Continuing Education

Designed for anyone who enjoys “taking the stage”! In this class, students explore the elements of acting and free their creative selves. The basic tools and techniques of the actor’s craft are introduced through a wide variety of exercises, games, improvisations, short scripted material, monologues, and scenes. Recommended for both the beginning actor and those with acting experience. Please bring a monologue to the first class.

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What does “split the difference” mean? Find out in this exploration of the world of voiceovers! You will discover the acting fundamentals for voiceovers, which are used in television commercials, radio spots, the Internet, promos, and narration. The basic techniques of acting unfold in their application to the voiceover world, along with an inside “skinny” of the tricks, techniques, and the skills used by the pros to audition, book, and do their job.

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Gain experience in voiceover, script breakdown, promotion, commercials, movie trailers, and animation. Understand how to work with directors and compete in undirected auditions. Work on tone, voice quality, volume, inflection phrasing, and versatility in multiple genres. Obtain valuable feedback in a critique and an open Q&A with one of the top New York voiceover agents in the industry.

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Create compelling comic books and graphic novels! The drawing skills and storytelling principles used in comics, film/video, and video games will be revealed as you plan, draw, and polish your project from layouts to finished inks. Turn your own story into a visual reality or work from a script supplied by the instructor. Gain the knowledge to make your action, comedy, super hero, historical, horror, humor, or romance stories and drawings clear, compelling, and entertaining!

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Identify a social issue of concern and choose a story that reflects it. Create authentic characters and a situation in which needs, stakes, and conflicts are defined. Go past stereotypes by conducting research and using techniques, such as playmaking, to develop a one-act play or musical. Enjoy casual presentations of the created short works.

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The impulse to create is felt by many people. Examine the desire to connect and share, and the response to beauty, tragedy, joy, and conflict. Learn exercises that teach spontaneity, listening, and collaboration, examining what inspires you. Through classwork, lively discussions, and presentations, gain a deeper understanding of who you are and the confidence to express your creative instincts.

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Do you have a tale to tell and a manuscript to prove it? Learn to use universal character archetypes in your fiction writing and improve your narrative technique. Incorporate the ABCs of storytelling and develop keen observation skills. Benefit from peer and instructor critiques in a supportive environment, and structure your writing to connect with your audience with fiction worth reading!

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While you won’t walk away with an actual diploma, this entertaining yet highly informative seminar does offer mini-versions of the essential courses included in the typical art major. Learn art history and appreciation, try hands-on drawing exercises that demonstrate the thought processes and techniques behind making a piece of art, and discuss developing creativity. View more than 150 works of art as you cover everything from left-brain/right-brain thinking and how to look at art to the history of Western art and the art business. No previous art experience needed.

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Creating functional and nonfunctional lathe-turned objects. Woodturning has a long and rich history, the lathe being the earliest documented woodworking machine. This workshop examines the evolution of turning and explores how the lathe and its tools are used today to produce art as well as functional objects. A variety of processes are introduced, including: wood selection and preparation, spindle turning, bowl and vessel turning, hollow turning, box making, off-center turning and finishing. Students at all levels are free to explore their own interests. Open to beginners as well as advanced enthusiasts. Tuition includes $150 for materials.

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Using the professional woodworking shop at Purchase College, build a project to completion in this intensive, hands-on workshop. As a beginner or experienced student, you will work within your skill level using the essential principles of woodworking, including tool use, machine operation, material selection, design choices, joinery, and finishing. Tuition includes $75 for materials.

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Explore foundry techniques based on traditional methods of lost-wax bronze casting. Prepare wax objects, make molds, and cast sculptural pieces in bronze during an all-day Saturday casting (a festive event with music, potluck refreshments, and invited guests). All levels of experience are welcome, and individuals can advance at their own pace.

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Discover how to make money using your voice! Explore numerous aspects of voice-over work for television, film, radio, audio books, documentaries, and the Internet in this introduction to professional voice-overs. Learn how to prepare the all-important demo and how to be successful and earn great income in this exciting field. Ask questions and hear examples of demos recorded by professional voice actors. Record a commercial script under the direction of a Voicecoaches.com producer! Take the first step in professional voice acting in this fun, informative class. Students under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult who is also registered for the course. Space is limited, so register early!

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Learn how to sing your favorite song(s) like a professional. Bring a song to work on (sheet music required) and sing it for the class - any style is welcome! Receive weekly individual coaching and a group warm-up/technique session. Explore vocal technique, phrasing, diction, style, expression, interpretation, and dynamics. Emerge with a true sense of your own vocal possibilities, musicianship, style, and artistry.

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Study basic techniques of classic pantomime and commedia dell’arte. Learn the history of pantomime and mime illusions from the Romans onward, including the rise of modern classic pantomime in the 19th and 20th centuries. Discover the history of commedia and its characters, and develop your own lazzi (scenarios). Maximize your talent in this weeklong exploration of the practice of physical theatre.

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Explore methods and materials of portrait sculpture. Investigate anatomy, proportion, and technique—concepts used to create naturalistic likeness. Working in clay from a live model, create two studies and one fully developed portrait head. Cast a finished piece and learn the process of creating a plaster waste mold. Emphasis is placed on imbuing the portraits with poetic interest and presence.

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Learn the basic discipline of game design and create playable paper prototypes. Study the history of games, from ancient race games to modern video games. Extract essential lessons of game design to employ in your game ideas. In testing each other’s creations—made of paper, cards, dice, and counters—you will uncover the greatest challenges and pleasures of designing games.Note: This is not a computer programming class.

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Have you always wanted to write a picture book, but didn’t know where to start? Are you working on a young adult novel and eager for feedback? Compose a new children’s writing project or improve an existing one in a supportive environment. Discuss different aspects of storytelling and learn about the children’s writing market via weekly prompts and in-class critiques.

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Learn to perform the roles of Shakespeare’s characters as he intended. No acting experience is necessary—directions are built into his First Folio scripts. The “clues” in these scripts enable actors to perform without directors or rehearsals—no memorization necessary! Understand and enjoy the plays by being “obedient” to the text. Results are spontaneous, educational—and often very funny. Shakespeare will never be the same!

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As a “specialist in immoral and heretical plays,” George Bernard Shaw’s cunning plots and rapier wit skewered conventional values. Many of his plays signaled an early warning of stage bombshells that have dismayed and convulsed the public in the traumatic decades since Shaw died. Critiques of his scripts in light of contemporary plays explore Shaw’s virile legacy of theatre, which disconcerts the comfortable and disenthralls modern audiences.

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Discover the art of tattoo illustration and design! Understand the process of working with clients and create a portfolio to pursue an apprenticeship or to gain illustration work. If you are interested in becoming a tattoo artist, a current professional who wants to improve design skills, or simply want to improve your drawing skills—this course is for you.

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Weekly shooting assignments and class discussions, friendly critiques and reviews will expand your understanding of photography and help you find your own personal vision and propel your work to new heights. Turn your basic technical skills in photography toward focusing on aesthetic and conceptual concerns. Expand your ability to appreciate and interpret images as art by learning how to see light, shadow, geometry, composition, and tonality.

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Aspiring filmmakers are challenged to become better visual storytellers by collaboratively writing, shooting, and editing a series of short films. Learn the basics of screenplay writing and industry standard formatting. Practice basic and advanced film coverage techniques and edit your footage on a variety of digital platforms. Screen your original short films for friends and family on the last day.

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Students in this course study Western arts and culture through the direct study of the English language and arts concentrations of their choosing. The objective of the course is to give Chinese students an understanding of the philosophy and methods of the arts in Western European and American contexts.

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