To book or for more information please visit www.tift.ca - email: actcon@tift.ca - phone: 705-792-1949 ex 123

CON-ACT is a brand-new online program that brings people of all ages together and connects friends and families through one-time arts-based classes. This new endeavour by Talk Is Free Theatre offers an eclectic variety of classes taught by some of Canada’s premiere theatre artists. We are thrilled to have such talented instructors as Steve Ross who has performed with the Stratford Festival for the past 16 seasons, Kimberly-Ann Truong (Stratford’s Rocky Horror Show, A Little Night Music, and Broadway’s Miss Saigon), and Gabi Epstein (Stratford’s Little Shop of Horrors, Billy Elliot and winner of the 2019 Broadway World award for Best Performance by a Female in a Featured Role. Classes include Mime Over Matter, Playwriting for Beginners, Acting Through Song and many more! CON-ACT offers both group, semi-private, and private classes in three categories: for children between 6 and 9 years of age, for teenagers between 10 and 14, and for individuals starting at 15 years of age and adults. These one-time class offerings include games for actors, dance, mime, monologue work, musical theatre, Shakespeare analysis, and more. Using Zoom, individuals will have the opportunity to register into small groups or private one-on-one sessions to have fun and learn more about theatre, music, dance and more and through this build a community!

To book or for more information please visit www.tift.ca - email: actcon@tift.ca - phone: 705-792-1949 ex 123

Advanced classes are for individuals 15+ years of age.

Alternate dates and times for classes are available upon request.

Musical Theatre for Adults (1 hr) Private: $50

Do you love to tell stories? Do you have a passion for singing and expressing yourself through music? Or maybe you have always been curious about singing and acting at the same time? How does a performer sing and tell the story simultaneously? With a focus on truthful story telling, set to music, this class is suitable for any level of performer. All you need is passion, curiosity, and a willingness to have fun! Recommended for 15+ and adults preparing a song for an audition, a performance or just for fun.

Shakespeare Can be Fun! (1 hr)

Advanced Group (Maximum of 5): $25 per person Private: $50

Instructor: Jennifer Stewart

Shakespeare wrote sweeping and dramatic plays, with exciting and imaginative characters - and all in poetry! Let's crack this language open and explore the universality of these stories in a fun and interactive class for performers of all ages.

About the Instructor Jennifer Stewart is a theatre director, actor, singer, dancer and teacher. Jennifer holds an MFA in Theatre Directing from East 15/University of Essex in London, UK, and is an honours graduate of the Music Theatre Performance Program at Sheridan College. Currently she is on the faculty of Randolph College for the Performing Arts in Toronto.

Her directing credits include: The Shape of a Girl (Calder Theatre, London, UK), The Music Man, Bye Bye Birdie (Talk Is Free Theatre), Emily, Becoming Dr. Ruth, Best of Enemies, The Heiress (Bluff City Theater, Hannibal, Missouri), Hairspray (YES Theatre), Honk (St Lawrence College) and assistant director for the Stratford Festival’s Othello, Long Day’s Journey into Night and HMS Pinafore. As an actor she has worked for Mirvish Productions as Penny Pingleton in the Original Canadian Company of Hairspray and Lisa in Mamma Mia. Other favourites include: Fiddler on the Roof, 42nd Street, The Pirates of Penzance, Tommy (Stratford Festival), Kiss Me Kate, Sunday in the Park with George, Guys and Dolls, Harvest Moon Rising, Anyone Can Whistle (TIFT)

Adult-Introductory and Advanced Classes To book or for more information please visit www.tift.ca - email: actcon@tift.ca - phone: 705-792-1949 ex 123

Choose a date for Jennifer’s Classes Thursday August 6, 20, or 27 at 10:45am

REGISTER HERE

Finding your Voice through Writing for Songwriters and Playwrights (1 hr)

Private: $80 Instructor: Kimberly-Ann Truong

Find your individual voice and style through writing. Everyone has a story to tell, this class will help you make them listen to your unique voice as a writer. Recommended for ages 15+ and adults with some experience in playwrighting and

song writing.

