Intro to Acting & Theater Workshops

All Ages
Saturday, January 20

Foul weather date: Saturday, February 10

with Watermelon Alligator Theatre Company
Instructors Garrett Olson and Jess Wilson
in the MAC’s Anne Braitmayer Webb Theater

Session One: 10am-12pm
Theatre Tips and Tricks: You Want To Be In The Theatre But Not On Stage
MAC Member: $40, Nonmember $50
Sign up for all three sessions to receive 10% off registration.

Do you love theatre, but hate the spotlight? There are lots of ways to be involved besides appearing on stage. In this 2 hour informative workshop you will have a relaxed and casual conversation with experienced theatre professionals. From box office and front of house staff to backstage crew, from designers to marketers to scenic artists to hair & makeup… it takes a lot of people to create the shows you love to applaud! Join us for an introductory look at what goes on “behind the scenes!” Workshop participants are encouraged to bring any and all questions regarding all aspects of theatre.

Session Two: 1pm-3pm
Theatre Tips and Tricks: You Think You Want To Try Acting
MAC Member: $40, Nonmember $50
Sign up for all three sessions to receive 10% off registration.

Have you dreamed of being in front of the camera, up on stage or standing in the spotlight? Not sure where to begin? In this 2 hour informative workshop you will get a very basic overview of the first steps, from theatre terms and the difference between stage and film acting to how to get started with headshots, monologues, best audition practices, stage etiquette and self-care. This workshop will be an informative and casual conversation with professional working actors. Join us for an introductory look at “What’s next?” so you can turn your dream of acting into reality! Workshop participants are encouraged to bring any and all questions regarding acting.

Session Three: 3:30pm-5:30pm
The Actor As Advocate
MAC Member: $40, Nonmember $50
Sign up for all three sessions to receive 10% off registration.

This fast paced, 2-hour master class in self-advocacy and consent-based practices, including intimacy and fight safety is designed to motivate the participants and encourage them to make themselves priority one. Actors need to be safe and confident to do their best work, whether on stage, film set or recording studio and having the tools to be their own best advocate is important! The focus of this workshop is to empower each person to advocate for themselves with confidence, flair and ease. Participants will be brought into an immediate discussion regarding the most common reasons why they may fear speaking up for themselves or others and how to address it head on. The instructors who will be leading the workshop are professional actors, directors, and teaching artists who have many years of experience as advocates for individuals, organizations, and social causes. This class is a fully inclusive experience for students of all levels of experience and abilities. Workshop participants are encouraged to bring any and all questions.

Session Four: 6pm-7pm
Taste Of What’s To Come
FREE – Open to all! Registration strongly recommended

During this hour, Garrett and Jess will give a brief demonstration and synopsis of upcoming theater classes and workshops at the MAC.

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About Watermelon Alligator

Garrett Olson (he/him) is a professional working actor, director, screenwriter, film maker, song writer, seasoned fight director/stunt coordinator, intimacy director/choreographer captain and safety/accessibility consultant for stage and screen. He is currently the Technical Director and Associate Artistic Director for the WatermelonAlligator Theatre Company, co-founder and one of the managing/creative producers for Danu Pictures, and is the former Technical Director/acting coach/accessibility consultant for the Boston Zombie Apocalypse. An accomplished teaching artist and combatant instructor, Garrett’s classes in public speaking, acting, staged violence, and improv are crafted for students of all levels and abilities. Classes include adaptive programs to accommodate all abilities creating a truly immersive and inclusive opportunity for learning and growth. Past local classes include; Pembroke elementary schools, Cape Cod Can, Cotuit Center for the Arts, Watermelon Alligator Theater Company, The Zeiterion Theater and Waldorf school of Cape Cod.

As a consultant, teaching artist and professional speaker who travels nationwide Garrett speaks on a wide range of theatre disciplines, inclusion, and leadership topics. Recent appearances include the Kennedy Center’s American College Theater Festival Region 1 Annual Conference (Basics of Inclusive Intimacy Practices, Trauma-Informed Spaces, and Improv Masterclass) and Tilden Arts Center’s Masterclass series (Yes, And…Now What? & So You Wanna Fight?).

