Program Details

Gain essential training to become a successful actor at the NSLC Acting Intensive.

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 skills necessary to succeed on stage and screen. 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 takes place in a conservatory-like environment and focuses on the personal and professional growth of each young actor.

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

Note: Space is limited. Please login to the online application to see up-to-date session availability.

Fordham University

New York, NY

Sample Schedule
Trips & Tours
Explore Location
  • July 23 - August 9

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, 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.

Examples of past guest speakers include:

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

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 Acting Intensive.

Trips may include:

Fordham University

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. Interactive lectures and small-group workshops will give you an opportunity to build upon your strengths and minimize your weaknesses.

Leadership topics tailored to Acting Intensive include:

  • Personality Styles
  • Art for Social Change
  • Group Dynamics
  • Public Speaking
  • The Art of Communication
  • Commitment & Follow Through
  • Conflict Resolution

College Credit Option

American University (AU) and NSLC have a unique partnership that enables you to earn college credit by enrolling in a supplemental online course designed to correlate with your NSLC program’s area of study. By enrolling in this credit course, you will enjoy a stimulating, innovative, and personalized college-level learning experience that builds on your NSLC accomplishments. The course is for one credit and is taught in a self-paced, asynchronous format across six weeks, allowing ample time to complete assignments. The course is designed to work within the framework of NSLC; students are not expected to complete coursework while on campus. Students may register for college credit via their personal student portal (myNSLC) once they have enrolled in an NSLC session.

Click here to learn more about this opportunity.

Tuition

Program tuition includes housing, all on-campus meals, course materials, academic expenses, and activities. Tuition also includes chartered, air-conditioned motor coaches for off-campus briefings and tours. Note: Students are responsible for the cost of travel to and from the program as well as individual spending money for souvenirs, laundry, and a few off-campus meals during fields trips and tours.

Click here to view our cancellation and refund policy.

LocationTuition
New York City$5,995
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