Announcements

• Contemporary Popular Music
  (The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music)
• Acting for Film
  (The UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television)

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Student Profile: Kayla Wrenne Nelson Bio: I cannot get enough of the theatre. I have been performing since I was about 6 years old and plan to do it for the rest of my life. I love to read and perform Shakespeare's plays. I have participated in all of my schools productions, as well as productions outside of high school. I love learning and exploring the craft and look forward to doing more, maybe professionally in the future. Years Attending a USPA Program: 1 Favorite Site/Workshop: Theatre Acting Conservatory Favorite USPA Memory: My favorite part of camp was the rehearsal process for Macbeth. It was the so rewarding as well as fun. Not only did I bond with the cast on a very personal level and get to know myself better as an actress and person, but I also learned a lot about the craft and technique. I had a fantastic time and made lifelong friends who I still talk to every day. Our professors were top notch; they really cared and were very inspiring. Current Shows/Films/Professional Work: Right after I left camp I flew to London to train at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts. I am now at boarding school in Saint Louis, where I am waiting for the next production to be announced.

Busy, Busy, Busy...
I have been so busy that I can't believe more than a week has gone by since I've written a blog. So I'm stopping for a minute and filling you in on what's going on.

Winter Workshops: Everything is in full swing in the preparation of the Acting for Film with UCLA School of Theater, Film & Television and Contemporary and Popular Music at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music. It is going to be an incredible artistic and cultural experience for the fortunate students who attend.

Summer Workshops: I stand amazed everyday at the number of registrations we already have for our '09 workshops. There's no doubt that we will reach our capacity in our most popular workshops early this year. The good thing is that we're adding more sites and that's always exciting for us. More sites and more workshops that you love means more opportunity for you to participate and benefit from your studies. All of our great faculty is returning and we're adding some new ones that will challenge and stimulate you.

Web: Jay has done a great job getting our Facebook and MySpace pages up and he tells me he's looking for interns to help him keep our information current. YouTube...
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David Schwimmer directs Stephen Belber's Fault Lines
NY Times

Dude. It's an important word in the lexicon of the average, beer-swilling American male, employed frequently as a term of endearment, exclamation (Duuuude!) or even informal title (First Dude). So when Bill (Josh Lucas), a graphic designer who has settled down in a life of marriage and nightly episodes of "Charlie Rose," tells his old friend Jim (Dominic Fumusa), still single and sleeping around, to stop calling him "dude," it feels like a harsh break-up. Looking shocked and even a bit hurt, Jim replies exasperatedly, "You don't see yourself as a dude?"

David Schwimmer and Stephen Belber talk about the play.

Navigators for the College Bound
NY Times

What may be largest high school senior class ever in the United States is applying to college this fall. And thousands of students will look beyond their high school guidance counselors to help them get into the schools of their choice.

Private educational consultants take up where overburdened high school guidance counselors leave off. Charging by the hour or offering a package of services, these consultants usually meet multiple times with a student to talk about goals for college and beyond. They synthesize information from parents, transcripts and other sources to help create a list of colleges that might be a good match. Then they guide students through the application process, reviewing essays, preparing them for interviews and keeping them organized to meet deadlines. Read More...