Acting Technique (1 hr) Private: $80

Instructor: Kimberly-Ann Truong Kimmy is excited to offer her knowledge and guidance in the world of acting. One-on-one lessons are catered to and solely focused on the individual student’s needs and wants as they work with Kimmy on honing their skills and mastering their craft. These lessons aim to make students more knowledgeable their field and leave them feeling much more confident as they move forward in their journey as an actor.

About the Instructor Kimberly-Ann (Kimmy) Truong is a Vietnamese-Canadian actress

from British Columbia and has been teaching and choreographing

for over a decade. After graduating from Sheridan college in 2015,

she found herself at The Stratford Festival, playing Fredrika in A

Little Night Music and Vicki in A Chorus Line as well as

understudying 3 lead roles. Kimmy left Canada for a year to

perform in Miss Saigon on Broadway and returned to play some of

her most prestigious roles including Columbia in The Rocky Horror Show at The Stratford

Festival as well as starring in the revival production of Kronborg-The Hamlet Rock Musical

as Ophelia at The Charlottetown Festival.

Recommended for ages 15+ and adults with previous experience in performance

and looking to improve their craft.

Choose a date for Kimberly-Ann’s Classes Thursday August 6, 13, 20, or 27 at 12pm or 1:30pm

REGISTER HERE

Adult-Introductory and Advanced Classes

To book or for more information please visit www.tift.ca - email: actcon@tift.ca - phone: 705-792-1949 ex 123

Voice Training (1 hr) Private: $80

Instructor: Kimberly-Ann Truong Kimmy is excited to offer her knowledge and guidance in vocal technique. One-on-one lessons are catered to and solely focused on the individual student’s needs and wants as they work with Kimmy on honing their skills and mastering their craft. These lessons aim to make students more knowledgeable in the field and leave them feeling much more confident as they move forward in their journey as a singer. Recommended for ages 15+ and adults with previous experience in performance

and looking to improve their craft.

Dance Technique (1hr) Private: $80

Instructor: Kimberly-Ann Truong Kimmy is excited to offer her knowledge and guidance in the world of dance. One-on-one lessons are catered to and solely focused on the individual student’s needs and wants as they work with Kimmy on honing their skills and mastering their craft. These lessons aim to make students more knowledgeable in the field and leave them feeling much more confident as they move forward in their journey as a dancer.

About the Instructor Kimberly-Ann (Kimmy) Truong is a Vietnamese-Canadian actress

from British Columbia and has been teaching and choreographing

for over a decade. After graduating from Sheridan college in 2015,

she found herself at The Stratford Festival, playing Fredrika in A

Little Night Music and Vicki in A Chorus Line as well as

understudying 3 lead roles. Kimmy left Canada for a year to

perform in Miss Saigon on Broadway and returned to play some of

her most prestigious roles including Columbia in The Rocky Horror Show at The Stratford

Festival as well as starring in the revival production of Kronborg-The Hamlet Rock Musical

as Ophelia at The Charlottetown Festival.

Recommended for ages 15+ and adults with previous experience in performance

and looking to improve their craft.

Choose a date for Kimberly-Ann’s Classes Thursday August 6, 13, 20, or 27 at 12pm or 1:30pm REGISTER HERE

Adult-Introductory and Advanced Classes To book or for more information please visit www.tift.ca - email: actcon@tift.ca - phone: 705-792-1949 ex 123

Classic and Contemporary Monologue (1 hr) Private: $80

Instructor: Steve Ross Is there a monologue you have used for a long time? Would you like to freshen it up? Is there a speech you have always loved but have never had the time to work on? Now is the time to work on your monologue skills so you are ready to audition like never before. This is a one-hour coaching session that will allow you to take a “deep dive” into monologues. Classical. Contemporary. American. Canadian. Anything you feel passionate about.

