Embrace your inner thespian

If you are looking for a way to embrace your inner thespian or just try out something new, acting classes at the Tri-State Actors Theatre may be the place to do it. They will offer spring acting classes for children, teens and adults that have been bit by the theater bug.

"I teach the children's class," Patricia Meacham said. "We play theater and drama games and do other activities. We will create masks or puppets and then create characters and improv scenes or sketches with what we made. I am giving them things that exist and then asking them to make something with that."

All levels welcome"The classes aren't broken up into groups. Everyone works together," she said. "Usually the classes focus on individual scenes or maybe sometimes joint scenes. It's set up in a way so that everyone can develop at their own pace."

The theater's artistic director Paul Meacham teaches the teen class and he works with each individual differently.

"We start with monologues which is a speech with no scene partner," he explained. "We work on that because there are few plays with no words. We have to work with scripts. It's not the words themselves but what's going on with the character that is most important. It takes about 10 weeks to work through a monologue. As we go, we have to really progress through what words mean to what's going on in the scene, the voice and movement and relate that to what the actor is doing on stage. After a student is proficient at a monologue, we would move into two character scenes."

There is no need to have any prior experience since the classes start with the basics.

"We deal with the language and the scripts," Paul said. "We focus on the meaning behind the words, why the character is saying that and how they are saying it and what is going on physically. The audience can only tell what's going on by what the actor does and that includes how they say the words. It is a cliche example but 'I love you' can be said 10,000 ways and it means 10,000 different things."

While some students learn to hone their craft, others learn more about themselves in these classes, according to Paul.

"Sometimes people learn that they don't want to be an actor or be on stage," he said. "You see progress in every student but they don't all work at the same level."

Intern programAlso coming up this spring is the annual intern program at the Tri-State Actors Theatre.

"It will be the 28th annual production of our intern program," Paul said. "If someone passes the audition, they become a part of our intern company and can try out for parts in the play that we produce each summer."

Tri-State Actors Theatre accepts about 10 to 15 young people, who will rehearse and train for three weeks and then perform for two weeks. It is 10 performances of a children's play based on Grimm's fairy tales for children and their families. The program is for those ages 13 to 17 in Sussex County and the immediate tri-state area. Many of the participants learn by audition.

"If someone doesn't make it the first time, they can come back the next year," Paul said. "They don't have to be 'theater kids,' don't have to be trained. Some have not have done a play in their life. They just have an affinity for acting. We look at everybody."

Although classes started this week, new members are being accepted. Adults classes meet Mondays at High Point Regional High School in Wantage. Teen and children’s classes meet at The SpringBoard Shoppes, 145 Spring St., Newton.

For more information or to register, email tristateactorstheater@centurylink.net or call 973-383-0510.