and Wizard World Chicago where he was reunited with old friends Lou Ferrigno and Scott Wilson. He held hundreds of fans, including Neve Campbell and Danny Trejo, captive with a smile and a handshake at Spooky Empire in Orlando.

One of the biggest events to pay homage to Mr. Reynolds was Fall Florida Autofest sponsored by Carlisle Events. Held at the Lakeland Linder Airport in order to accommodate the droves of car enthusiasts eager to attend, the buzz in the air had nothing to do with turbo jets and propellers. The deafening sound was the excitement being voiced by fans who had come to see the man responsible for countless hours of enjoyment these past 55 years.

The two day event brought out nearly 1000 frenzied men and women vying to have their photos taken with their idol and shake his hand. Lakeland Mayor R. Howard Wiggs gave Burt a key to the city and issued a proclamation declaring November 14 as Burt Reynolds Day. So many people were responsible for making this four day events a success but I, unfortunately, don’t have space to name them all. At the top of the list are Todd Vittum, Donna Carbone and Gene Kennedy. Also deserving recognition are: Mike Carbone, Deputy Sheriff Eric Rausch, Joe Fabel, David Betz, Jeff Nevins, Darrel Murphy, John Mekita, James Buie Jr., Brad Crawford, John Paul Gasca, Wayne Alderson, Tyler Hambrick, Adam DeNino, Glenda Golden, John Satino, Dave Hall, Ric Rodriquez, Steven Ellinport, Susan Kolman Ellinport, Edith Kennedy, Rick Dieters, Karen and Merrill King, Linda Sharone, the Bandit Run family members and countless other volunteers who will never know how much their support and assistance was and is appreciated. Donations are still being accepted for our building fund and for those of you who would like to add the Burt Reynolds Institute to your holiday gift list, you can do so by calling Managing Director Donna Carbone at 561-743-9955 with your pledge. Credit cards donations can be made by phone. Checks can be mailed to The Burt Reynolds Institute for Film and Theatre, Post Office Box 264, Jupiter, Florida 33458. To everyone who has helped move us closer to ground breaking, thank you for your continued support. We look forward to sharing many more fun-filled nights with you in the months and years ahead.

The Dream Car Giveaway Sweepstakes is still underway. If you haven’t bought all your stocking stuffers, now is the time to purchase the dream of owning a 1980 beautifully restored Trans Am for someone special in your life. Just visit: www.winbandit.com. Use promo code: BANONE And don’t forget the ultimate stocking stuffer – a copy of Burt Reynolds’ new memoir, But Enough About Me, available in bookstores nationwide and at: https://www.amazon.com/But-Enough-About-Me-Adventures/dp/0060843640.

I am so very proud to be a part of an organization that can claim community involvement and personal investment as a part of its DNA. I would like to once again thank the many people who work so tirelessly to guarantee our continued success… Donna Carbone, Todd Vittum, Gene Kennedy, Karen Chimato, Amy Hoerler (Schulz), Carmen Magri, Sherman Roberts, and our Board of Directors to name but a few. A very special thank you to Mr. Reynolds, whose tireless devotion to “giving back” to his students has created our very special family.

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.

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 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 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

ORDER YOUR COPY OF BURT'S NEW MEMOIR NOW!

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 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.

HOLIDAY SHOPPING MADE EASY! VISIT 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! NEW ITEM: hoodies for the fall!

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.

Susan Grantham, a recent graduate of both Patty Serrano's Teleprompter Proficiency course and JoAnn Pflug's Acting in Commercials class, just completed a role in the Dixileta Moving Pictures film, Take a Stand. Susan traveled to Arizona for location shooting.

Fundamentals of Acting student Mitch Price appeared in Sam Shepard's The God of Hell at the A.C.T. Studio Theatre in Stuart last month.

Cindy Morrison's play, Thirteen Loaves, was presented during Roman Theatre at the Feast of Little Italy festival in Jupiter Florida on November 7. The play is based on a murder mystery involving a Gladiatrice of ancient Rome. The lead characters in the play, Ashley Rose Hitt and David Rafaidus provided an outstanding performance!

Master Acting student Steve Mairano recently self-published a book of original one-act plays entitled A Night At The Monty. The book is available through both Amazon Kindle and at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0169K5FCC.

CROKINOLE LOCAL SHORT (Via Focus on Film) When a filmmaker is looking for inspiration sometimes they don’t have to look far. For Johnston Blakley, making movies is a hobby and he enjoys producing a couple of short films a year, usually related to his profession as a private investigator. His latest project took him back to a favorite pastime as a child. Crokinole is a short film about a nightclub owner who revisits his past while playing a board game with a mysterious stranger. “I used to play Crokinole all the time as a kid and it was nice to think about my childhood during the making of this movie,” said Johnston. Production Assistant and former FTC intern Christian DeVerona said, “I was thrilled to be part of the project and looking forward to seeing it finished.” While the film is still in editing, Johnston plans to complete the project in time to submit to the Palm Beach International Film Festival. For more info, see Crokinole on IMDB.

Crokinole stars Alan Myles Heyman and Suzanne Niedland, and features Amy Hoerler in a cameo role.

BURT! COMING SOON TO THEATRES (Via Focus on Film) Palm Beach County is fortunate to have a showbiz pioneer in our backyard! Burt Reynolds, an international icon and Hollywood leading man for six decades, has been known for his legendary performances, incredible celebrity friendships, sex-symbol status, and that famous mustache. His latest news includes the November 17th release of But Enough About Me: A Memoir along with the audio book recorded by Reynolds. In addition, an intimate documentary is in production about his life and his Hollywood career. The feature length documentary BURT! is produced by award winning local filmmakers Suzanne Niedland and Aaron Wells who intend to show Burt Reynolds the man, not just the iconic actor with whom people identify as the characters he has played,” Wells adds, “Burt is a master storyteller who’s own story needs tto be told, and we’re thrilled to be sharing a glimpse of Burt’s world.” Among the archival footage used, the film includes segments from his one-man shows. Niedland and Wells have been traveling with Reynolds and filming at his home. Reynolds said, "Suzanne and Aaron are good friends and I’m used to being around them, which makes the whole process very comfortable for me.” The filmmakers invited Student Showcase of Films Burt Reynolds Scholarship Recipient and FTC intern Raymond Knudsen to fulfill his internship credits on the film. Knudsen was able to help as a Production Assistant and said, "It was a true blessing to be a part of the process. BURT! is on track to be released next year. You can find out more about the project here: https://www.facebook.com/BurtMovie

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!