Studio 58 is an intensive theatre school located in Vancouver, British Columbia. A part of Langara College

Langara College

Langara College is a public degree-granting college in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada which serves approximately 20,000 students annually through its university, career, and continuing studies programs...

's Theatre Arts Program, the school offers professional theatre training for actors and production personnel. It is the only conservatory-style theatre training program in Western Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

. Studio 58 is a three year program for acting and a two year program for production.

The school operates its own theatre and presents 4 full-length productions annually. Professional directors and designers are hired to work on each production. Studio 58 productions are open to the public and reviewed by the Vancouver media.

The Program

An average day begins at 8:30 a.m. and finishes by 11:00 p.m. The daily routine includes classes, crew calls, rehearsals and the evening performances of our public shows. Working into the weekends is not uncommon. All students are required to take first year English.

Acting students take classes in Scene Study, Improvisation, Modern and Classical Text, Voice, Speech, Choir, Singing, Mask, Movement, Alignment, Period Dance, Tap

Tap dance

Tap dance is a form of dance characterized by using the sound of one's tap shoes hitting the floor as a percussive instrument. As such, it is also commonly considered to be a form of music. Two major variations on tap dance exist: rhythm tap and Broadway tap. Broadway tap focuses more on the...

, Writing, One-Person Shows (Solo Show), and Theatre Fundamentals.

All production students take acting in their first semester with the other 'A-Term' acting students (Voice, Acting I, Acting II, Joint Acting Class, Movement I, Movement II, Physical Theatre, Choir, and Voice). . In the second semester, the production students switch over and take production classes (Stage Management

Stage management

Stage management is the practice of organizing and coordinating a theatrical production. It encompasses a variety of activities, including organizing the production and coordinating communications between various personnel...

, Costume

Costume design

Costume design is the fabrication of apparel for the overall appearance of a character or performer. This usually involves researching, designing and building the actual items from conception. Costumes may be for a theater or cinema performance but may not be limited to such...

, VectorWorks

VectorWorks

Vectorworks is a computer-aided design and Building Information Modeling software program developed by Nemetschek Vectorworks that is used for drafting, technical drawing and 3D modeling. Vectorworks offers 2D, 3D, production management, and presentation capabilities for all phases of the design...

, Design

Design

Design as a noun informally refers to a plan or convention for the construction of an object or a system while “to design” refers to making this plan...

, Lighting

Lighting designer

The role of the lighting designer within theatre is to work with the director, choreographer, set designer, costume designer, and sound designer to create an overall 'look' for the show in response to the text, while keeping in mind issues of visibility, safety and cost...

, Sound

Sound design

Sound design is the process of specifying, acquiring, manipulating or generating audio elements. It is employed in a variety of disciplines including filmmaking, television production, theatre, sound recording and reproduction, live performance, sound art, post-production and video game software...

, Set

Scenic design

Scenic design is the creation of theatrical, as well as film or television scenery. Scenic designers have traditionally come from a variety of artistic backgrounds, but nowadays, generally speaking, they are trained professionals, often with M.F.A...

, and various other workshops throughout the semester.

Auditions

Studio 58 accepts up to 16 students a semester through auditions. Interviews and auditions are held during April and May across Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 in Vancouver

Vancouver

Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...

, Toronto

Toronto

Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...

, Edmonton

Edmonton

Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...

, and Montreal

Montreal

Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...

. An Audition Package with date and time of audition, as well as monologues, are mailed out after the next application deadline (March 15). Actors and production students audition together.

Candidates should expect group work, sight-readings, improv and prepared monologue

Monologue

In theatre, a monologue is a speech presented by a single character, most often to express their thoughts aloud, though sometimes also to directly address another character or the audience. Monologues are common across the range of dramatic media...

s. The group portion of the audition, candidates are asked to read a scene with a partner and present a short improvisation either solo or with a partner or group. Some written work is required. The individual audition, candidates are required to prepare two memorized monologues - one from the audition package we will mailed out, and one of self choice.

The program strongly recommends that all applicants be at least 19 years of age by the time of audition, as well as at least two years of either post-secondary education and other work experience.

Successful acting applicants are accepted for either September or January. Successful production applicants are accepted for January only. Acting Program students are required to be on backstage crews during the first three terms. Crew work takes place on evenings and weekends outside of classes. All production students take A-Term acting and then move on to production for B-Term.

Enrolled students are not allowed to participate in any professional or amateur theatre, film, TV, radio, commercial, print or performance work without permission of the Artistic Director. That permission is only granted to students in the 5th or 6th terms.

History

Studio began as a small Theatre arts course in 1965 and classes were first held on the King Edward Campus of Vancouver Community College

Vancouver Community College

Vancouver Community College is a public post-secondary institution in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Founded in 1965, it is the largest and oldest community college in British Columbia, with over 140 certificate and diploma programs...

. The department moved to new facilities on the Langara Campus in 1970 and began to be known as Studio 58 (referring to the room number of the theatre space).

Kathryn Shaw

Kathryn Shaw

Kathryn Shaw is a Canadian director, actor, and writer living in Vancouver, Canada. Since 1985 she has been the Artistic Director of Studio 58, an acting and production training school at Langara College.- History :...

 is the current Artistic Director

Artistic director

An artistic director is the executive of an arts organization, particularly in a theatre company, that handles the organization's artistic direction. He or she is generally a producer and director, but not in the sense of a mogul, since the organization is generally a non-profit organization...

 of Studio 58. She was preceded by Antony Holland

Antony Holland

Antony Holland is a British actor, playwright, and director from England. Currently he lives on Gabriola Island, British Columbia, Canada.- History :...

 who was Artistic Director from 1965 to 1985. Jane Heyman from 1985-2005 was the Associate Director, a position now held by David Hudgins.

