Before you enter the world of professional theater, you need to master the fundamentals. At the NSLC Acting Intensive, you will be immersed in an accelerated training environment, where you will have the opportunity to hone the necessary skills to succeed on stage and screen. Hosted on the campus of one of the nation’s preeminent drama schools, this 18-day program is comprised of classes in voice, text analysis, scene study, movement, and basic acting technique. Taught and facilitated by professional actors, vocal coaches, and university professors, this rigorous program focuses on the personal and professional growth of each young actor.
College Credit is Available for This Program
The National Student Leadership Conference has a unique partnership with American University to offer college credit for our high school summer programs. The American University is distinguished as a premier global university and known for turning “ideas into action and action into service.” As a result of this NSLC/AU alliance, students attending the NSLC’s summer programs for high school students have the opportunity to take college credit classes taught by American University faculty at all NSLC locations. This credit option enhances your education within the framework of your program experience, without interrupting NSLC activities.
Read more about earning college credit through your NSLC program.
Program Highlights
Hone your Skills
Enjoy an intensive curriculum of voice, text analysis, scene study, movement, and basic acting technique
Explore the Wide World of Theater
Visit some of the nation’s best summer theater festivals and see Broadway and off-Broadway shows
Devise your own Production
Work with your peers as you and your fellow actors rehearse and perform your own show, incorporating the techniques you’ve learned throughout the program
Dates & Locations
Yale University
New Haven, CT
- July 13 - July 30
Hone the skills necessary to succeed on stage and screen
Experiential Learning
In addition to your work on-campus in the studio, you will have the opportunity to craft your own production, which you will perform at the end of the program. The NSLC Acting Intensive will also expose you to the vast world of professional theater, through trips to top regional summer theater festivals and, of course, New York City, where you will see Broadway and Off-Broadway shows.
Designed to supplement the training you receive in high school and prepare you for the training you will receive in college, the NSLC Acting Intensive is comprised of college-level classes and workshops in a conservatory-like environment.
Voice Gain access to one of the actor’s most essential tools through exploration of breathing, range, projection, variety, and how to use your voice most effectively.
Text Analysis The root of modern drama, text analysis is a vital skill for all actors. Expand your ability to think critically, delve deep beneath the surface of a text, establish a common vocabulary for the rehearsal room, and learn how to seek active choices and improve your acting through text work.
Scene Study Work in small groups to develop the skills of analysis, connection, and expression. Text-based and including both scene and monologue work, this class is a fundamental building block.
Movement Learn to understand your body and posture, and the way your physical presence contributes to developing characters and your effectiveness as an actor.
Basic Acting Technique There is no singular way to approach acting, and you will explore the techniques and theories of several masters in this survey of acting approaches.
Meet Theater Professionals
While at the NSLC summer Acting Intensive, you will learn from theater professionals and university professors. In the past, the NSLC has had classes taught by the following industry leaders:
Shona Tucker
Director of Theatre, Vassar College
David Strickland
Vocal Coach
Donald Margulies
Professor of Theater Studies, Yale University
Mary Ann Plunkett
Tony Award-Winning Actor & Acting Coach
Claire Warden
Education Director, The Shakespeare Forum
Ron Carlos
Lecturer in Acting, Yale School of Drama
Nikkole Salter
OBIE Award-winning actress and writer
Michael Cassara
Casting Director, Michael Cassara Casting
Eddie Schnecker
Music Director & Audition Coach
Craft and perform your own production
Behind-the-Scenes Tours
An important part of the NSLC summer Acting Intensive is experiencing theater and seeing the sites around some of our nation’s greatest cities. These trips are designed as both sightseeing tours and exclusive educational trips specifically tailored to the Acting Intensive:
- Williamstown Theater Festival, Williamstown, MA
- Yale School of Drama
- Yale Repertory Theater, New Haven, CT
- Lincoln Center Theater
- Powerhouse Theater
- Broadway Shows, New York City
- Times Square
- Rockefeller Center
Leadership Training
At the heart of the NSLC is a leadership curriculum designed to build concrete leadership skills that will help you succeed. From the beginning of your program you will learn to work as a team during an exciting Ropes Challenge Course. Interactive lectures and small-group workshops will give you an opportunity to build upon your strengths and minimize your weaknesses.
Leadership topics tailored to the Acting Intensive include:
- Personality Styles
- Art for Social Change
- Group Dynamics
- Public Speaking
- The Art of Communication
- Commitment & Follow Through
- Conflict Resolution
Your NSLC tuition is all-inclusive. Your tuition covers course materials, housing, on-campus meals, social events and transportation throughout your program.
We offer a comprehensive scholarship program to assist qualified students with the cost of NSLC tuition, based on financial need, academic merit and extracurriculars.
Fundraising is a great way to raise funds to contribute toward your NSLC program tuition while also forging relationships with leaders in your community.