Act One Update

Act One and its instructors hope that everyone is having a safe and enjoyable first week back at school for the upcoming 2022/23 year. In the same light, with Act One’s classes scheduled to begin this coming Saturday, Sept 10th, we also want to keep all those interested in the school's programs, updated on current registration status and the school's plans for the upcoming Fall Term.

The topics below include both new announcements and some of the most common subject areas that we have been asked about over the past few weeks:

• In-Person vs On-line Classes
• 2022/23 Class Registration Update
• Act One COVID-19 Policy for 2022/23
• New Acting On Camera Instructor for 2022/23
• 2021/22 Year End Performance Videos
• 2022 Theatre Summer Camp Session Performance Videos
• Previous year performance videos

In-Person vs On-line Classes:

Act One’s approach for 2022/23 is focused on maintaining conditions that enable our students to comfortably and safely explore drama in person. Unless required to by Durham Health, all Act One classes will continue to take place in-person, at the school facility. As long as the positive benefits of in-person classes are possible, there will not be an on-line option.

2022/23 Registration Update:

On-line registration for Act One’s 2022/23 Fall Term classes is now available. Classes begin Sept 10/22. We can accept late registrations up until Thanksgiving week, so long as there is still space in the desired class.

For those considering classes for 2022/23, here are the start dates and current registration status (as of Sept 7/22) for each of our Fall classes (in order of when they begin):

• Theatre Ages 10-11 (Saturdays): Sept 10/22 - 2 spots remaining
• Theatre Ages 8-9 (Saturdays): Sept 10/22 - 3 spots remaining
• Musical Theatre Ages 7-10 (Sundays): Sept 11/22 - 2 spots remaining
• Musical Theatre Ages 11-13 (Sundays): Sept 11/22 - 5 spots remaining
• Musical Theatre Ages 14-18 (Sundays): Sept 11/22 - 3 spots remaining
• Improvisation Ages 14-18 (Sundays): Sept 11/22 - 4 spots remaining
• Theatre for Ages 8-9 (Mondays): Sept 12/22 - 4 spots remaining
• Theatre for Ages 12-13 (Mondays): Sept 12/22 – 4 spots remaining
• Acting On Camera Ages 11-13 (Tuesdays): Sept 20/22 - 3 spots remaining
• Acting On Camera Ages 14-18 (Tuesdays): Sept 20/22 - 1 spot remaining
• Theatre Ages 10-11 (Wednesdays): Sept 21/22 - 1 spot remaining
• Theatre for Ages 12-13 (Wednesdays): Sept 21/22 – 3 spots remaining
• Theatre Ages 14-18 (Wednesdays): Sept 21/22 – 2 spots remaining
• Theatre Basics 5-7 (Thursdays): Sept 22/22 - 1 spot remaining
• Improvisation Ages 12-13 (Thursdays): Sept 22/22 - 5 spots remaining
• Improvisation Ages 14-18 (Thursdays): Sept 22/22 - 4 spots remaining
• Theatre Basics 5-7 (Saturdays): Sept 17/22 - 3 spots remaining
• Theatre Ages 12-13 (Saturdays): Sept 17/22 - 5 spots remaining
• Adult Theatre (Mondays): Oct 17/22 - 1 spot remaining




A quick reminder that all previous students and/or Summer and March Break campers receive a 5% discount off class fees if continuing on this year.

You can find more detailed information on all classes on the school website. The on-line registration form can be accessed from here.

To help prospective students with advance planning, key registration, term and performance information/dates for the 2022/23 school year can be found here. Please note that these dates reflect our best planning given current circumstances. They are all subject to change, depending on future events.

