April 23, 2002
INFORMATION: Sue Bozman or John McElwain, (661) 362-3415 or 3494

Don’t Sing? Don’t Act? Don’t Matter!

SANTA CLARITA ­ Actors aren’t taught to sing. Singers aren’t taught to act. Yet musical productions may very well be the most common and commercially lucrative form of live theater. Stage performers hoping for their big breaks are often asked to display a talent they simply don’t possess.

The College of the Canyons Theater Department addressed that issue this past semester with the creation of a new class: Theater 161 ­ Musical Theater. The class is designed not as a substitute for years of training in singing or acting, but as a way to help performers compensate for that lack of training.

“It’s not necessarily about learning how to sing, but how to ‘sell’ a song,” said Theater Department Chair Susan Hinshaw. “It’s not about learning how to dance, but how to ‘move’ on-stage, and move well.”

The class is taught by Mark Salyer, a professional actor and director with more than 15 years of experience. Salyer believes performers limit themselves and their opportunities by not possessing both singing and acting skills.

“Stage actors may take very few music courses but 80 percent of their work will be in musicals,” said Salyer. “Look at Broadway: for every four or five straight pieces, there are a dozen musicals.”

“It’s not surprising that more people don’t have both skills, though. They each require enormous amounts of time, energy and commitment. It’s tough enough,” stressed Salyer, “to commit to one or the other, let alone both.”

Salyer introduces students to musicals by initially having them perform a current or popular song on stage - without the music.

“I ask the students to treat the lyrics like a monologue,” said Salyer. “Once they’re familiar with speaking the part, we bring back the music.”

Students work their way up from monologues to 2- or 3-person scenes to full-blown musical performances. This semester’s “final exam” will be a musical revue entitled Under the Stars. It will run May 3, 4 and 5. Under the Stars is free of charge and open to the public.

“Under the Stars is an homage to the music of the 30’s,” said Salyer. “Cole Porter, Irving Berlin - I wanted these students to get a feel for the glamour of the classics.”

The show features a four-piece musical ensemble and a cast of twelve and revisits the sounds of the big band era, but with a modern flavor. The music is set to the lives and stories of people passing through a park, as seen through the eyes of a solitary homeless woman who watches each small drama unfold.

Initial plans for the next “final exam” are already under way, as the class is scheduled for the fall semester. Hinshaw hopes to keep the class alive for years.

“It takes a tremendous amount of resources for a class like this,” said Hinshaw. “There’s lots of hard work and dedication required from both the students and professor. Resources are also required from the college, such as a sizeable room to move and an accompanist with a piano.”

“But for anyone considering acting as a profession, this class is invaluable. By taking this class,” said Hinshaw, “students will be better-prepared not only to perform, but also to audition for these types of performances.”