Local Conservatory Report

Sharpen your acting skills this spring by participating in a SAG-AFTRA Conservatory workshop. Learn memorization strategies, hone your comedy chops, align your body with the Alexander Technique, polish a monologue and much more. These are a just of few of the areas covered by new workshops in 2019.

The spring semester kicked off in March and will run through mid-July. There are 17 workshops, most taught by other members who are volunteering their time to share their skills and expertise with their peers.

Many of the workshops are held at the SAG-AFTRA office in Bethesda, but some are off-site, and a few are webinars. Because our local is so large, with members in North Carolina, West Virginia and the furthest reaches of Maryland and Virginia, we will try to incorporate more webinars in the future. It’s easy to participate online using the Zoom meeting platform, especially if you have an iPad or tablet, which comes equipped with a built-in camera and mic.

All workshops in the SAG-AFTRA Washington Mid-Atlantic Conservatory program are free for members in good standing. This is one of the most rewarding benefits of your union membership. Registration, which is streamlined online, is required to attend. Just go to the Washington-Mid Atlantic Events Page to see the list of upcoming events. Once you have logged in, you will be able to register and keep track of your registrations, which are now listed under My Events.

The Conservatory Committee meets about two months before each semester to brainstorm ideas for new workshops. If you have a suggestion for a workshop or know of someone who might make a great presenter, email Jess Speaker, the Conservatory Committee staff liaison. We will gather those ideas and start planning the fall semester in midsummer. If you are interested in joining the Conservatory Committee, we are always looking for creative thinkers to be part of our team.

— By Kathryn Klvana, Washington-Mid Atlantic Local Conservatory chair for the WMA newsletter.