CAREER PREPARATION

The "business" aspects of pursuing a career in the arts are discussed both in and out of class, and our senior Career Preparation seminar course help students prepare for their initial career move after graduation.  We discuss important topics such as resumes, headshots, websites, demos, finding an agent, joining the unions, etc.

 While the UM faculty encourages your artistic development, we also help define your post-college career goals and plan the start of your career.  Our Full-Time Theatre Faculty members have worked around the country, and often provide career advice to theatre alums long after graduation. Theatre Majors leave UM with a plan and have the necessary training and skills needed to pursue their dreams.  

We also bring in several Guest Artists from New York, Los Angeles and regional theatres each year to teach workshops with UM theatre students, and also discuss various aspects of pursuing a professional career in theatre, film or TV.

 GUEST ARTISTS

Recent workshops have included the following artists and wide variety of topics; our guests at UM Theatre are highly experienced professionals with impressive credits in their respective areas.

 2011-2012

 In Spring 2012, UM students once again participated in a wide variety of Guest Artist Workshops as follows:

•January 2012 NYC Musical Theatre Intensive, Amy Murphy Studio. For the 3rd year, UM musical theatre majors participated in this invited 3-day workshop in NYC.  Workshops and audition panels included guest artists such as Dave Clemmons, Parker Esse, Craig d’Amico, Rob Evan, Jenn Collela and various agents and representatives from casting offices, including UM alumni Jason Styres from the staff of Jay Binder Casting.  UM alumni Rebecca Luker was also a participant on one audition panel, and UM alum Brad Holland, a long term cast member of STOMP, conducted a performance workshop.   Click here for more details

•March, 2012.  Dance workshop with with NYC based Choreographer Parker Esse.
Esse has been an Associate Choreographer on Broadway and FOLLIES at the Kennedy Center in DC; with numerous NYC and regional choreography credits including the recent acclaimed productions of OKLAHOMA! And THE MUSIC MAN at Arena Stage in Washington, DC, as well as CAROUSEL at the Goodspeed Opera House in CT.

•March, 2012.  Acting for the Camera workshop with noted Los Angeles based actor Robert “Bob” Clendenin. Clendenin is a recurring character as "Tom the neighbor" on "Cougartown" starring Courtney Cox, and was a series regular on "Six Items or Less."  He has also starred in numerous national commercials and guest starred on many TV shows including "Scrubs" and "My Friend Named Earl," as well as acted in films such as LA CONFIDENTIAL.  Bob is also a co-founder of the Circle X Theatre Company in LA.

 While at UM, Bob conducted a seminar on "pursuing a career in TV/Film" with a focus on LA, as well as one with our student playwriting group, the WCC, based on his experiences with play development at Circle X theatre.  Bob also conducted two acting on camera workshops for upper class BFA majors in Audition Techniques for episodic television and commercials.  Click here for Bob Clendenin’s IMDB page  ~  Click here for photos of his UM workshop

•April, 2012.  NYC based actor Hunter Ryan Herdlicka, who recently performed the role of Frederick  in A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC on Broadway, conducted a musical theatre audition/song interpretation workshop for BFA majors in Musical Theatre.  Click here for full Bio

•April, 2012.  Designer and Owner Natalie Chanin of Alabama Chanin (Florence, Alabama) visited UM as a joint guest of Theatre Costume Design and Fashion Merchandising to lead a workshop in recycled fashion using her trademark hand sewing techniques. Theatre design students were invited to participate in the 6 hour workshop, followed by a lecture on business models and ecologically responsible production sponsored by the UM Sustainability Committee through a Green Fund Grant.

•Also in April 2012, Students from our Costume Design II class were allowed to access the library of rare materials and a private tour of the facilities at the Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta, GA. This trip was funded by an ILlUMinate Grant awarded by the campus QEP intiative. While onsite, the students conducted research to support a group design project to design character puppets in several different genres for William S. Yellowrobe’s play for children, The Council.

Fall 2011

•Musical theatre Audition Techniques with Amy Murphy; vocal consultant with Disney Theatricals, NYC and Birmingham/NYC based voice teacher

•Musical Theatre Audition Techniques with Tina Libby; NYC based Casting Director with Networks Tours
(casting non-union national musical tours)

Shakespeare Performance with professional actor Paul Hebron; guest artist in DRACULA at AL Shakespeare Festival with acting credits in NYC and all major regional theatres around the US.

