Acting Foundations & Performance Lab
This seven-week course for ages 16 through adult, is designed to build confidence, creativity, and truthful performance skills through a balanced mix of improv games, monologues, and partnered scene work. Each class is active, engaging, and focused on practical, real-world techniques that help actors listen, react, make strong choices, and connect honestly with their scene partners. Students will explore character development, emotional expression, and stage presence in a supportive but intentionally challenging environment that encourages growth. The course culminates in a relaxed Open-class presentation for friends and family, featuring selected scenes and monologues performed with minimal set pieces and simple costume elements to keep the focus on the work.
Tuition for the full seven-week course is $75.
Instruction is led by Matt Karris, Artistic Director of the Smith Mountain Lake Center and Resident Director of The Lake Players, an entertainment professional with over 30 years of experience in theatre, music, and live performance. His teaching style is direct, encouraging, and grounded in decades of practical stage work.
The Smith Mountain Arts Council offers drama classes and community arts programs to foster creativity and engagement. Our programs include arts camps for youth, theatrical performances, and music education. We strive to make arts accessible to all ages and skill levels. By supporting drama education, we can help individuals develop their creative skills, build confidence, and become a part of our vibrant cultural landscape. See Lake Players online.
Also check out other Arts events in Union Hall, Theatre events in Union Hall, Workshops in Union Hall.