About the Instructor Steve has spent the last 30 years performing at many of the country’s regional theatres. He’s been a member of the acting company with The Stratford Festival for 16 seasons. Barrie audiences might remember him from such shows as Emily, Assassins, No Way to Treat a Lady and Guys and Dolls. He also directed TIFT’s production of Sunday in the Park with George. Other career highlights include Every Brilliant Thing (New Stages), The Producers (Neptune),

Seussical (Theatre Aquarius) and A Year with Frog and Toad (MTYP). Recommended for adults with previous acting experience who are looking to elevate audition pieces. Choose a Date Tuesdays August 4, 11, 18, or 25 at 3:45pm Thursday August 6, 13, 20, or 27 at 3pm REGISTER HERE

Adult-Introductory and Advanced Classes

To book or for more information please visit www.tift.ca - email: actcon@tift.ca - phone: 705-792-1949 ex 123

Music Analysis for the Singing Actor (1 hr) Private: $45

Instructor: Daniel Rutzen

This class is for emerging artists interested in the serious pursuit of acting through a song. Learn why composers pick a key, a tempo, a style. Learn how to look at a new song and extract vital information that answers the questions, “Who am I”, “Where am I”, “What do I want”, and “How do I feel”. This includes the Italian rehearsal markings, piano accompaniment, articulations and dynamics and the form or structure of the song. This class is a solid introduction to the types of Music Analysis required at all Canadian post-secondary Musical Theatre institutions and carrying on into your careers.

About the Instructor Dan Rutzen is a Conductor, Musical Director, and Educator. Recent credits include Sweeney Todd, Pal Joey (Talk is Free Theatre); On the Town (Theatre Sheridan); Be More Chill - Canadian Premier (Bravo Academy)

Elsewhere: Candide (UofT Opera); Mimi (Tarragon Theatre); Rufus Wainwright’s Prima Donna (Luminato Festival); West Side Story, Legally Blonde, Mary Poppins, Anything Goes, Anne of Green Gables (Lower Ossington Theatre); Napoleon (Talk is Free Theatre) Dan is a committed educator. He teaches music theatre at Sheridan, directs the concert band at Wexford Collegiate School for the Arts, and is on his fifth season with Bravo Academy for the Performing Arts (Newsies, Matilda, School of Rock, Secret Garden, Curtains, Drowsy Chaperone, ...Spelling Bee, Sondheim On Sondheim). Dan is also a choral conductor with associations with Canadian Men’s Chorus, Scarborough Dukes of Harmony and was a participant in the prestigious Toronto Mendelssohn Choir Emerging Conductor Symposium and Goodspeed’s Music Director Intensive Recommended for adults with a strong music background and able to read music. Choose a Date Tuesdays August 4, 11, 18, or 25 at 5pm Wednesday August 5, 12, 19, or 26 at 5pm

REGISTER HERE

Adult-Introductory and Advanced Classes

To book or for more information please visit www.tift.ca - email: actcon@tift.ca - phone: 705-792-1949 ex 123

A Historical Guide to Building Your Audition Book (1 hr) Private $45

Instructor: Daniel Rutzen

This class is a historical seminar of Musical Theatre designed to help you create a healthy and living audition book. Understand from where the "32-Bar cut” originated. Explore the periods from early Vaudeville, Operetta, Tin Pan Alley, and the Golden Age to the contemporary, post-Sondheim and Lloyd Webber era of the musical comedy. Learn the importance of having Jazz Standards and Pop Music in your audition book. This class includes an introduction on how to cut your auditions songs as well as a method for choosing the RIGHT song for your audition.