Recent industry credits include Fight Director/Armorer (The Way It Is; WATC), Intimacy Captain (Wolf Play; Wellesley College),  Intimacy Captain (Eurydice; Wellesley College), Fight Director and Intimacy Captain (Flyin’ West; Wellesley College), Intimacy Captain (The Lost Weekend; Flying Card Productions), Fight Director and Stunt Coordinator (Above Arkham; Ragnarock Productions) Fight Director and Intimacy Captain (Victor/Victoria; Cotuit Center for the Arts), Director New England premier (Lopsided ; WATC), Fight Director and Intimacy Captain (Magnolia Flowers; Strange Place Productions).

Recent acting credits include Senator Charles Whitmore (Church & State; Marion Art Center), Cane (The Way It Is) Jimmy (Miracle On South Division Street), Narrator 2 (The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon), Senator Charles Whitmore (Church & State), and Martin (Seminar) with WatermelonAlligator Theatre Company at Cotuit Center for the Arts, Officer Frank (Live from Copley Square; Boston Playwrights Platform Festival), Gabriel (Above Arkham; Ragnarock Productions) and Bobby O’Mara (A Difficult Conversation; Inpatient Productions). Notable past performances include Tom (Fat Pig), Scrooge (A Christmas Carol), Leo/Maxine (Leading Ladies).

Jess Wilson (she/they) has extensive experience as an actor, tech, designer, producer, playwright, and director, and is the Artistic and Managing Director of the WatermelonAlligator Theatre Company. An experienced actor-combatant, Jess frequently works as an Intimacy Director, Fight Captain, and Safety Coordinator for stage and film. An adjunct professor in Performing Arts at Cape Cod Community College, Jess is an accomplished author, consultant, executive coach, teaching artist, and professional speaker who travels globally delivering talks on a wide range of theatre disciplines, healthcare, leadership, and humanitarian topics. Recent appearances include the Kennedy Center’s American College Theater Festival Region 1 Annual Conference (Basics of Inclusive Intimacy Practices, Trauma-Informed Spaces, and Improv Masterclass) and Tilden Arts Center’s Masterclass series (Yes, And…Now What? & So You Wanna Fight?).

Recent industry credits include Director and Intimacy Director (The Final Say; O’Neill Festival Of New Works), Director and Intimacy Director (The Way It Is; WATC), Intimacy Director (Eurydice; Wellesley College), Intimacy Director (Flyin’ West; Wellesley College), Intimacy Director (The Lost Weekend; Flying Card Productions), Co-Director (The Brothers Grimm Spectaculation; WATC), Intimacy Director and Fight Captain (Victor/Victoria; Cotuit Center for the Arts), Director (Seminar and Fat Pig; WATC), and Intimacy Director and Fight Captain (Magnolia Flowers; Strange Place Productions). Recent acting credits include Dust Walker (Belles; Marion Art Center), 911 Operator/Dr. Morgan Lewis (Teacher of the Year; Jim Dalglish Productions), Meredith (Comic Book Junkies) and Debra (Far From Perfect: Life Within A Global Pandemic) with IM Filmworks, Ruth (Miracle On South Division Street), Narrator 1 (The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon), Alex (Church & State), and Laurie (Lopsided) with WatermelonAlligator Theatre Company at Cotuit Center for the Arts, Beatrice (Much Ado About Nothing; Midsummer Shakespeare/The Glass Horse Project), and Lyn (Broken; Danu Pictures). Notable past performances include Helen (Fat Pig), Macbeth (Macbeth), Prospera (The Tempest), Titania (A Midsummer Night’s Dream), M’Lynn (Steel Magnolias), Dogberry (Much Ado About Nothing), and Megan in the world premiere of EA Kafkalas’ Lopsided (CCSC).