ENROLL Today! Elevate Your Art
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ENROLL Today! Elevate Your Art 〰️
CONGO SQUARE INDUSTRY TRAINING INSTITUTE
The Congo Square Industry Training Institute is a renowned entertainment educational institution dedicated to nurturing and empowering aspiring and professional artists in entertainment and performing arts.
With a commitment to excellence, our institute provides a comprehensive online training experience that equips students with the skills and knowledge needed to excel in the highly competitive entertainment industry.
Our curriculum fosters creativity, artistic expression, and innovation while encouraging students to explore and celebrate the cultural heritage that has shaped the theater world.
COURSE LIST
SUPERIOR SELF TAPES
for the working actor
Instructor – Tracey Bonner
Duration – 4-week sessions
Dates – Tuesdays in April (04/02/24 - 04/23/24)
& September (09/03/24 - 09/24/24)
Times – 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm CST
Maximum – 8 students per course
Location – This course is live and online.
Price – $75 General tuition $30 Student tuition
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Superior Self Tapes aims to equip actors of all levels with the skills to create a compelling self-tape audition from any location. The course teaches the actor how to improve the technical aspects of a self-tape and enhance the overall quality of their in-home audition set-up. Over four weeks, you can learn how to make your self-tape auditions more engaging and stand out.
INSTRUCTOR BIO:
Tracey N. Bonner is a proud Screen Actor’s Guild & Actor’s Equity Association member. Some of her Television/Film credits include Apple TV’s Beanie Bubble starring Zach Galifianakis and Elizabeth Banks, TUBI original Girls Getaway Gone Wrong, action film Cop Shop starring Alexis Louder, feature horror film The Georgetown Project starring Russell Crowe, feature film Greenland starring Gerard Butler, new Netflix series’s Sweet Magnolias, Raising Dion, Cobra Kai, Black Lightning (CW), Queen Sugar (OWN), Ozark (Netflix), Being Mary Jane (BET), STAR (FOX), The Quad (BET), Brockmire (IFC), and Miracle Workers (TBS). Read More >>
MEDITATION & MINDFULNESS for actors
Instructor – Sylvia Ewing
Duration – One-night-only
Dates – Tuesday, April 30, 2024
Times – 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm CST
Maximum – 25 students per course
Location – This course is live and online.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Learn techniques to increase concentration, reduce stress, and energize artistry in this one-night-only course: Meditation & Mindfulness for Actors. Stepping into any character requires self-sacrifice and commitment. Many of the most fulfilling roles also bring an additional level of mental depletion and trauma. Long-time Congo Square friend, former board member, and artistic advocate Sylvia Ewing will share meditation techniques to help you center your craft and connect your inner voice with breath, sound, and guided meditation.
The virtual workshop will include a lecture, demonstration, Q&A, and practice.
All levels of experience are welcome.
INSTRUCTOR BIO:
Sylvia Ewing is a performer, producer, director, and certified meditation instructor who has taught and meditated for decades. Sylvia's students and workshop participants include fellows at the University of Chicago, Workshops at IMAN for The Revolution Institute, City of Chicago and State of Illinois workers, Comer Children's Hospital, for whom she created a guided meditation audio series for patients and families, and graduate students at Columbia College Chicago. Sylvia has led a sunrise meditation at the Ida B. Wells National Memorial since the inception of the Ida B Wells Festival. She hosts the podcast This Moment with Sylvia Ewing at yogachicago.com. Sylvia can be seen around on WTTW and around the country on public television fundraisers and is a nonprofit executive and poet. She is interested in sharing her skills and the benefits of meditation with her community. She is the author of Comfort and Joy Stories of Hope Meditations for Happiness and a popular moderator and Keynote speaker.
SUBVERTING THE CLASSICS
Instructor – Dr. Alvin Goldfarb
Duration – 4 week sessions
Dates – Mondays in May (05/06/24 - 05/27/24)
Times – 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm CST
Maximum – 10 students per course
Location – This course is live and online.
Price – $75 General tuition $30 Student tuition
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Join us for Subverting the Classics, a dramaturgical course that explores the subversion of so-called "canonical" theatre texts.
Is it possible to subvert such texts, or should they remain unstaged? Through the program, you'll engage in discussions and analysis of performances that have reinterpreted established "classical" works to address critical issues such as racism, antisemitism, misogyny, and homophobia.
