Acting for Stage and Film
Acting Professionally
Ever wonder what it takes to become a professional actor? The art and skill of acting are only a part of the puzzle. What do actors do when they aren’t acting? The actor is an independent contractor who markets, interviews, and negotiates for work.
The Summer Scholars Acting Track covers both acting training and the business of being an actor. In the first week, students study voice and movement, scene study, and monologue preparation. Script analysis, improvisation, and character studies give actors the tools to create memorable performances.
Week two covers the business of being an actor and acting for film and television. Students will travel to Chicago to see a play and meet with professional actors and directors. Each participant will create a resume, take starter headshots, and perform in short scenes that will be open to all Summer Scholars participants.
Academic Director
Siiri Scott is currently an Associate Professional Specialist in the Department of Film, Television and Theatre. Siiri has taught Acting, Voice, and Movement at Notre Dame for the last ten years. A graduate of Saint Mary’s College and The Theatre School at DePaul University, she holds a Master of Fine Arts in Acting. She worked in Chicago with Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Lifeline Theatre, and hosted the KidsWB shows for WCIU. She spent a sabbatical semester in Los Angeles for an episode of “City of Angels” and taught several residencies with Seattle Children’s Theatre. The subsequent semester took her to Milwaukee to act in The Kentucky Cycle and to Seattle where she consulted with Theatre Babylon, Book-it Repertory Theatre. Her interest in acting led her to directing. She co-directed “Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry” at First Stage Milwaukee, and directs annually at Notre Dame. Siiri was a 2004 winner of a Kaneb Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching. Currently, Siiri studies Japanese and performs Japanese Noh plays with Theatre Nohgaku in Pennsylvania each summer.
University of Notre Dame