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Click here forLes Miserables Audition and Career Workshop
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17TH YEAR 
This is where it all began and still begins.
Gateway began really, with the barn.
in 1950 or so....two sisters and a brother and a lot of inspiration.
in the picture above, you can see the white and gray structures way back there, behind the red. those are the "new buildings" built in the early 60's, the Main Stage Theater and stage house where we present our professional productions. but it is here, up front, where we live..and do the work of arts training... in the barn where it all began...and the various rehearsal studios on the eight acre campus of what is now known as the historic Gateway Playhouse, one of the top ten summer theaters in the nation and Long Island's Premier Professional Theater. if you want to get to know us a little better, you can scroll down and read the frequently asked questions. if you want to find out if there is a class for you, you can scroll down and read the class descriptions. if you want to register, you can download the information packet and fill out the application. you can always email us to find out if there is room in the class or classes you would like to take. one thing you should know.we are all about training. performing can be a joy, but to embrace it for everything it is, you have to study the art of it, just like any other art form. you would never wear toe shoes without learning first position, play a concerto without knowing your scales, or paint a portrait without studying figurature.
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We conduct most of our communications by email, as we have sporadic office hours on days when classes are not ongoing. Click the link to email us with any questions or concerns: artsoffice@gatewayplayhouse.com . We do not have a registrar for the Acting School Division available in the Gateway Main Office on a full time basis, therefore, we do not handle enrollments in person.
(631) 286-9014 OR (631) 286-0555 EXT: 2122.
Please do not visit without an appointment.
Spring classes will showcase their work during the individual class times on the last dates in this session's sequence of classes which is:
5/15, 5/16 & 5/18. This will end the Winter/Spring Session.
Family and Friends are welcome.
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ANNOUNCING a special Audition Workshop and Career Seminar to afford Long Island theater kids professional coaching for....
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Les Misérables –School Edition Audition Workshop
Due to the unprecedented and unexpected response to these workshops, we have added two more dates to our schedule.
What: A cumulative 4 1/2 hour workshop that is split up in two parts.
When: PART A - Pick one 2 hour segment from the following four time periods.
Saturday, May 22nd 10:00am - 12:00pm or 12:00pm-2:00pm The above Saturday workshop is full. Call for status on cancellation/wait list.
Monday, May 24th 4:00pm - 6:00pm or 7:00pm-9:00pm
PART B - Pick one 2 1/2 hour segment from the following four time periods.
Sunday, May 30th * full 1:00pm - 3:30pm or 4:00pm-6:30pm
Saturday, June 5th 11:00am - 1:30pm or 2:00pm-4:30pm
PART A will consist of professional auditioning training, students will receive feedback, input and personalized advice; PART B will be a mock audition and career seminar.
Who: Career minded Performing Arts students, ages 8-19, looking to improve skills, in advance of the upcoming auditions for Les Misérables and future auditions.
In Manhattan, at the recent non equity open call, March 24th, for the Gateway Playhouse Main Stage Season, there were 500 people on the sign up list before the call actually began. After typing out 300 people, the staff sang 200 people with 16 bars of music each to complete the day. After seeing over 550 performers at the Equity and agent appointment calls, we are up to one thousand people seen so far for only PART of our summer season.
This workshop is an outstanding way for Long Island youngsters, who only have the perspective of their small school and community theater arena, to realize how competitive the business really is, to learn how to stand out, step up to the plate and deliver an unforgettable performance.
Robin Joy Allan, the Artistic and Casting Director at Gateway Playhouse has enlisted a prestigious panel of industry professionals to teach and coach our workshop participants. The panel includes Manhattan directors, casting directors, and agents, including Casting Director Jessica Kelly, who recently cast the films THE VISITOR, THE WRESTLER, PRECIOUS, BROOKLYN’S FINEST and the ongoing series, MERCY on NBC. This workshop will afford young hopefuls the chance at a ticket and a road map for their future careers.
Ms. Allan has been teaching and casting children in theater, television and film over a twenty year period. She is responsible for Leonardo DiCaprio’s first television series role, as she read and coached him before she called him back for the original PARENTHOOD series. She also discovered several well known actors, including Balthazar Getty and Badge Dale, while she was casting the remake of LORD OF THE FLIES for Rob Reiner’s Castlerock Entertainment. Robin cast Alicia Silverstone in her first professional television job in the failed pilot presentation, "Me and Nick." Robin’s casting credits also include the movies WHEN HARRY MET SALLY, GHOST, PARENTHOOD, SIDE OUT, SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE, and several television series and M.O.W’s. Ms Allan moved back to the East Coast and, along with her artistic duties for the Main Stage Productions, developed Gateway's Acting School for much needed professional training; continuing Gateway's legacy- discovering and training young actors since the 1950s. This year, the Playhouse marks its 61st season. You can read more about this on this website's history pages.
