THE STAPLETON ACTING STUDIO

The Stapleton Acting Studio is designed to attend to the needs of students dedicated to the art of acting. Cathy Stapleton provides an immersive curriculum that utilizes very specific acting techniques in multi-leveled and sequential formats. Beginning with improvisational skills, students develop their personal and authentic stage presence. Once students embody a comfort with non-scripted interactions on stage, the class segues into monologue and scene study. Throughout their coursework students will be introduced to the principles of Uta Hagen, Konstantin Stanislavski, and Sanford Meisner. 

Cathy Stapleton's expertise as an actor, director, and coach have propelled students to excel in careers in Regional Theater, Broadway, and filmmaking. Cathy's ability to recognize the strengths of each actor enables her to foster the development of self-confidence on and off the stage.

Students of all experience levels are welcome to attend (there is no audition), however the class will quickly move into intermediate and advanced techniques. 

Students will have an opportunity at the end of their coursework to showcase their pieces before a live audience. Additionally, for graduates of this class, Light House Studio has offered opportunities in their casting pool for those interested in gaining experience in film acting. 

Class size is limited to 12 students.

2 full scholarships will be awarded based on both merit and need.

Class Tuition: $495

Classes are held at Light House Studio just off the Downtown Mall in Charlottesville, VA (220 W Market Street) from 1 -3:30 PM on Sundays.

Classes commence September 17, 2023 and run through November 5, 2023.

As with every other sector of higher education, collegiate performing arts programs have become increasingly competitive. The number of applicants compared to the number of seats available is daunting. It is essential for each student to develop finely curated and rehearsed audition pieces and portfolios. Given the number of highly qualified and talented candidates, it is imperative that students are trained not only in audition technique and portfolio building but also in the soft skills necessary to elucidate their personality and potential contributions to each university. Every audition is followed up with a panel interview; this is ultimately the largest decision-maker for the Fine Arts and admissions teams.

Cathy Stapleton's unique perspective as both an educator and performing arts director affords her a unique perspective on the Fine Arts collegiate admissions process. Cathy offers school-specific instruction to students as they select, rehearse, and hone their audition pieces. 

Additionally, as an undergraduate student of Carnegie Mellon University and a graduate student of Catholic University of America, she is compassionately aware of the potential stress that each of her students encounters throughout this time. She has created curriculum to help her students alleviate and manage their anxiety both in preparation for and during the audition / interviewing process. 

Each student in this course is given the opportunity to workshop and rehearse their audition pieces, review their associated portfolios, and, finally, learn the art of effective interviewing.

Class size is limited to 12 students.

2 full scholarships will be awarded based on both merit and need.

Class Tuition: $595

Classes are held at Light House Studio just off the Downtown Mall in Charlottesville, VA (220 W Market Street) from 3:45 -5:45 PM on Sundays.

Classes commence September 17, 2023 and run through November 5, 2023.