Cerys new course, Acting for the Timid. NEWS photo Bitter CAPILANO COLLEGE Theatre instructors Dawn Moore and Bill Murdoch take the fear out of acting in their Course helps would-be actors battle stage fright FOR MANY students, getting through university is a four- year challenge to avoid giving the dreaded oral report. Most admit that they carry this - fear past school life. The symp- toms are universally. well-known: chattering teeth, knocking knees, sweaty palms and the fear-of going blank in front of a large group of people. A brand new course developed by Capilano College theatre in- structors Bill Murdoch and Dawn Moore, Acting for the Timid is designed to take the fear out of performing — and put would-be thespians on the stage. “A lot of people are too afraid to jump into an acting course and are sitting out there saying, ‘gee, | always wanted to take an acting course but —’”’ says 37-year-old Moore. ‘Acting for the Timid is to encourage those people so they know that everyone else who is taking it will be afraid just like them.” Fear, One of the biggest obstacles to acting for many. Ac- cording to Murdoch and Moore, everyone is nervous at first, but everyone learns to relax eventual- ly. “The secret is that everyone who enrols in an acting course is terrified for the first few classes. Even if they are experienced, you can see it, ’* Moore says. The two teach mainly im- provisational games during the five-session course, now into its second week. Murdoch and Moore, the first actors in Western Canada to do theatresports, say around town -improvisztion helps make people feel more relaxed. : Students who signed up for the course won't be intimidated by complicated scripts or be forced to memorize a lot of lines. Murdoch believes that everyone has creative abilities and that theatresports also helps to bring EVELYN JACOB feature writer out untapped talent. “The thing is, as you get older your experiences teach you that, ‘oh well, somebody told me that wasn’t very good so | musn’t be very good.’ What it meant was that particular assignment didn’t turn on my creativity. That's what we’re going to try to reach with the improvisational games — to get people trusting themselves in ront of others, so that if they make a fool out of themselves, so what? The next time something good will come out.” Murdoch and Moore met while completing their BFA’s at the Uni- versity of Victoria. After graduation they split up, Murdoch going to the University of B.C. to get his MFA in directing, and Moore to Company One Theatre in Victoria. The two were reunited when Murdoch joined Company One. AROUND TOWN, the North Shore News’ entertainment listing, is the place to look for live theatre, concerts, galleries, dance events, and pub and club performances. Running every Wednesday, Around Town lists North Shore and Lower Mainland entertainment happenings. Deadline for the Wednesday appearance of Around Town is the Fri- day morning prior to listing. Only written information can be accepted. North Shore Carson Graham Theatre: Integration Project: One On One. Theatre Terrific in performance, April 26, 27 at 7:30 p.m. $4. Res: 987-9341. W.V. Secondary School: 8ye Bye Bir- die. April 27-29 at 7:30 p.m. $8 and $5. Res: 922-3931. Canyon Heights Elementary: Dragon Tale. April 26 at 7 p.m. West Bay Elementary: Wheels. April 26 at 7:30 p.m. MARTIN MILLERCHIP listings coordinator Elsewhere Arts Club, Seymour Street: True Beauties. Mon. to Fri. at & p.m., Sat. at 6 and 9 p.m., Wed. mat. (2 for 1) at 5 Together they toured Canada, per- forming and sleeping in church basements. Moore moved on to work at the Vancouver Playhouse Company, and in 1978, got a job at Capilano College. Murdoch teamed up for a third time with Moore and today the two share one job and run the theatre department. They decided to split the job because as Moore says, “It’s pretty hard for one person to run a theatre program. It’s not creative. It could probably kill you.” : Although Murdoch and Moore stress the benefits of acting — stage presence, public speaking, confidence — and the joys of theatre, ironically, they don’t ad- vise students to pursue a career in acting. “Unless it’s the absolutely only thing that you can do with your life,’ notes Murdoch. Murdoch says that the myth of Hollywood north is that acting jobs abound for Vancouverites. “There are a tremendous number of grads looking for work — people with credentials are lin- ing up for one-tine roles. Essential- ly, most of the larger parts in movies are cast in Los Angeles. If you're serious about making a ca- reer in movies, you've gat to go down to L.A.” Most Acting for the Timid grad- uates won't be heading for Hollywood but hope that what they have learned will give them enough nerve to move past the front row. p.m. Final week. Club, Revue Theatre: Pump Boys and Dinettes. Country and western musical. Mon. to Fri. at 8:30 p.m., Sat. at 6:30 ard 9:30 p.m., Wed. mat. {2 for 1) at 5:30 p.m. Arts Club info: 687- * 1644. bet — an AtoZ of interesting and unusual exhibits. Guessing games and hands-on experience for children. : Birks Room: Things To Put Things In. A nostalgic took at the containers of a bygone era. 209 W. 4th St. 987-5518. Weds. to Sun. from 1 to 4 p.m. Free. 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