The fee for the workshop is $150. A reduced fee of $100 is available for any Gateway Acting School students or alumni, who have taken at least 2 sessions of classes.
Please email artsoffice@gatewayplayhouse.com, to receive an application for registration; subject line should read: Les Misérables Workshop Information.
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LES MISÉRABLES AUDITIONS are being held on June 6th, 2010. Audition information can be found on the Auditions Page. Make sure you are available on all performance dates before you audition.
Please read the below answers to recently emailed questions. If something is not clear or covered in the given material, or below questions, you may ask away at: artsoffice@gatewayplayhouse.com.
Regarding questions that have already been raised: WORKSHOP QUESTIONS: You need to take the full workshop; one segment chosen of PART A and PART B, with your choice of time, if it is available. We expect to be able to enroll 100 workshop participants. Criteria will be timing of application, and the experience of the interested participant. Acting School alumni will be given extra consideration for the workshop, however, casting for Les Misérables will be based on talent and rightness for roles. The workshop can be taken whether or not you are auditioning for Les Misérables, as a Special Training and/or Industry Networking Opportunity alone. PRODUCTION AND AUDITION QUESTIONS: A minor conflict does not entail SEVERAL DAYS IN A ROW missed of the rehearsal schedule, therefore if you are going away for an extended period of time within the planned rehearsal period, please do not audition. You do not need to be a member of Gateway's Acting School in order to audition. The DAY TO DAY schedule of the rehearsal period will not be set until we move closer to starting. You can be no older than 19, per contract with Music Theater Int. What to prepare for the audition is advised on the Auditions Page of this website. This is NOT an Acting School Production, it is a Gateway Playhouse School Edition Production. Please be advised that are many more teen roles in Les Miserables, than roles for the younger age bracket. We may be double casting the younger roles, Young Cosette, Young Eponine and Gavroche, depending on the selection process at the audition. We expect to cast roughly 35-40 in the production. Of these, only four to five children under ten will be cast.
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2010 ACTING SCHOOL CLASS DESCRIPTIONS, TIMES, and SCHEDULES
SUMMER SESSION 2010 DATES
SESSION I JULY 5th TO JULY 29th
SESSION II AUGUST 2nd TO AUGUST 26th
SUMMER CLASS DESCRIPTIONS
ACTING BASICS (grades 3-5) Fundamental acting skills are taught through the use of serious and comedic improvisations and technique exercises. Script work is used as the class progresses. Students discover their unique voices and inner natures and become comfortable with their surroundings and learn how to truly “live” on the stage.
Mondays and Wednesdays 10:00am-11:30am
BROADWAY SONGS (grades 3-5) For our young performers who love to sing, dance and act out numbers from Broadway Shows. This class is a pre-cursor to Musical Theater Performance, which involves solo coaching- thus building a repertoire of audition material. A junior version of a specific show is worked on and performed at the end of the session. Examples of shows chosen: Sound of Music, Seussical, Beauty and the Beast, Oliver, Annie and Peter Pan. This class is up and active and has everyone performing together working on all aspects of performance, and learning the teamwork required to perform together in harmony.
Mondays and Wednesdays 12:00pm-3:00pm
MUSICAL THEATER PERFORMANCE (grades 6-8) Based on her experience casting years of Musical Theater in Manhattan, Robin Joy Allan has designed this course to truly teach local kids how to audition with their own voices, with command, using strong and unique musical pieces. Our extensive library of music is continually updated, drawing from what is being performed at professional auditions and new materials as they become available. Students learn how to appreciate all musical styles, as they build an audition portfolio of songs designed uniquely for them and for the variety of auditions that will be coming their way. Performance skills are honed delving into lyric interpretation and expression as well as vocal technique. There is not another course like this offered on Long Island.
Mondays and Wednesdays 3:00pm-6:00pm
PRODUCTION CLASS Playwright’s intentions, sub-text, character relationships, character development, emotional commitment to the given circumstances and truth will be worked on in these very special production classes. There were will be warm ups and technique exercises used each class, before the script work and rehearsal begins. Each production class will perform at the end of each 4 week session. The July session will present the play in its working form, and the August session will showcase a more polished production. Those who are taking both sessions, will be able to be featured in a more complete way.