About the Instructor Dan Rutzen is a Conductor, Musical Director, and Educator. Recent credits include Sweeney Todd, Pal Joey (Talk is Free Theatre); On the Town (Theatre Sheridan); Be More Chill - Canadian Premier (Bravo Academy)

Elsewhere: Candide (UofT Opera); Mimi (Tarragon Theatre); Rufus Wainwright’s Prima Donna (Luminato Festival); West Side Story, Legally Blonde, Mary Poppins, Anything Goes, Anne of Green Gables (Lower Ossington Theatre); Napoleon (Talk is Free Theatre) Dan is a committed educator. He teaches music theatre at Sheridan, directs the concert band at Wexford Collegiate School for the Arts, and is on his fifth season with Bravo Academy for the Performing Arts (Newsies, Matilda, School of Rock, Secret Garden, Curtains, Drowsy Chaperone, ...Spelling Bee, Sondheim On Sondheim). Dan is also a choral conductor with associations with Canadian Men’s Chorus, Scarborough Dukes of Harmony and was a participant in the prestigious Toronto Mendelssohn Choir Emerging Conductor Symposium and Goodspeed’s Music Director Intensive Recommended for adults with a strong music background looking to expand and elevate their audition pieces. Choose a Date Tuesdays August 4, 11, 18, or 25 at 5pm Wednesday August 5, 12, 19, or 26 at 5pm

REGISTER HERE

Adult-Introductory and Advanced Classes

To book or for more information please visit www.tift.ca - email: actcon@tift.ca - phone: 705-792-1949 ex 123

Singing Technique and Song Coaching (1hr) Private: $85

Instructor: Gabi Epstein Gabi has made a name for herself as one of the country's top vocalists and she owes it all to her singing training and technique. In this one-hour private class you will learn the fundamentals of good singing technique and how to use that in your own repertoire. Gabi has been teaching singing lessons for 15 years specialising in Musical Theatre but is trained to teach classical (including RCM exams), jazz, pop/rock, and song interpretation.

About the Instructor Gabi is a DORA award winner and one of the country's top stage/cabaret performers best known for playing Audrey in the Stratford Festival's production of Little Shop of Horrors and Fanny Brice in the Segal Centre's production of Funny Girl. She was also in the Canadian cast of the Mirvish Production of Once which garnered her company two DORA Awards (Best Ensemble and Best Production). Gabi has worked all over Canada in shows with Drayton Entertainment, the Harold Green Jewish Theatre, Stage

West, Theatre by the Bay, and the Capitol Theatre among others, but Barrie audiences will recognise Gabi from her many past performances with TIFT including Kim in Bye Bye Birdie, Clarice in Napoleon, Dani in Dani Girl, Paquette/Old Lady in Candide, and Yitzhak in Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Her famous "Gabarets" have been performed all over North America and have received praise such as "Best Cabaret of the Year" by the Times Square Chronicles in NYC. Her CD "Show Off" is available on Spotify and iTunes. @gabifayepstein Recommended for individuals of all levels looking to elevate their technique and performance skills. Choose a Date Monday August 3, 10, 17, 24, or 31 at 1pm Wednesday August 5, 12, 19, or 26 at 1pm

REGISTER HERE

Adult-Introductory and Advanced Classes

To book or for more information please visit www.tift.ca - email: actcon@tift.ca - phone: 705-792-1949 ex 123

ADVANCED AND ADULT-INTRODUCTORY CLASSES To register or any of the CON-ACT class offerings, please click HERE. To request an alternative date and time for a private class please email actcon@tift.ca with the subject line CON-ACT APPLICATION – [NAME OF COURSE AND INSTRUCTOR]. We will respond to you in two business days if you are able to welcome you into a class. Please note that payment (all major credit cards are accepted) must be received within 72 hours of the notification to guarantee a spot.

To book or for more information please visit www.tift.ca - email: actcon@tift.ca - phone: 705-792-1949 ex 123

Applicants over the age of 18 may connect with their instructor for their class using any format they the feel most comfortable with.

For information and to register please visit:

https://www.tift.ca

For any questions please email:

actcon@tift.ca

Or call us at:

705-792-1949 ex 123