•Dance and audition techniques with NYC based Choreographer Parker Esse. Esse has been an Associate Choreographer on Broadway; FOLLIES at the Kennedy Center in DC; and numerous productions inlcuding the recent nationally acclaimed OHLAHOMA! at Arena Stage in Washinton, DC.  Esse, a former Broadway performer in FOSSE and A CHORUS LINE, spent a weekend with UM musical theatre students teaching a dance workshop including a number from FOSSE. He then conducted a mock audition for the musical A CHORUS LINE including a dance call, vocals and a reading from the script, giving feedback to each student. The session concluded with a "question and answer" session about the industry in NYC and musical theatre careers.

•A dance workshop with Birmingham based director/choreographer Abe Reybold, who has taught as an adjunct at UM and holds extensive national tour and B'way credits, especially with legendary performer/choreographer Tommy Tune. As part of his workshop, Reybold taught the students two routines from Tune's musical GRAND HOTEL, which he performed in on B'way and on tour.

 2010-2011

• Fall 2010: Amy Murphy, NYC/Birmingham based Voice Teacher and Consultant/Disney Theatricals, NYC: Musical Theatre Auditioning Master Class and individual musical theatre repertory coaching.

• Carl Dean, Professional Director/Choreographer and Artistic Director of Magic City Actors Theatre, Birmingham.  Guest choreographer, BABY, UM theatre fall musical.

• Dave Clemmons, NYC based Casting Director/Dave Clemmons Casting: Musical Theatre Auditioning; Master Class at the Virginia Samford Theatre, Birmingham (sponsored by the Amy Murphy Studio; http://www.amymurphystudio.com/

• Spring 2011:  NYC, January 2011; Various guest artist workshops and audition panels through the Amy Murphy Studio 3-Day Musical Theatre Intensive. Guests included Choreographers Parker Esse, Jacob Toth and Carlos Encinias; Performer/Acting Coach Craig D'Amico and Jenn Collela; Performers Ryan Hunter Herdicka and Christopher Jackson; Casting Director Dave Clemmons; Tina Libby, Associate Casting director Networks Tours and Chan Harris, Director (click here for details)

• Abe Reybold, Professional Director/Choreographer, AEA/SDC:  Dance Styles workshop

• Amy Murphy, NYC/Birmingham based Voice Teacher and Consultant/Disney Theatricals, NYC: Pop/Rock vocal stylings Master Class and individual musical theatre repertory coaching.

• Alisa McCool, MFA Dance, NYU:  Jazz Dance Workshop

• Craig D' Amico, NYC based performer and acting coach: Acting/Scene Study Workshop

• Arnold Mungioli, NYC based Casting Director: Audition Techniques workshop (monologues and songs)

2009-2010

•Amy Murphy, NYC and Birmingham based voice teacher/consultant Disney Theatricals. Musical Theatre Auditioning Workshop (Fall 2009) and Individual Musical Theatre Audition and Repertory Coaching (Fall 2009 and Spring 2010)

•Carl Dean, Guest Choreographer and Michael King, Guest Musical Director. Co-production between UM Theatre and Magic City Actors Theatre of Birmingham of Jason Robert Brown's musical PARADE at the Virginia Samford Theatre, November 2009 (click here for more details). Guest lead performers: Chris Sams, Los Angeles (BFA Acting/Directing UM, 2005) and Kristin Bowden Sharp, Birmingham ("Mary Phagan" in the NYC National Tour Production of PARADE, 1999). Click here to read Alec Harvey's review in THE BIRMINGHAM NEWS
(4 out of 5 Stars)

•Daniel Zacapa (SAG), Los Angeles based TV and Film actor and Chris Sams, LA based UM alumni: "Pursuing a Career in LA and Film/TV" seminars.

•Various artists for 3 day Musical Theatre Invited Intensive workshop in Manhattan, NYC, including B.A. Huffman, Musical Director for Disney Theatricals; Sean McKnight, Dance Captain on various Broadway musicals; Chan Harris, Director; and Tina Libby, Associate Casting Director for Networks Tours. January 2010 in conjunction with the Amy Murphy Studio, NYC/Birmingham (click link for more details).