This summer the production classes will be:
CHARLOTTE’S WEB (grades 3-5) Based on the beloved children’s story by E.B.White. This classic tale centers on the lives of Wilbur the pig, Charlotte the spider, all their barnyard pals and some human friends too. This heartwarming show is exciting to perform and carries a heartwarming message about friendship, devotion, sacrifice and trust.
Tuesdays and Thursdays 10:00am-12:00pm
LITTLE WOMEN (grades 6-8) Adapted from the novel by Louisa May Alcott. A timeless and enduring classic, the play revolves around the March sisters who are living in New England in the mid 1800s. The play takes us through the girls’ adventures with the grandson of their next door neighbor, their travels and the growing up they do along the way. There are many roles in this play, including roles for both boys and girls.
Tuesdays and Thursdays 12:30pm-3:30pm
SPOON RIVER ANTHOLOGY (grades 9-12) Written by Edgar Lee Masters, this play is narrated by the residents of the fictional town of Spoon River. Each actor in this play will portray several different characters. This is a challenging play, and students involved will be working on a more classical, prose like text which will prepare them for the classical monologue requirements for college auditions. There will be the inclusion of some music and singing in this version of the play, which will be determined by the talents of the participants.
Tuesdays and Thursdays 3:30-6:30
All the above and below information can be downloaded in our SUMMER 2010 APPLICATION packet, in which is included an application to fill out and send in.
CLICK the links in red below
to download full
SUMMER SESSION INFORMATION.
Included is an application you can fill out and send in.
We will confirm by email.
2010 SUMMER INFORMATION AND APPLICATION word document
(choose this link if you have word installed on your computer.
it may view differently depending on your browser settings,
you can adjust and save to view or print properly.)
2010 SUMMER INFORMATION AND APPLICATION adobe PDF
(this document is best for printing)
CLASS SCHEDULE MONDAY/WEDNESDAY ACTING BASICS
BROADWAY SONGS MUSICAL THEATRE PERFORMANCE TUESDAY/THURSDAY CHARLOTTE'S WEB LITTLE WOMEN SPOON RIVER
7/5 7/7
7/12 7/14
7/19 7/21
7/26 7/28
8/2 8/4
8/9 8/11
8/16 8/18
8/23 8/25
7/6 7/8
7/13 7/15
7/20 7/22
7/27 7/29
8/3 8/5
8/10 8/12
8/17 8/19
8/24 8/26
SESSION FEES
Monday/Wednesday
Acting Basics/ 3hours per week
Monday/Wednesday
Broadway Songs Program/6hours per week
Tuesday/Thursday
Little Women Production Class/6hours per week
Tuesday/Thursday
Spoon River Production Class/6hours per week
PLEASE NOTE, WE WILL NOT SET THE FALL WINTER
2010-2011 SCHEDULE UNTIL JULY
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2004 SHOWCASE CLASS |
2009 SUMMER COLD READING CLASS |
F.A.Q.'SFrequently asked questions, but please, if we've missed something, email us.
Is there a show that you "put on"?
No, not within the acting school division. There is an open presentation within the last class of each session, where family and friends can view progress and class work, which changes with each level of study. Gateway Playhouse MainStage will sometimes have children's roles open in which the school participants are invited to audition.
Can my child audition for a Main Stage show?
When we produce shows on our Main Stage, that require casting children, by this, we mean children's roles, such as the young roles in Annie, or Sound Of Music, we audition our students first and then open the auditions to the public. Our Main Stage is a fully professional theater that employs members of Actors Equity and Musicians who are members of Local 802 and Directors and Choreographers that are members of SSD&C. Adult roles are cast from the talent pool in Manhattan. For example, if we were presenting GREASE, or JOSEPH, or even HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL, we would cast the roles in Manhattan. Professional actors would be cast, not local high school aged performers.
Is there an opportunity to perform?
At Gateway we provide real skill training. We do not focus on a product, that may or may not allow all members of the production a fair amount of training. We'd rather have each individual student shine in their own scene, monologue or song. The Summer Children's Theatre offers a chance of performing, for those interested and through our long standing contacts within the industry, children being groomed in the school will have opportunities to audition for legitimate projects in Manhattan as the specific cases arise. This is not advertised, but is an opportunity that has often been available to our diligent and capable students. Please read the web page on our success stories. This year, the students will be able to audition for a production on the MAIN STAGE. The school edition of Les Misérables. This production will have the same production values as our Main Stage performances, however, the cast will be made up entirely by students.
Where do we go from here? Can my child get an agent?
