2017 INTERN WORKSHOPS AND PANEL DISCUSSIONS

Professional Development Workshops and Panel Discussions: A season of weekly workshops and panel discussions are designed around the interests of the summer interns. Once Interns have been selected and offered positions with the company, a survey to gauge interests in various disciplines will be held to sculpt the programing specifically for the students involved in this year’s session. This professional development programing is offered in to broaden the understanding of the professional environment beyond the training offered in educational institutions.

WORKSHOP/PANEL DISCUSSIONDESCRIPTIONLEAD BY/ ON PANELLOCATIONDATE
INTRO TO FIRST FOLIO TECHNIQUE (Workshop) An introduction to the First Folio Technique and how to apply both in text analysis and when performing to the works of Shakespeare. Matt Gall(OPFT Artistic Associate) OPFT OFFICEMay 26, 2017
BASICS OF SWORDPLAY (Workshop)An intro to the basics of sword combat (epee blade) and tumbling.
Matty Robinson (OPFT Artistic Associate) AUSTION GARDENSJune 2, 2017
HEADSHOT AND RESUME ANALYSIS (Workshop)Bring your current H/R and receive feed back, analysis and current Chicago market trends from OPFT's Casting Director.

Lucy Carr (OPFT Casting Director)OPFT OFFICEJune 9, 2017
MOCK AUDITIONS WITH FEEDBACK (Workshop)Perform two contrasting monologue in a mock audition setting and receive constructive feedback from OPFT Casting Director and company members.Lucy Carr (OPFT Casting Director), Belinda Bremner (OPFT AA), Matt Gall (OPFT AA), Tony Dobrowolski (OPFT AA), Jhenai Mootz (OPFT Managing Director)OPFT OFFICEJune 23, 2017
THEATRE ADMINISTRATOR & PRODUCERS IN CHICAGO NON-PROFIT THEATRE (Panel Discussion)Learn what makes the magic happen! Theatre administrative professionals from all over Chicagoland come together to talk all things behind the scenes: from working with non-profit boards, applying for grants, how to start a theatre, audience relations, to creating effective, relevant and inspiring art.

Interns from 16th Street Theatre, First Folio, and Organic Theatre additionally attended the panel discussion and stayed to see OPFT's production of Macbeth that evening.
PANEL LEAD BY: Jhenai Mootz (OPFT Managing Director)
ON PANEL: Josh Anderson (ORGANIC THEATRE), Allison Cain (Lifeline Theatre), Maeli Goren (16th Street Theatre), David Rice (First Folio Theatre), Hank Bowls (Strawdog Theatre), Kate Piatt-Eckert (Steep Theatre)
AUSTIN GARDENSJune 30, 2017
“HOW TO BECOME A VOICEOVER NARRATOR" (Workshop)Kevin Theis, a Chicago actor and director for over 25 years and audiobook narrator with over 130 credits on Audible.com shows interns the ins and outs behind becoming a Voiceover Narrator. Various topics to be covered (among others) include:

* How to seek out and audition for available audiobook jobs on ACX.com
* The ACX payment process, including by-the-finished hour, royalty share and "bounty" payments for narrators
* Audio recording, editing and processing hardware and software necessary to produce high quality audiobooks
* How to set up and utilize a home recording studio
* How to edit, create, process and upload audio files for auditions and audiobook production
* A primer on seeking out the larger, professional (and union) audiobook houses across the country
* Using music, sound effects and vocal effects to enhance finished pieces.
Kevin Theis (OPFT Artistic Associate) OPFT OFFICEJuly 7, 2017
"TO BE OR NOT TO BE AEA" (Panel Discussion)
Both as Actors and a Stage Managers, the mystery surrounding Actor's Equity Association and "when to turn" is ... well a mystery. There is no pat answer, it is personal and dependent on a myriad of factors. We will be asking questions of folks from all sides of the fence - non AEA, AEA, and those who have dropped their AEA status. We will ask them for their reflections on why they have made (or might make in the future) the choices they have in regards to becoming part of the union - particularly in the Chicagoland market. PANEL LEAD BY: Jhenai Mootz (OPFT Managing Director), Tony Dobrolwoski*^, Melanie Keller^, Matt Gall*, Aaron Christensen*^, Jennifer Aparicio, Jack Hickey*^, Erica Bittner*)
*OPFT Company Member
^AEA Member
AUSTION GARDENSJuly 14, 2017
PARTNER ACROBATICS (Workshop)An intro to the basics of partnering acrobatics and tumbling. Mehmet Askoy (2017 OPFT Inter)AUSTIN GARDENSJuly 21, 2017
ACCESSIBILITY IN THEATRE (Workshop)
How do we make theatre accessible to all? How can we share the experience of theatre with those who may need additional assistance? This workshop in an intro into the concepts that can grow a theatre into an inclusive creative producing environment for all patrons.Erica Foster (Lifeline Theater Operations Manager)OPFT OFFICEAugust 4, 2017
THE BUSINESS OF ACTING (Workshop)What they don't teach you in school: being an actor is a continually self motivated business. This workshop is an intro into the business side of being an artist and tricks of the trade when running your own self employed actor business.Luke Daigle (OPFT Artistic Associate) OPFT OFFICEAugust 11, 2017