To awaken the capacity for investigation, reflection, good judgment, commitment, collaboration, playfulness, sensitivity, and expressiveness. The acting component of this program includes training in the development of sensory and emotional awareness, movement, speech, relaxation, concentration, responsiveness, and active listening. The students are exposed to techniques drawn from established masters in the field including Constantin Stanislavsky, Boris Godolvsky, Lee Strasberg, and many others. They will also learn the various styles employed in opera and the theatre. As cornerstones of the actor's training, improvisation and movement will be stressed, as they are important for flexibility and for releasing both one's own and the other's imagination.
Improvisation promotes the ability to work with others to develop believable stage relationships.
The Opera Studio has mounted a dozen highly acclaimed productions since its beginning in the fall of 1992. Thanks to the professionalism and dedication of an outstanding faculty, it has established a reputation for excellent work. Artistic Director Selena James ' eminence as a voice teacher is well-known in Victoria. She has taught at the Victoria Conservatory since 1973, was Assistant Professor of Voice at the University of Victoria and has been with The Banff Centre for the Arts as Head of Voice in the Opera and Music Theatre programs since 1986, where she is in particular demand for her ability to develop performers in new works. Ms. James has been with the Opera Studio in her present post since the program started in 1992.