We do offer a SHOWCASE program sporadically when we have enough competitive and dedicated students to show to our Agent and Casting Director contacts. We present those who have great potential for competing at a professional level to Casting Directors and Agents in Manhattan in the Spring. It is a very limited program. As mentioned above there are opportunities on an individual basis depending on our contacts, what projects they are working on and the ability and specific qualities and abilities of our ongoing students.As far as where to go from here, we formulate the school to have many levels of training. Those who are already working in the industry take class as well as those who hope to be. We have cold reading classes for those who are auditioning. We have a college entrance audition class for High School Seniors looking to get into great drama programs. We have had a good success rate in placing many of our students in prestigious colleges/universities and many with scholarships. We have had many students fortunate enough to book jobs as well.
If my child took one session of classes, should she/he move up for the second Session?
No, not necessarily, and not often. Some students progress at a more rapid pace, which is decided by the staff here at Gateway.
If my child was in his/her school plays, or community theatre productions, should he/she take Advanced Placement classes?
Not necessarily. We are going to be blunt here, but you need to know our perspective. We do audition new students for upper level classes if they are interested. Some students have a natural gift. School plays are not training, however. The participants do attain experience being on a stage, but more often than not, the habits they pick up, from teachers who are not properly educated and fellow performers who may not be there for artistic reasons, sometimes social, have to be undone in our classes. There is a tendency to superficial acting/facial expressions, extraneous movement, wrong emphasis in the school type setting. Most school play directors are not professionals. Sometimes they have had no theatrical background. There are exceptions in some school districts, where students are fortunate to have real artists teaching them, but not many. We are always amazed that the gym teachers/coaches are always prior athletes, properly educated in the sport field, and yet the teachers assigned to produce/direct the school plays have virtually no criteria to meet when chosen for the task. Why is this? We already know there is a lot of focus and emphasis on sports in schools and that is where the money is spent. That's great, if you're an athlete. what about a performer/director/choreographer/set designer/costumer/lighting or sound designer/ or perhaps even an editor or a cinematographer in the making. How are all of these kids nurtured, who should have the opportunity to make as much of a valuable contribution to society as a developing football player? That is why there is such a need for proper training in this field. This study lends itself to all aspects of the arts, and bleeds into human behavior, tolerance, communication and global studies. Which brings us to.....
Why study the performing arts when it readies you for a career that may never happen?
Don't let anyone fool you with outdated theories on arts study and careers. Long ago, maybe sixty years ago when kids were in school, it was a fact that there was little work and very low pay work associated with the performing arts. Families discouraged the arts as a form of higher education study. But the old saying, go to college for a back up degree, has has become a thing of the past for many, in our present environment and society. Yes, it will always be a crap shoot.... stardom, riches and fame. HOWEVER, not finding work in the field of entertainment is a thing of the past. If your child has an artistic leaning and is not only bent on making it big, training in the performing arts, can give them another sense, basically, a fine tuned eye, heart and mind, a more equipped set of communication skills, with which to enter many many fields associated with entertainment. With some further study in the specific fields, kids can become writers, editors, work in art departments, casting, make-up, costumes, grips, sound engineers, builders, agents, managers, work in advertising departments, programming, copywriters, script analysis, anchormen/women, talk show hosts, development departments, networks. Have you ever stayed through an entire credit list after a movie has ended? Count how many people are employed on a feature film. It's a staggering amount of people. Most to all of these people are paid very very well. And let's face it. Today your kids are computer savvy. Some of them are talented with graphics and flash animation, photoshop..... Some of them are already budding photographers and videographers. If your child is "heck" bent on performing only, they can always support themselves designing and maintaining web sites, data entry, they can work in a myriad of different offices and production companies and be using many skills they already possess. There are other jobs to procure as a means of sustenance, while pursuing a job in the performing arts. A college education is very important...for social skills, change of environment, expansion of one's own personal horizons, life long friendships, a liberal arts education, for discovery of studies and interests that you may never have the opportunity to find on your own in the world. You may be inspired to change your focus, dreams, aspirations based on the experience with a particular teacher, group or emphasis of study. You will most definitely become a more well rounded person, who can use your new found knowledge towards your art form. We always encourage our kids to go on to college, and not New York or LA right away for a shot at a quick success story. However, you don't have to have a major in economics or political science to fall back on if you don't become a "working actor," unless of course, you want to major in those things. Do study the performing arts if that is where your passion lies. You never know where it will lead when you follow your heart.
My child has performed in the Long Island Amateur Theater circuit as their means of "experience," are they advanced?
NO.
More FAQ's to come....keep checking!
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