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Actors enroll in summer programs

Actors+enroll+in+summer+programs

Zane photo 23..2..1… action. Acting students who want to further enhance their skills for next school year, will be attending summer theatre programs.

Junior Wes Dunlap will be attending a five-week acting program called Cherubs at Northwestern University this summer.

“It will be a mix of classes and productions,” Dunlap said. “I have gotten a merit scholarship to attend.”

Dunlap said he will be be acting in multiple plays during the program.

“We have to have two to three monologues ready for the first day to perform,” Dunlap said. “There are roughly six to seven productions put on.”

According to the Northwestern University website, about 400 students enrolled in the three categories of this program: Debate, Film and Video Production and Theatre Arts.

Dunlap said he was interested in summer acting programs to further his acting skills and get more experience.

“Northwestern seems like a really good school and seemed like a good opportunity because its near Chicago, and I like Chicago,” Dunlap said.

Freshman Tyler Ellis said he was accepted and will attend a month long theatre program called the California State Summer School for the Arts at the California Institute of the Arts.

“I want to do it because I’m hoping to develop a career in acting and why not go to a summer camp for it,” Ellis said.

Ellis said he is looking forward to this new acting experience.

“I’m looking forward to meeting the people that have the same interests in me and making new friends,” Ellis said.

Junior Zane Haney will be playing Sweeney Todd in Berkeley’s Youth Musical Theater Company, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, this summer at the Julia Morgan Theatre.

“My tryout process was actually really hectic because immediately after a whole day at the Ohlone festival I had to rush to callbacks and I barely knew any of the music or dialogue,” Haney said.

Haney said he wanted to do something with acting over the summer.

“Ms. Taylor told me about a couple of musicals happening and so I thought I’d just give it a shot,” Haney said. “Most companies do a shortened version of the musical since it’s so long, but YMTC is planning to do the entire three hours.”

Dunlap said he was accepted into two other programs but decided to attend Northwestern.

“You had to prove your acting skill, you had to show your grades, you have to get letters of rec., write an essay, record a fair amount of video, basically it’s like a mini college application,” Dunlap said.

Like Dunlap, Ellis also had to go through a long application process.

“I had to fill out a bunch of paperwork, and get two letters of recommendation. Then I had to film myself doing a monologue, as well as singing a song. I chose “Oh What a Beautiful Mornin’” in honor of this year’s musical,” Ellis said

Dunlap said he likes performing on stage and started acting freshman year. Dunlap has been in four plays so far, and will be in one more this May.

“I like acting because I love being on the stage and becoming a different person and emulating human emotion is very fascinating,” Dunlap said.

Haney is looking forward to the play he is acting in this summer.

“I am really looking forward to working on my character, working with my amazing cast and getting some super intensive acting and vocal training.”

Northwestern’s website says that the students who attend are called Cherubs because it has been a tradition since the 1930s by the founder of the program, Dean Ralph Dennis.

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