•Greta Lambert, Company Member and Director of Outreach, Alabama Shakespeare Festival. Acting workshop on Shakespearean text, April 2010.

 2008-2009

•W.T.Chen Dance Company, NYC, Workshop in modern dance techniques influenced by Asian theatre and Martial Arts forms (www.chendancecenter.org), Spring 2009

•Rebecca Gilman, nationally recognized playwright of BOY GETS GIRLS and SPINNING INTO BUTTER, Playwriting, Spring 2009

•Carl Dean, Professional Director/Choreographer and Artistic Director of Magic City Actors Theatre, Birmingham, Dance Master Class: Jazz, Hip-Hop and Tap, Spring 2009

•Raissa Katona Bennett, NYC based performer, Musical Theatre Performance (see www.raissa.info; For the most up to date information, www.raissakatonabennett.blogspot.com), Fall 2009

•Amy Murphy, NYC and Birmingham based voice teacher/consultant, Musical Theatre Auditioning Workshop (Fall 2009) and Individual Musical Theatre Audition Repertory Coaching (Fall 2008 and Spring 2009)

2007-2008

•Jake Wood, Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey: Scenic Painting and all-Majors session on pursuing career in regional theatres

 •Rob Handel, playwright and Co-Founder of 13P Theatre, NYC. Rob was a guest teacher in several theatre classes and conducted a playwriting workshop; theatre majors also participated in a reading of his “work in progress” play BEESON EARWIG.

 •Steve Harper, NYC based actor and Playwright.  Steve conducted a playwriting workshop with our students and theatre majors participated in a reading of his new play URBAN RABBIT CHRONICLES.

 •Carl Dean, Artistic Director of Magic City Actors Theatre, Birmingham (UM Alumnus1996): Choreographed UM’s spring 2008 musical, COMPANY.

 2006-2007

•Cameron Watson, Los Angeles based film, theatre and TV director/actor; production company GADA films (UM alumnus 1982): Cameron taught workshops in acting on-camera using sides from his various projects in LA and conducted an all-majors session on pursuing careers in NYC and LA. Cameron also screened his award winning film OUR VERY OWN starring Emmy winning actress Allison Janney.

 •Alfred Mungioli, NYC based casting director (credits include RAGTIME. TITANIC and numerous Off-Broadway and regional theatres): Arnold taught 2 days of monologue and musical theatre auditioning workshops and conducted an all-majors session on working in NYC as an actor or casting director.

 • John O’ Keefe, NYC based Performance Artist and Playwright: John conducted an all-day workshop on creating solo performance pieces.

 •Elizabeth Bradley, screenwriter and former NYC based film producer; currently Artistic Director of Muse of Fire Theatre Company at Sloss Furnaces, Birmingham: Elizabeth taught a screenwriting workshop and conducted an all-majors session on producing independent projects for film and theatre (she also taught a semester long playwriting course at UM).

 2006-2007

• Linn Hixson, actor/writer, Goat Island Theatre Company, Chicago: acting, writing and improvisation workshops in creating ensemble theatre and original material.

 • Rebecca Luker, Tony award winning, NYC based actress (MARY POPPINS, THE MUSIC MAN, THE SECRET GARDEN, etc) and an alumni of UM’s Vocal Performance program: and Danny Burstein, Tony award nominated, NYC based actor (SOUTH PACIFIC, THE DROWSY CHAPERONE, A CLASS ACT). Rebecca and Danny taught a monologue and musical theatre auditions workshop for voice and theatre majors.

 2004-2005

 • Mark Amitin, NYC based actor, director, personal manager and teacher (extensive international work in Israel, USSR and China and association with legendary experimental theatres artists such as Joseph Chaikin, Jean Claude Van-Itallie, Judith Malina, Julian Beck and The Open Theatre): Mark conducted acting workshops in ensemble and avant-garde performance and discussed the past and future of avant-garde and international theatre at an all-majors session.

 • Bob Clendenin, Los Angeles based TV and film actor with numerous commercial and guest star credits; currently a series regular on 10 Items or Less: Bob taught 2 days of on-camera auditioning workshops and conducted on all-majors session on pursuing a career in LA.

 •Doug Berky, actor and mask builder: Doug taught UM acting and technical majors how to make masks for performance and taught movement/acting workshops utilizing a variety of masks.