ACTING WORKSHOP AT DAC WITH MATT PORRETTA & NICK SADLER

DARIEN, CT., August 20, 2013 – The Darien Arts Center, arts.darien.org, will be providing a unique opportunity for burgeoning actors in middle school and high school to study with accomplished professional actors, Matt Porretta and Nick Sadler this fall.  “Connecting with the Camera: The Keys to Delivering Truthful Acting on Camera”, an intensive two day workshop, will cover invaluable techniques and trade secrets for performing on camera in film, television, and commercials. Participants will learn the fundamentals of acting on set, including being believable, being relatable, where to focus, eye lines, audition techniques, and much more, while using professional acting scripts. At the end of the workshop participants will receive a digital copy of their work.

Fun and insightful real world stories from veteran actors Matt Porretta and Nick Sadler will complement the learning experience. Matt Porretta, a native Darienite, has spent much of his professional life alternating between Broadway and Los Angeles. His big break came when cast in the role of Marius in the national tour of Les Miserables, eventually landing on Broadway. He subsequently landed the part of Will Scarlet O’Hara in Mel Brooks’ Robin Hood: Men in Tights, and Brooks recast him in his next film, Dracula: Dead and Loving It. Soon after, he landed a recurring role on 90210 playing Dan Rubin. Porretta returned to Broadway where he played Count Ludovic in the original production of James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim’s Passion. After returning to Los Angeles, he starred in the title role in TNT’s The New Adventures of Robin Hood.

Nick Sadler is a Juilliard trained actor who has worked in film, television, and theater for the past 20 years with such esteemed artists as Barry Levinson, Joel and Ethan Coen, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Danny Glover, Bill Paxton, Michael Douglas, and Elizabeth Ashley, among many others. As a writer and director, Nick’s work has aired on HBO, Cinemax, Canal Plus, and screened at film festivals such as Denver, Slamdance, Deauville, Hamptons, and Sundance International Film Festivals. Nick is the founder of Present Actor Workshop.  As an educator and private teacher, he has helped students and professionals at all stages of their career in theater, film, and television.

"The camera is the unseen character that the best actors know how to play with, keeping it invisible and the performance intimate. We use an approach that is both technical and organic to develop the tools to best attain this balance," says Sadler. "This is a fun and engaging experience that takes the mystery out of the work."

“Connecting with the Camera: The Keys to Delivering Truthful Acting on Camera” will take place on September 28 and October 5, 2013 from 10am to 1pm.  Class size is limited, so early registration is recommended. For the full fall catalog, more information, or to register go to arts.darien.org. For questions call (203) 655-8683.

Founded in 1975, the Darien Arts Center (DAC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing visual and performing arts programs and events for the community. The DAC offers educational programs in Dance, Visual Arts, Music & Theatre, & special events & live theatre performances by DAC Stage. Private donations, grants, tuition fees & ticket sales fund the DAC, which is located at 2 Renshaw Road, behind the Town Hall. For further information, call (203) 655-8683 or visit arts.darien.org.