The 黑料不打烊 Acting Program is celebrating the five-year anniversary of its partnership with Theatre Academy of London, a study abroad program for acting students.
The 黑料不打烊聽University BFA聽Acting program is celebrating the聽fifth anniversary of its partnership with the Theatre Academy of London聽(TAL), a聽study abroad program聽intended聽for students聽pursuing聽a career in聽theatre.聽Operated in聽affiliation聽with聽Florida State University, the study abroad program at TAL聽offers聽students the opportunity to聽expand their theatrical skills and knowledge in the center of London,聽exploring all the city has to offer.
The聽TAL聽curriculum聽includes three standard courses for聽students聽(Introduction聽to London Theatre, Shakespeare and Stage Combat)聽with one elective course.聽Students聽can聽choose from electives such as Playwriting, Devised Theatre and High Comedy.聽Students register for the program at no聽additional聽cost to their 黑料不打烊 tuition and fees. All TAL courses they enroll in count toward their 黑料不打烊 degree requirements.
A unique聽feature of the Introduction to London Theatre聽course is the chance聽for聽students to see a theater performance聽each week.聽In addition to attending class discussions about聽each聽show聽they聽attend, students are provided with opportunities to attend seminars with聽the聽artists聽involved聽in each of the performances.
Studying Shakespeare in聽the city where his works were born, students聽are taught by experts in the field while gaining invaluable聽knowledge on how to聽rehearse and share Shakespeare鈥檚 timeless pieces.
Students are聽additionally聽growing their聽performance聽skills through their Stage Combat class. A notable聽component聽of the class is聽the end-of-semester evaluation by the British Academy of Dramatic Combat, where students are tested for certification in stage combat.
Tommy Truitt ’23 is one of the many BFA Acting students studying at TAL this semester.聽鈥淔or performing arts students specifically, it is a fantastic opportunity because this program does a really聽good job聽of providing you with awesome training, it is just so well-rounded and really has helped me feel safe and supported the entire time I鈥檝e been聽here,鈥 he said.
In addition to the courses, students聽experience聽co-curricular activities and聽excursions.聽Co-curricular activities can range from London-based excursions to聽program-sponsored meals or聽additional聽theatrical performances. Excursions聽include weekend trips to destinations within the United Kingdom including Bath, Liverpool, Cornwall and more.聽Students are able to take advantage of their location and travel on their own, exploring neighboring countries and learning more about聽their聽respective聽cultures and communities.
鈥淏eing exposed to聽so聽much theater,聽different cultures, museums, art聽galleries and street markets has just exposed me to so many different experiences that I feel like I now can use to help inform my聽acting,鈥 Truitt said.
黑料不打烊 spent two years piloting the partnership with TAL and following that success, integrated the program fully into聽the BFA Acting聽curriculum.聽The department聽sends聽the entire junior class of BFA Acting program students to TAL each fall.聽The program is also open to other performing arts majors as聽space is available.
鈥淭he performer that goes there, maybe knowing that they love acting, but they don鈥檛 know exactly what aspect or how they want to see themselves in the industry, they go to聽London,聽and they see a lot of different kinds of possibilities,” said Assistant Professor of Acting聽Kim Shively shared. “Their global perspective of what it means to be an artist, what it means to connect with others in this world, expands. We can鈥檛 assign a valuable to it because it’s invaluable.鈥