Free Acting Workshops a Success

Southern University students, along with faculty and senior students from White Castle High School attended a free master acting class in Tourgee A. DeBose Hall on Thursday.
The Aquila Theatre group from London taught the class with the collaboration of the Manship Theatre-Shaw Center for the Arts from Baton Rouge.
The class is about getting people on their feet, talking to each other, communicating and making eye contact with one another. Some of the things that were taught were how to be clear, how to use other languages to speak, and how to speak a language you do not know.
Lizzy Dive and Norman Murray, actors from the Aquila Theatre, were the acting instructors.
Dive, an actress in The Aquila Theatre, believed the acting class here was brilliant.
“What a great bunch of students that are really talented,” said Dive. “There were loads of fun and it’s lovely to come somewhere different to do an acting class with students you do not know.”
This was Norman’s Murray fourth time teaching a class during the Aquila Theatre tour in the states. The class was great according to Murray.
“One of the worst things when you come to a class is when people do not join in with you,” said Murray.  “So when I saw 60 to 70 people I was afraid they were not going to join but was glad everyone joined in, had fun and learned a little dance.”
Renae Chatelein, executive director of the Manship Theatre-Shaw Center for the Arts said, “It was so exciting to have so many students come out and be really engaged.”
“It inspires us to come back, and we want to do more,” said Chatelein. “Thanks to Southern for letting us be here.”
Lakira Washington, sophomore English Education major from Monroe, La said, “The acting class was a first time experience for me and it opened a new horizon to a field I’m not very familiar with.”
“I like the crowd participation and enthusiasm of the actors on stage,” said Washington. “Although, I did not like the longetivity of the exercises and waiting in the audience and not getting any attention from the people on stage. It was solely based on just those who decided to participate.”
Washington said she would love to see the actors perform a mini skit after the exercises are completed.
Alex Ward, junior Agricultural Science major from Newellton, La thought the class was a lot of fun.
“It gave students the opportunity to bond with fellow students and also have a good time,” said Ward. “I would like to see more classes like these that allow you to learn new things and have fun at the same time.”
Aquila Theatre is a not-for-profit company that has a regular play season in New York, and international festivals and tours in approximately 70 American towns and cities each year.
The Aquila Theatre was in Baton Rouge to perform a presentation of Ray Bradbury’s novel “Fahrenheit 451” at the Manship Theatre-Shaw Center for the Arts.