ACTING


Welcome to the ELAC Department of Theater Arts’ Acting Program. Our program is dedicated to nurturing and developing outstanding actors and scholars. We provide versatile training opportunities and an acting faculty with diverse training backgrounds and approaches that offer the young artist the opportunity to develop their craft in a non-competitive and supportive environment.

Image of actors performing Metamorphoses

We offer many performance opportunities including 5 mainstage productions, student-directed projects, and class showcases.  In addition, we have a Summer With Shakespeare 5 week acting intensive workshop, which is a unique offering among community colleges in our district. It offers instruction from a variety of teachers specializing in specific areas of instruction in performing Shakespeare, such as period movement, scansion, voice work, etc. The workshop culminates in public performances of the student’s work.

Internships


We also offer excellent internship opportunities for our acting students at internationally recognized theaters in the Los Angeles area including A Noise Within, The Actors’ Gang, and the Center Theatre Group.  Students may earn the “points” needed to join the Actors Equity Association (AEA) through these internships.

Click here for a list of currently available internships

KCACTF


ELAC Theater students also have the opportunity to participate in the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival by receiving Irene Ryan acting nominations for each of our Main Stage productions.




Classes


We offer comprehensive instruction in the acting discipline. Our voice and movement program for actors introduces and enriches the student actor’s versatility by minimizing weaknesses and developing confidence in character development.  We offer Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced acting classes, script analysis, and an Actors’ Orientation class that prepares acting students to enter the profession, including information on headshots, resumes, audition material and practical experience in auditioning techniques.


Transfer


Our alumni go on to transfer or enjoy a wide range of careers — including acting careers in film, television, and theater, jobs in arts non-profits as well as in higher education. Many of our graduates have transferred to four-year programs at UCLA, USC, UCLA, UCSD, UCI, CSLB, CSF, CSUN, CSLA, Cal Arts, and LAMDA.

Click here for a Complete list of Degrees and Transfer Degrees



Classes



Acting Classes


Register for classes
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THEATER 101 Acting in History and Style 
THEATER 200 Intro to Acting 
THEATER 205 Actor's Orientation 
THEATER 232 Play Production 
THEATER 235 Play Performance 
THEATER 240 Voice and Articulation 
THEATER 244 Voice for Performance 
THEATER 246 Dialects for the Actor 
THEATER 260 Acting I 
THEATER 265 Movement for the Actor 
THEATER 270 Beginning Acting 
THEATER 272 Intermediate Applied Acting
THEATER 273 Advanced Acting 
THEATER 278 Film and TV Acting
THEATER 286 Stanislavsky
THEATER 293 Rehearsals Performance
TECHTR 700 Theater Festival Workshop
TECHTR 701 Shakespeare I 
TECHTR 702 Shakespeare II
TECHTR 703 Shakespeare III 
TECHTR 704 Shakespeare VI

Register for classes
Apply to ELAC

Certificates



Acting Skill Certificate  Students completing this skills certificate will acquire skills to pursue job opportunities in the performing arts or transfer opportunities to four-year college theater programs

Required Core Units: 7
TA 240 Voice and Articulation for The Actor - 3 units
TA 265 Movement for The Actor - 2 units
TT 342 Technical stage Production - 2 units
 
Elective Units: 3  (Choose one)
TA 272 Intermediate Acting - 3 units
or
TA 273 Advanced Acting - 3 units 

TOTAL units required: 10 units
Click here for a PDF version

Shakespearean Acting Skills CertificateStudents completing this skills certificate will acquire skills to pursue performing arts job opportunities in classical theater or advanced training at four-year college theater programs.

Required Core Units: 9
TT 701 Shakespeare Festival Workshop I - 2 units
TT 702 Shakespeare Festival Workshop II - 2 units
TA 273 Advanced Acting - 2 units
TA 240 Voice & Articulation for the Theater - 3 units

Required Elective Units: 2  (Choose one)
TT 703 Shakespeare Festival Workshop III - 2 units
TA 265 Movement for The Actor - 2 units

TOTAL units required: 9 units
Click here for a PDF version

Language and Dialects for Performance certificateStudents completing this skills certificate will acquire skills to pursue performing arts job opportunities in classical theater or advanced training at four-year college theater programs.

Required Core Units: 9
TA 240 Voice & Articulation for the Theater - 3 units 
TA 246 Dialects for the Actors - 3 units
Ling 7 Phonetics of Spanish, Italian, French, and German for Artist - 3 units

Required Elective Units: 2 (choose one)
TT 701 Shakespeare Festival Workshop I - 2 units
Music 411 Elementary voice - 2 units

TOTAL units required:   11 units
Click here for a PDF version



Testimonials


The Theater Dept at East Los Angeles College was a diamond in the rough for my education and my life aesthetic.  They introduced me to a world outside myself, introducing me to art and the beauty of live performance. All the while, helping me discover a whole new voice and confidence within myself that has definitely been the cornerstone of my achievements thus far. Shakespeare and East Los Angeles College’s Theater Program saved me from my past and helped me discover my future.Marcelo, Acting Alumni (TV credits include FX's Snowfall, Adult Swim's Black Jesus, CBS's Training Day, FOX's Lethal Weapon)

The acting classes in ELAC's theater program helped improve my self-confidence and skills as an artist. I also received great support from all of my professors when I made the decision to transfer to a four-year university as a theater major. Their teachings and guidance helped make my transition easy. I felt well prepared to enter a new theater space with everything I learned from the courses I took and from my practical experience of working on productions both on and off stage. Cassandra, Acting Alumni & UCSD Theater Transfer Student

East Los Angeles College summer with Shakespeare Workshop is the most affordable Shakespeare training you can get in LA.
Cesar, Acting Alumni & Teaching Artist

As individuals I do not think the acting teachers and, in fact, the whole drama faculty, could be more different, yet what they have in common is in their relentless support and passion for the education and success of their students.  The extremely diverse education I received that each teacher worked an essential part in culminating from the literary and script breakdowns to the physical and mental focus techniques allowed me to enter the University of California, Irvine confidently, excitedly and well-versed in what would be required and expected of me to achieve my Bachelor of Arts Degree in Drama of which I earned last March. Marissa, Acting Alumni & UC Irvine Theatre Transfer Student


Faculty


Our faculty has many years of professional acting experience. Some are still highly active in the industry and therefore up-to-date on industry practices including the uses of technology that today’s actor must be able to employ for success. Our faculty’s doors are always open and we are very proud of the supportive and nurturing program that we have developed. We hope that you will become a part of it.

Vanessa Mizzone Pellegrini: mizzonv@elac.edu

Cristina Frias: FRIASC@elac.edu

David L. Scott: scottdl@elac.edu 

Rodney L. Scott: scottrl@elac.edu

Ramiro Segovia: segovir@elac.edu

Mark Anthony Vallejo: vallejma@elac.edu

Will Pellegrini: pellegwj@elac.edu

Brett Ryback: rybackb@elac.edu


click here for faculty and staff bio
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