Five women singing into a standing microphone in a rehearsal room

FSU/Asolo Conservatory Curriculum

The FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training is an intensive three-year academic and performance program. Following completion of studies, graduate students will obtain their Master of Fine Arts degree from the Florida State University School of Theatre. The curriculum breakdown includes details about acting, voice, movement, text and rehearsal/performance requirements.

The First-Year Curriculum

The first year focuses on establishing a foundation in acting, voice, movement, and text work. The training emphasizes an organic technique at the heart of the school of acting developed by Nikolai Demidov, the closest associate of Konstantin Stanislavsky, the first head of the Moscow Art Theatre School and the original editor of An Actor’s Work, also known as An Actor Prepares. Because of the rigorous nature of the first-year training, students are not cast in productions. First-year students do begin their relationship with Asolo Repertory Theatre, however, by serving as understudies for the professional season.

  • A group of men and women sitting at school desks on stage and talking.

    Acting

    Principles of organic acting technique, in-depth work on actor’s process and instrument, character embodiment, and scene study in contemporary American realism and Anton Chekhov.
  • Four men surrounding a microphone and singing.

    Voice

    Fundamentals of voice production, phonetics, articulation, speech, singing.
  • Two men on stage engaging in a sword fight.

    Movement

    Foundational training in Mary Overlie’s Six Viewpoints, Laban, Bartenieff, and stage combat through the lens of Filipino martial arts.
  • A group of men and women in dressed in regalia and all dancing and singing in the same direction.

    Text Work

    Reading text from actors’ standpoint; extracting character from a script and embodying it, while staying connected with the entirety of the script.
  • Two women singing in front of a piano during rehearsal.

    Rehearsal and Performance

    Understudy roles with Asolo Repertory Theatre.
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The Second-Year Curriculum

The second year is devoted to the application of the techniques learned in the first year to plays outside of contemporary realism and to the employment of these techniques in performance. The curriculum emphasizes classical dramatic literature, particularly Shakespeare and heightened poetic texts, as well as modern masterpieces. Students in their second year perform roles in the four-play Conservatory season. Each production is chosen to suit the talents of the students and to provide them with the opportunity to explore the techniques being taught in the class in front of a live audience. This series is presented in the Jane B. Cook Theatre as part of the Conservatory’s subscription season.
  • A man and two women laying down with their heads all together

    Acting

    The classical repertory, focusing on Shakespeare and heightened texts.
  • A group of men and women standing together singing.

    Voice

    Verse forms, scansion, language structure analysis, dialects, advanced work on vocal instrument, continued work in singing.
  • Two women dressed in jester outfits talking to two men.

    Movement

    Advanced training in Mary Overlie’s Six Viewpoints, RASA, Clown, and stage combat through the lens of historical European martial arts.
  • A man singing during rehearsal while his cast-mates look on.

    Rehearsal and Performance

    Roles in the Jane B. Cook Theatre Season.

The Third Year

The third and final year of the program, students have the opportunity to become associate members of the professional acting company of Asolo Repertory Theatre. Because the Asolo Rep produces a robust season of plays and musicals, each student has the opportunity to perform in major productions alongside seasoned, professional artists. In addition, as part of Asolo Rep on Tour, students travel statewide with an adaptation of a classic text, performing for students and community groups throughout Florida. Students also prepare for entering the profession by creating a virtual showcase shared with Studio and Network Casting Executives, Casting Directors and Talent Representatives across the country. Guest artists and industry professionals instruct the students in the business of acting as well as commercial techniques, film/television workshops, and audition skills. All students are eligible to join Actor’s Equity Association upon completion of their three years at the FSU/Asolo Conservatory.

Additional Program Details