Scene Study (Intermediate/Advanced)

An actor is always working on their craft.  When you’re not working, you should be in class. Scene Study is for working actors and for those that have the desire and work ethic to be a working actor. Verve’s Scene Study class is a safe, vigorous, nurturing environment for you to build and practice your technique.  Only through long-term training will you achieve your goals, stretch your previously held limitations, and learn to be flexible and adaptable while remaining true to the character and the script. 

Through partnered scene work, monologues, and solo Uta Hagen exercises, you will learn to create truthful, organic moment-to-moment life on stage on a weekly basis.  The combination of expert coaching and self-critique will allow you to identify and articulate what is working and what isn’t, and most importantly, why. 

While Scene Study is an Acting Foundations class, students must be experienced before entering. To meet the pre-requisite, complete Acting Foundations: 1. Core Technique, Acting Foundations: 2. Whole Body Acting, Acting Foundations: 3. Get Personal or through an Audition.

Scene Study on Mondays with Amanda is for Intermediate, Advanced and Master level students.  All levels are eligible for the Showcase, but will require invitation.  If you are not yet signed, you must also have completed Commercial L1 (and L2 is recommended). 

The 2026 Industry Showcase is on June 1, 2026.  Advanced/Master Students must be enrolled in Term 2 and 3, Intermediate must be enrolled in Terms 1, 2 and 3. 

For the Guest Artist Master class, only Advanced and Master class level students are eligible to present scenes (Intermediate will audit).  Only 2 scenes will be selected to present at the class.  

BOOKS:

Required/completed: Uta Hagen’s A CHALLENGE FOR THE ACTOR. 

• 18 HOURS OF CLASS PER TERM. 3-hour class once a week for six weeks. 
• 14 student maximum. 
• Monologues
• Student audition material
• Partnered Scenes (outside rehearsal required)
• Hagen Exercises 1-10 plus 3 Entrances
• Access to Verve's library

Scene Study Master Class: Wendy Wasserstein

SCENE STUDY MASTER CLASS challenges the seasoned professional to dig deeper into character development through the focused work of rich classic plays, where physical and vocal demands are great. In addition, actors will prepare two of Uta Hagen’s exercises, in character and period, to deepen the authenticity of the monologue and scene work.  

Each class also has a physical and vocal warm-up. Students are expected to work on one monologue and one partnered scene (outside rehearsal required), plus the 2 Hagen exercises. 

#Open to Advanced and Master level students.  The expectation is that you come to every class fully prepared, off book and rehearsed.  Led by Laura Winstin; this class is for experienced actors that have taken Scene Study before.  

If you haven't studied at Verve before, please email the studio to schedule an audition (1.5 mn classical monologue, 1.5 mn contemporary monologue).  

If you have studied at Verve and are unsure if this is the right fit, please e-mail the studio to discuss your placement/eligibility. 

Access to Verve's library will be provided prior to class one and it's expected for you to be familiar with the main play from the canon prior to class starting.

• 18 HOURS OF CLASS! 3-hour class once a week for six weeks. 
• 12 student maximum
• Monologues
• Partnered Scenes (outside rehearsal required)
• Physical and Vocal Warm-up
  

BOOKS:

Required: Uta Hagen’s A CHALLENGE FOR THE ACTOR. 

Required: The Heidi Chronicles by Wendy Wasserstein

SCENE STUDY MASTER CLASS: ANGELS IN AMERICA (2025)

Angels in America Parts 1 and 2 by Tony Kushner 

SCENE STUDY MASTER CLASS:  EDWARD ALBEE (2024)

Primary text: The Zoo Story, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

SCENE STUDY MASTER CLASS:  TENNESSEE WILLIAMS (2024)

A Streetcar Named Desire, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and The Glass Menagerie

SCENE STUDY MASTER CLASS:  ANTON CHEKHOV (2023)

Primary text: The Cherry Orchard

SCENE STUDY MASTER CLASS: SAM SHEPARD (2022)

Buried Child, A Lie Of The Mind, Fool For Love

SCENE STUDY MASTER CLASS: CHARACTER 1940s (2020)

All My Sons by Arthur Miller, 1947

Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, 1948

A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams, 1947     

Seven Guitars by August Wilson, 1948

Driving Miss Daisy by Alfred Uhry, 1948

Breaking the Code by Hugh Whitmore, early 1940s/England

Broadway Bound by Neil Simon, 1949

Biloxi Blues by Neil Simon, 1943

Open to Advanced actors, Master Class: Character digs deep into period characters.  Utilizing classic plays set in the 1940s as the backdrop, actors will prepare two of Uta Hagen’s exercises (Historical Imagination and actor’s choice) as well as monologue and scene work from this rich period of history to create deep, meaningful characters.