INSTRUCTOR BIO:
Subverting the Classics is led by Congo Square Board Member, President, and Professor Emeritus of Theatre, Western Illinois University, Dr. Alvin Goldfarb.
power of connections
Instructor – Troy Pryor
Duration – 4 week sessions
Dates – Mondays in June (06/03/24 - 06/24/24)
Times – 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm CST
Maximum – 8 students per course
Location – This course is live and online.
Price – $75 General tuition $30 Student tuition
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
The Power of Connections Highlights the value and practices of making genuine connections within your creative space. This course provides tools to refocus on building community, empathy, and the power of observation to take meaningful actions.
INSTRUCTOR BIO:
Troy Osborne Pryor is a media producer and host with the superpower of connecting with broad audiences. Pryor’s directorial debut was on TV One’s Change Agents, and his collaborations have led to award-winning content on multiple platforms. Pryor is the founder of Pryor Holdings and Creative Cypher, a portfolio of media brands & investments. He is the founder of the XL Film Festival, Vice President of SAG-AFTRA Chicago, & an advisor to an array of organizations.
WRITING FOR TV: COMEDY
Instructor – Monifa Days
Duration – 4-week sessions
Dates – Mondays in July (07/01/24 - 07/29/24)
Times – 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm CST
Maximum – 8 students per course
Location – This course is live and online.
Price – $75 General tuition $30 Student tuition
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Writing for TV: Comedy is an intensive course designed to give you the foundations of writing for a traditional 30-minute network television comedy. The course will cover character development, story structure, dialogue writing, and creating comedic situations. You will learn how to brainstorm and pitch ideas, as well as how to work collaboratively with other writers and producers. By the end of the course, you will have a solid understanding of what it takes to create a successful TV comedy and be ready to take your writing to the next level.
INSTRUCTOR BIO:
Monifa Days is originally from Detroit, Michigan, and is a founding Congo Square Theatre ensemble member. She has her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Wayne State University and her Master of Fine Arts from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, both in Acting. Read More >>
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Intro to Screenwriting with Javon Johnson
Mondays in February (02/05/24-02/26/24)
Intro to Screenwriting will help you launch your professional screenwriting career! The course is designed to give beginning and intermediate writers the tools to turn their ideas into structured stories and write better film scripts than ever before! Whether you are new to screenwriting or want to hone your skills, this course will give you the tools to elevate your writing skills and equip you with the resources to get your story onto the page.
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On Camera Artistry with Morocco Omari
Tuesdays in March (03/05/24-03/26/24)
On Camera Artistry is an innovative course that aims to guide actors in enhancing their on-camera acting skills and taking their craft to the next level. The curriculum focuses on breaking down the script's beats, connecting with the camera, working with the director and DP to establish shots, and mastering acting techniques for close-ups, stillness, active listening, and internalization.
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Superior Self Tapes with Tracey Bonner
Tuesdays in April (04/02/24-04/23/24)
Superior Self Tapes aims to equip actors of all levels with the skills to create a compelling self-tape audition from any location. The course teaches the actor how to improve the technical aspects of a self-tape and enhance the overall quality of their in-home audition set-up. Over four weeks, you can learn how to make your self-tape auditions more engaging and stand out.
-
Subverting the Classics with Dr. Alvin Goldfarb
Mondays in May (05/06/24-05/27/24)
Join us for Subverting the Classics, a dramaturgical course that explores the subversion of so-called "canonical" theatre texts.
Is it possible to subvert such texts, or should they remain unstaged? Through the program, you'll engage in discussions and analysis of performances that have reinterpreted established "classical" works to address critical issues such as racism, antisemitism, misogyny, and homophobia.
-
Writing for TV: Comedy
Mondays in June/July
This course is an intensive course designed to give you the foundations of writing for a traditional 30-minute network television comedy. The course will cover character development, story structure, dialogue writing, and creating comedic situations. You will learn how to brainstorm and pitch ideas, as well as how to work collaboratively with other writers and producers. By the end of the course, you will have a solid understanding of what it takes to create a successful TV comedy and be ready to take your writing to the next level.
The Power of Connections
Mondays in June/July
The Power of Connections highlights the value and practices of making genuine connections within your creative space. This course provides tools to refocus on building community, empathy, and the power of observation to take meaningful actions.
TESTIMONIALS
Got questions? Email us at citi@congosquaretheatre.org