Act One COVID-19 Vaccination Policy for 2022/23:
While the COVID-19 situation has evolved significantly since last year, today’s reality is that in many ways, while all of us are more individually experienced with the virus, there is less societal certainty and consistency over what are the best practices and approaches towards resuming a “normal” life, while at the same time maintaining a responsible approach to everyone’s collective health and safety.
While I readily admit that this is a very personal decision and that no policy will likely please everyone, the following is the official Act One COVID Policy for the 2022 Fall Term.
1. Guiding Principle: Act One’s duty and obligation continues to be to maximize the drama experience for students, while ensuring it is done in the safest and collectively most comfortable manner possible for all those participating.
2. General Vaccine Policy: All students and staff who fall within the Province of Ontario eligible age range of approved COVID-19 vaccines, must be fully vaccinated (meaning at least the initial two shots), in order to attend or instruct classes at Act One for the 2022/23 school year. This applies to all persons aged 8 and older, in recognition that younger students may have other factors impacting their status.
3. Proof of Vaccination: Act One will not require explicit upfront proof of vaccination. We will rely upon the assistance of the students’ families to help make this a positive and safe learning environment for all students. Act One will reserve the right to request official vaccination proof, should a situation (at the school’s discretion) warrant such a request.
4. Mask Policy: Masking is another issue that can be very personal in nature. For the coming school year, our masking policy will be as follows:
• General Masking Requirements for each class will be set by the individual instructor. This reflects the fact that for any class to be effective and successful, the instructor must be comfortable with their own personal situation and feel they are doing what is best for their students. It also acknowledges that the impact of masking on the drama experience can vary greatly, depending both on the class focus (ie. Musical Theatre vs On Camera), as well as the specific activity being engaged in (ie. close physical contact games vs stationary line readings).
• Students are welcome to wear masks, for their own personal comfort, even if the instructor has indicated masks are optional or not required for a specific class.
• While students may or may not initially be required to wear masks in class, all students are asked to ensure they have one with them, in case the situation does change.
5. Positive Testing/Illness: Please note that while the province has indicated that students who are sick can attend regular school, as long as they are masked, Act One is NOT comfortable with this approach.
• ALL students who test positive for COVID or who have ANY clear signs of cold/flu-like symptoms are asked to stay home, out of consideration for the health and safety of their instructors and classmates.
• Any student who arrives at class displaying symptoms or develops them during class can be asked to leave. We will attempt to contact parents to return to pick them up. Until such time as their ride returns, for the protection of the others in the class, the student may be required to isolate in the school’s green room.
• Act One will continue to follow the Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table guidelines that anyone testing positive or displaying COVID symptoms "isolate" (not attend an Act One program or event) for at least 5 days. This will apply to both instructors and students. In practical terms, it means that if a student misses one week due to symptoms, as long as those symptoms have cleared up, they would be free to return the next week. If, however, symptoms are still present, they should remain away and if they do show up, the student should be prepared to be asked to leave for that class.
• In cases where a student must miss a class due to health and safety reasons, we will do our best to help them make up the missed material upon their return to the class.
6. Policy Change: Given the potential for rapid change in the local health environment, please note that the above policies may change at any time. Should this become the case, Act One will do everything possible to give all current students as much advance notice as possible.
7. Student Withdrawal: Should a change in policy result in a student no longer being able to continue in a class, they are free to withdraw and Act One will pro-rate their class fees based on the time they were in a class.
8. Act One Staff Vaccination Status: Please note that ALL Act One teaching staff are fully vaccinated.


New Acting On Camera Instructor for 2022/23:

Roxanne Browne, the Acting On Camera instructor for the past two years, has accepted a new career opportunity. As a result, she has had to step away from Act One. While it is always sad when an instructor has to leave, whenever Act One can serve as a stepping-stone to help performers, whether students or instructors, move forward, we are happy for their successes.

In her place, we are excited to welcome Eduardo Camargo to the teaching staff. Eduardo brings a filmmaker’s perspective to the class, that we believe will provide a valuable new perspective on film and TV acting for returning students and a fun introduction to those trying the On Camera program for the first time. You can find Eduardo’s full bio on the school website, if you wish to learn more about him.

2021/22 Year End Performance Videos and Show Discs:
All the 2021-22 year end show performance videos for the stage theatre, musical theatre and improvisation classes have been completed and posted to a private section of the school website. Emails providing the link to stream them have been sent to the families of all students. If you do not recall seeing that e-mail, please contact the school and we would be happy to resend it. For anyone wishing to download a performance video for their own personal use, please contact the school so that I can send you the applicable access link.
The only exceptions are the following:
1. Wednesday Theatre for Ages 14-18: This video is completed but due to its file size and the weekly upload quota limit on Act One’s Vimeo account, we cannot upload it until end of this week (ie Sept 10th). I will send an email to the relevant students’ families when it is available.
2. On Camera Short Film Projects: The On Camera for Ages 14-18 year end short film project “The Heist” has been completed and is posted to the Student Gallery section of the school website. I am currently working on the Ages 11-13 film “Curtain Call”. It is about 75% complete. I am hoping to wrap it up soon and will send a notification e-mail at that time.
2022 Theatre Summer Camp Performance Videos:

We hope all the campers who were able to attend one of the 2022 Theatre Summer camp’s four sessions enjoyed the experience and discovered some new things about themselves as performers. In case anyone does not recall getting the e-mail notification, please be aware that all the videos from their end of session performances have been posted to the school website in the Student Gallery section. They are all now viewable. If anyone wishes to download one or more videos, please contact me and I can send you the applicable link.

Act One’s Performance Video Archive:

For all students and campers from earlier years who may be feeling a bit nostalgic and would like to relive some earlier memories, please be aware that Act One’s archives contain recordings of almost every student and camper performance from 2010 onwards. While not currently available on-line, most of these are available in show disc format (DVD – all; Blu-Ray 2018 onwards).

These can be requested from the school at any time. The cost is $6 per show disc (each disc will contain one performance event). Typically it takes me 24-48 hrs to create the requested disc.

I hope the above information helps answer many of the common questions I have had over the past couple of weeks and keeps everyone updated with respect to Act One's current and planned future actions, as this Fall Term begins.

If anyone has any questions regarding this update or any other topic, please feel free to contact the school.

Sincerely,

Mark Nathanielsz

Owner/Artistic Director