Faculty and Staff

Aaron Bushkowsky - Playwriting 

Adrian Muir - Production

Alison Kelly - Acting

Brad Gibson - Movement

Brian Tate - Choir, Singing

Bruce Kennedy Technical Director

Technical director

The Technical Director or Technical Manager is usually a senior technical person within a software company, film studio, theatrical company or television studio...

 

Carol Chrisjohn Production Manager

Production management

Theatrical production management is a sub-division of stagecraft. The production management team is responsible for realizing the visions of the producer and the director or choreographer within constraints of technical possibility...

 

Catherine Lee - Movement

Dale Genge - Head of Voice

David Bloom - Solo Show

David Hudgins - Associate Director; Acting

Diane Spiers - Singing

Frankie Kerr - Tap

Tap dance

Tap dance is a form of dance characterized by using the sound of one's tap shoes hitting the floor as a percussive instrument. As such, it is also commonly considered to be a form of music. Two major variations on tap dance exist: rhythm tap and Broadway tap. Broadway tap focuses more on the...

Ian Raffel - Speech

Kathryn Shaw

Kathryn Shaw

Kathryn Shaw is a Canadian director, actor, and writer living in Vancouver, Canada. Since 1985 she has been the Artistic Director of Studio 58, an acting and production training school at Langara College.- History :...

 - Artistic Director

Artistic director

An artistic director is the executive of an arts organization, particularly in a theatre company, that handles the organization's artistic direction. He or she is generally a producer and director, but not in the sense of a mogul, since the organization is generally a non-profit organization...

; Acting

Mara Gottler - Production

Pam Johnson - Production

Sherri Sadler - Publicist

Publicist

A publicist is a person whose job is to generate and manage publicity for a public figure, especially a celebrity, a business, or for a work such as a book, film or album...

 

Susan Hogan - Film & TV Audition/Acting

Tracy Lynch - Production

Wendy Gorling - Mask/Mime/Acting (Physical theatre

Physical theatre

Physical theatre is used to describe any mode of performance that pursues storytelling or drama through primarily and secondarily physical and mental means. There are several quite distinct but indistinct traditions of performance which all describe themselves using the term "physical theatre",...

)

Advisory Committee

The Advisory Committee's role is to advise and act as liaison between Studio 58 and the professional community. The committee is primarily made up of professionals involved in theatre, film, television and related arts.

Following is a current list of members:

Bill Millerd - Artistic Director, Arts Club Theatre Company 

Bruce Ward - Agent, 21st Century Artists Inc.

Chappelle Jaffe- Executive Director, Playwrights Theatre Centre

Christopher Gaze

Christopher Gaze

-Biography:Gaze is a the founding Artistic Director of the annual Bard on the Beach Shakespeare festival in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.Best known as Artistic Director of Vancouver’s Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival, Christopher Gaze has performed in England, the USA and across Canada...

 - Artistic Director, Bard on the Beach

Bard on the Beach

Bard on the Beach is Western Canada's largest professional Shakespeare festival, which is held every year in open-ended tents on the waterfront in Vanier Park in Kitsilano, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada...

 

Del Surjik - Former Artistic Director, Pi Theatre

Diane Brown - Artistic Director, Ruby Slippers

Donna Spencer - Artistic Director, Firehall Arts Centre

Donna Wong - Agent

Elizabeth Ball - Former Artistic Director, Carousel Theatre

Carousel Theatre

Carousel Theatre is a professional theatre company for young audiences located in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The company stages plays for young people, families and educators at the Waterfront Theatre and Performance Works on Granville Island and tours to elementary schools across...

 

Garwin Sanford

Garwin Sanford

Garwin Sanford is a Canadian actor best known for his portrayal of Narim in Stargate SG-1 and Simon Wallis in Stargate Atlantis....

 - Actor

Greg Yellenik - Technical Consultant

Ingrid Turk - C.A.E.A.

Jay Brazeau

Jay Brazeau

Jay Brazeau is a notable Canadian actor and voice actor. He was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.-Career:His credits include voicing Richard Condie's Oscar-nominated animated short La Salla. He also appeared in two of the first season episodes of Highlander: The Series in 1992...

 - Actor

Katrina Dunn

Katrina Dunn

Katrina Dunn is an actor, director, and producer. She has been the Artistic Director of Touchstone Theatre in Vancouver, Canada since 1997.-Training and work:...

 - Artistic Director, Touchstone Theatre

Touchstone Theatre

Touchstone Theatre is a professional theatre company in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, founded in 1976 by a group of University of British Columbia theatre graduates. Touchstone's focus is on the development and production of Canadian works. The current Artistic Director is Katrina Dunn, who...

 

Kim Collier - Graduate/Actor/Director

Pamela Hawthorn - Chair, Telefilm Canada

Telefilm Canada

Telefilm Canada or Téléfilm Canada is a Crown corporation owned by the Government of Canada.It is the primary federal cultural agency dedicated to the development and promotion of the Canadian audiovisual industry....

 

Patrick McDonald - Artistic Director, Green Thumb Theatre

Rae Ackerman - Director of Vancouver Civic Theatres

Ross Nichol - Stagecraft Coordinator, Douglas College

Douglas College

Established in 1970, Douglas College is one of the largest public colleges in British Columbia, Canada serving 14,000 credit students, 9,000 continuing education students and 1,000 international students each year.-Programs:...

Scott Bellis - Actor

Sid Kozak - Casting Director

Suzanne Ristic - Actor

Teri Woods-McArter - Forefront Productions

Tom Rowe - Pacific Motion Pictures

Trish Robinson - Casting Agent

Wayne Specht - Artistic Director, Axis Theatre