Act Two Academy is SOPA Austin’s flexible monthly membership program for performers ages 16 and up who want to keep growing their skills—without the pressure of pursuing the arts professionally or in college.

Designed for adult and teen students who love performing but want a more accessible, low-stakes approach, Act Two Academy offers high-quality training through a hybrid of in-person classes, live ZOOM sessions, and on-demand recorded lessons you can watch anytime.

✅ Program Details:

• Runs September–May

• Mondays - 7:00pm-9:00pm

• Ages 16+ (no upper limit)

• $99/month

• Discount for registering for the entire year

• Fulfills your class requirement for Main Stage and Main Stage+ productions (min 3 months per show)

✅ Flexible Learning:

• In person classes for masterclass style feedback and learning

• Join live Zoom sessions for real-time feedback

• Access all classes as recordings—learn anytime, on your schedule

• Rotating teachers with professional experience

✅ Class Focus Rotations:

• Every 1-3 weeks we will rotate into a new area of performing arts. Acting, Dancing, Singing, Film, and much more will be covered.

• If you miss a topic you can register for past months to receive the recorded sessions.

• Students will be introduced to many topics during these sessions that will open up opportunities to future learning via masterclasses, courses and specialty classes.

✅ Who It’s For:

• Students ages 16+ who want ongoing training without a pre-professional commitment

• Performers looking to stay sharp for Main Stage, Main Stage+ and Community auditions

• Anyone who loves the arts and wants to keep learning at any skill level

• Students in Act Two will qualify for a special “pre-audition” to be considered for a role in our Main Stage Plus Production of A WRINKLE IN TIME.

Act Two Academy is the perfect way to keep your passion for the performing arts alive—on your own terms. Learn, grow, and stay connected with our SOPA Austin community, no matter your age or experience!

This is for one month enrollment of our ACT TWO ACADEMY. Please add more to cart if you wish to pay for additional months up front.

CLASS SCHEDULE

September 14 – November 2
Instructor: Tim

WEEK 1 — THE LAYER CAKE

This introductory class will explore the foundations of acting and help students identify where they currently are in their development as performers. Instructor Tim will introduce a structured approach to continued growth, helping students understand the different “layers” that contribute to a strong, authentic performance.

Students will participate in a variety of Meisner-inspired exercises designed to encourage active listening, truthful reactions, spontaneity, and connection with scene partners. The emphasis will be on getting students out of their heads, actively participating, and discovering that strong acting begins with genuinely engaging in what is happening in the moment.

Homework: Begin selecting and preparing audition material for Week 3.

WEEK 2 — WHO IS THIS CHARACTER, ACTUALLY?

Students will continue working with Meisner-inspired exercises, with a particular focus on moving away from the idea of delivering a “realistic” line reading and toward understanding the reality of doing—responding truthfully to what is actually happening within a scene.

Instructor Tim will also begin exploring the elements that transform the actor into the character, including physical behavior, vocal choices, dialect, mannerisms, relationships, circumstances, and other character-specific details.

Students will begin discovering how these elements can be layered onto truthful acting without allowing the “character work” to overwhelm authentic performance.

Homework: Determine and prepare scene material to be used during Weeks 4 and 5. Material from Frozen may be incorporated when appropriate.

WEEK 3 — THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS AN AUDITION

This week, students will audition—for absolutely nothing!

Each student will arrive prepared with either a monologue or approximately one-minute song cut and participate in a simulated audition environment.

Instructor Tim will use these performances as a framework for exploring one of the greatest challenges actors face in auditions: fear. Students will discuss how preparation, mindset, and a shift in perspective can dramatically change the audition experience.

Rather than viewing an audition as a test that must be passed, students will learn to approach it as what it truly is: a performance for a very specialized audience.

Students will receive practical guidance on bringing preparation, confidence, individuality, and storytelling into the audition room.

Homework: Begin preparing a longer song cut of approximately 2–3 minutes for Weeks 6 and 7.

WEEK 4 — WHAT THE HECK IS MY CHARACTER SAYING?

The words an actor speaks are determined by the playwright. The meaning behind those words, however, is shaped by the actor, scene partners, director, circumstances, and playwright’s intent.

This class will introduce students to practical script analysis and help them learn to look beyond the words printed on the page.

Students will work with short scenes, first performing the material and then examining the script more closely to identify objectives, relationships, circumstances, subtext, shifts, and clues within the writing that may have initially been overlooked.

Instructor Tim will emphasize understanding the playwright’s intent as a foundation for making informed artistic choices—whether the performer ultimately chooses to follow that intention, challenge it, or discover another compelling interpretation.

Students are encouraged to bring scripts or scenes from productions or material they are currently working on.

WEEK 5 — WHAT THE HECK, PART DEUX

Week 5 continues the scene work and script analysis introduced in Week 4.

Students will revisit short scenes and apply the concepts developed throughout the first several weeks of class, including truthful response, active listening, the “reality of doing,” character development, and script analysis.

The goal is to begin bringing these individual skills together so students can make specific, intentional, and believable acting choices rather than simply memorizing lines and deciding how those lines should sound.

WEEK 6 — EVERY SONG IS A SOLILOQUY

A song can be beautifully performed without being fully acted—but when a performer approaches a song with the same depth and intention used in a dramatic scene, the performance can reach an entirely different level.

Students will arrive with a prepared 2–3 minute song cut and begin applying the acting techniques developed throughout the course directly to vocal performance.

Instructor Tim will guide students through identifying circumstances, objectives, relationships, discoveries, emotional shifts, and subtext within their songs. Students will explore how these choices can influence phrasing, delivery, physicality, and overall storytelling.

Students will also begin learning how to give and receive constructive artistic feedback, emphasizing specificity, kindness, respect, and helping fellow performers grow.

We will begin thinking about how to structure week 8!

WEEK 7 — SECOND VERSE, SAME AS THE FIRST

Students will continue developing their ability to act through song, building upon the work introduced in Week 6.

This class will provide additional opportunities to perform, experiment with new choices, receive direction, and observe how changes in acting intention can transform a vocal performance.

Students will also continue practicing the important skill of giving and receiving thoughtful, respectful, and constructive critique.

WEEK 8 — DEALER’S CHOICE

The final class belongs, in part, to the students.

By Weeks 6 and 7, students should have a clearer understanding of the concepts explored throughout the course—as well as the areas in which they would like additional practice.

Instructor Tim will work with students to identify:

• Concepts or techniques they would like to revisit

• Exercises they found particularly valuable

• Areas in which they still feel challenged

• Skills or topics they would like to explore further

• Subjects they feel would be valuable additions to the course

Using this feedback, Instructor Tim and the students will collaboratively shape the curriculum for the final class.

Week 8 will serve as an opportunity to revisit, reinforce, and expand upon the areas that will be most beneficial to this particular group of performers.

COURSE FOCUS

Throughout the eight-week session, students will develop practical skills in acting technique, character development, script analysis, audition preparation, acting through song, performance confidence, and constructive peer critique.

The goal is not simply to teach students how to “look like they are acting,” but to give them practical tools that help them become more thoughtful, prepared, connected, and truthful performers.