Education Unlimited - academic summer camps and pre-college summer programs

For students ready to win lead roles in major productions or who want to deepen their study of drama, the 23-day Intensive California Actors Workshop is our most rigorous training in the performance arts. Students learn the techniques of Stanislavski through practical exercises and the rehearsal of a classic play. At the end of the summer, students perform in a major dramatic work for friends, families, and guests at UC Berkeley.

Admissions Requirements Eligible students must be entering 10th-12th grade in order to attend the Intensive session of the California Actors Workshop. Students must have significant acting experience in school or community productions. Applicants are required to submit a 250 word Personal Statement that explains their interest in acting and desire to attend the program AND a recommendation from a teacher, acting coach, or related person.

Core Curriculum The core curriculum for the Actors Workshop is an acting class that focuses on combining creative intuition with concrete technical skills. Following Stanislavski, students learn to tap into emotional truth while exploring how mental and physical techniques can nurture unconscious inspiration. Each morning, students will practice exercises that help them vocally project, physically tell stories, and emotionally and intellectually connect to characters. Both morning acting classes and afternoon rehearsals help students understand the basic building blocks of realistic acting such as playing objectives (what the character wants), obstacles (what stands in the way), and tactics (how the character tries to get around those obstacles to accomplish her objectives).

Electives Elective offerings vary each year and depend on the specialty of the acting faculty. Possible electives include:

On-Camera Acting: Film, television, and video work require a completely different set of skills than acting on the stage. Learn the intimacy, nuance, and detail you need to act for the camera.

Physical Theater: Act without words! From clowning and commedia dell’arte, to modern dance, performers have always told stories and expressed emotions in their bodies. Learn to create a piece purely based on movement and nonverbal communication.

Mask Work: Masks have been crucial to theater since ancient times. Learn how to design, build, and act with masks that teach you a new approach to creating characters. The mask is not a costume piece that merely covers your face; here, you will learn to respect the mask and match your body and movements to it.

The World is a Stage Unlike other arts camps that are situated in isolated locations, the California Actors Workshop believes that one of the most important components of training for aspiring performers is to see as much professional theater as possible. For this reason, participants visit Bay Area theaters to observe hit shows and small productions. Recently attended productions include Jersey Boys, The Lion King, Rent, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival. Students will often participate in a post-performance Q & A with actors and directors, during which they will have the opportunity to ask about techniques, artistic direction, and the life of an artist. In the classroom, instructors specifically draw on the material viewed at visited theaters. For the California Actors Workshop, the world is not only a stage but also a classroom.

“Drama-Free” Recreation Even though the students and faculty live and breathe passion for the theater, the California Actors Workshop Students balances acting classes with daily “drama-free” recreation. Students participate in a wide array of games, sports, and arts and crafts. In the evening, they come together for movie nights and special events that recall a traditional camp environment but with the added bonus of accessing the opportunities available on a college campus.

“[My instructor] really helped me explore my character in depth. I had never played this type of role before and it was difficult…he really helped me get out of old habits and really make the character work.” -Nadia Aranki, CAW-Intensive participant

“This is the best camp I’ve ever been to. It is the most fun and educational camp in the greater Bay Area (the world!?) I love Education Unlimited!” --Annika Benitz, CAW-Intensive participant