Melbourne's Premier Acting Studio for Film and Television

MASTERCLASSES

The Ellen Burstyn Masterclass 2012 (Participants and Auditors)

COURSE CODE: VMB1

APPLICATION OPEN: January 16, 2012
APPLICATIONS CLOSE (PARTICIPANTS): February 1, 2012 (AUDITORS): February 23, 2012

PROGRAM DATES: February 24, 25, 26 & 27, 2012
CLASS TIMES: 9am - 5pm
FEE (PARTICPANTS): $1210 (inc GST)
FEE (AUDITING/OBSERVING): $130 (p/day) or $440 (4 day)

Applicants must be over 18 years of age. Entry by selection (please include your CV, showreel and supporting information).

APPLICATION FORM (Course Code VMB1)
AUDITORS BOOK HERE
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"By far the greatest artist I have ever worked with". Darren Aronofsky (Director: Requiem for a Dream, Black Swan)

OVERVIEW

16th Street is honoured to host Ellen Burstyn - one of the most acclaimed actresses and teachers of her generation - in her first Australian Masterclass.

As an actor, Ellen is one of a select group of artists to be awarded the ‘Triple Crown’ of acting accolades, having received Tony, Emmy and Academy Awards from her multiple nominations.

Her work has garnered the respect of the film, theatre and television communities, in which she has sustained a career of depth and versatility for over 5 decades.

Ellen is the current Artistic Director of The Actors Studio in New York, where she also serves as Co-President alongside Al Pacino and Harvey Keitel. The Actors Studio is arguably the most influential acting centre of the past century. Some of its alumni include Marlon Brando, Julie Harris, James Dean, Paul Newman, Jack Nicholson, Sally Field, Marilyn Monroe, Sean Penn, Jane Fonda and Robert De Niro among many others.

ELLEN’S CAREER

“One of the few actresses at work today who is able to seem appealing, tough, intelligent, funny, and bereft, all at approximately the same moment.” New York Times

Ellen’s performances have captivated audiences for over 50 years. As a fading Texan beauty in The Last Picture Show, Ellen earned her first Academy Award nomination. Her second came just a year later as the fraught mother of a possessed child in iconic masterpiece, The Exorcist. Ellen won the Academy Award the following year for her turn in Martin Scorsese’s Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore.

Burstyn won the Tony Award for Same Time, Next Year, later receiving a Golden Globe Award and a fourth Academy Award nomination for her performance in the film version.

Her work in Resurrection and Requiem for a Dream garnered two more Academy Award nominations, numerous industry awards and further respect from her peers.

Indeed, her outstanding work as an unsuspecting drug addict in Requiem for a Dream has gained status as one of the landmark performances in modern film.

ELLEN’S TEACHING

“My experience, what I teach, is that if you are completely present and attuned to the other actor, there’s a kind of synergy that occurs.” Ellen Burstyn

Ellen has been a member of the acclaimed Actors Studio since 1967, where she trained under Lee Strasberg.

Strasberg’s approach derived from his work with Constantin Stanislavski. He was instrumental in revolutionising the approach to modern acting and consequently changed the shape of theatre, film and television, and the art of acting itself, for all time.

In her capacity as Artistic Director, Ellen has shaped the training and careers of some of the world’s finest contemporary artists, following in the footsteps of Elia Kazan and Lee Strasberg

Ellen’s command and respect for the craft of acting, her deep commitment to training and education in this art form, and her standing as one of the greatest actors of the modern era, amounts to an unmissable experience for Australian actors.

This Masterclass is set to be a highlight of Melbourne’s artistic calendar in 2012.

Participating in the program

There are 32 places available on the program and entry is by selection (based on previous experience and showreel).

We encourage actors to read A Dream of Passion by Lee Strasberg in preparation for this masterclass.

In addition, you will be offered rehearsal space/time at 16th Street’s studio as well as opportunities for dramaturgical support from 16th Street faculty members.

Auditing the program

Auditing (observe) acting classes are an incredible opportunity to improve your acting craft or gain a thorough insight into the process of acting, taught by a true master.

Auditing is not simply an act of ‘watching’ performers work with Ellen, but rather an active process in which fellow actors thoroughly experience and learn Ellen’s approach to the work through observation and analysis.

Auditors will also be given the scene list that the participants in the program will be working on throughout the class. This offers an opportunity for auditors to thoroughly examine the source material prior to the class in order to strengthen the understanding of Ellen’s analysis of each scene.