Acting for Stage and ScreenNEW
Program Overview
Humber’s two-year Acting for Stage and Screen diploma offers comprehensive twenty-first century training for actors. Through scene study, exercises and collaborative projects, you build the foundational performance skills needed to pursue creative work in the theatre and in front of the camera.
This program combines education in the art and craft of acting with training in business protocols and professional standards. Under guidance of working actors and distinguished directors with decades of experience in theatre, film, television and multimedia, you develop and apply skills in voice, speech, singing, movement, dance, physical theatre, improvisation and character work. You practise auditioning and showcasing your talent and learn to create and build a personal brand while meeting the financial challenges of a freelance acting career. Creativity and technologies that support acting are emphasized.
In your fourth semester, you specialize in either stage performance or on-camera performance, and further personalize your skillset by attending your choice of specialized workshops—from motion capture, voice-over, screen demo and green screen, to virtual production, improvisation and intimacy direction.
Curriculum
Course list will be available soon.
Expert Faculty
John Bourgeois
In a career spanning more than thirty years, John has been a busy screen and stage actor. He has appeared in leading roles on Toronto’s mainstages, at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, Off-Broadway as well as at numerous North American regional theatres such as Philadelphia’s Walnut Street Theatre. He has had a long standing artistic relationship with the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre. In 2018, he won the Best Actor award there for his performance as Eric in Stephen Karam’s The Humans, a finalist for the 2016 Pulitzer prize and winner of a Tony for best new play. As a teacher, he has taught and directed students at several colleges and universities across Canada and since 2005, has been the director of Humber College’s screen acting program. In 2016, Humber recognised him with the President’s Award for Teaching Excellence.
On screen, he is much in demand as a character actor. He has been a series regular (KUNG FU, THE CITY, LITTLE MEN, CARTER) and has acted with a compendium of notable film and stage actors. His imdb page lists more than one hundred and twenty screen appearances. Highlights include the Peabody award-winning film, “THE INTERROGATION OF MICHAEL CROWE” as well as the Genie award winner for the indie film “THE DANE”. Recent appearances include FX’s Mrs. America, and the upcoming Netflix series Jupiters’ Legacy. This fall, he will appear as CIA Director John Brennan in the CBS mini-series The Green Room opposite Jeff Daniels. Raised bilingual in Montreal, John has also acted in french on stage and in the hit Quebec series “L”OR”. In addition, he has performed in several international commercials, radio dramas and appeared in the comedy digital series SAVE ME for CBC Gem.
In 1998, John produced and directed the short feature film Jimmy Pacheco which received nominations for Best Comedy at the Yorktown and Mill Valley Film Festivals. He wrote and performed the one man drama Tansey’s Brag ( subsequently taped for Bravo television and CBC radio) as well as Walking on Crimson, a play inspired in part by Romeo Dallaire’s UN Command in Rwanda which he performed in the Toronto Fringe Festival. He has produced several showcase films with graduates of the program, most notably the feature length ""After Lola"" with the Class of 2013.
Trained for the stage at Concordia University (BA English & Theatre) and The Webber-Douglas Academy in London, he also holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia.
In his spare time, he plays tennis, cycles and travels. He is married to the actor, Maria Ricossa with whom he raised three wonderful daughters.
Your Career
In addition to traditional stage, film and television opportunities, graduates of the program are ready to work in a wide range of multimedia including webisodes, virtual reality and gaming videos, as well as voice overs for cartoons, commercials, narration and audio dialogue replacement (dubbing).
Come to Humber and experience interdisciplinary learning across five Centres of Innovation (COIs)
About the Humber COIsActing for Stage and Screen Audition Dos and Don'ts
Humber’s two-year Acting for Stage and Screen diploma offers comprehensive twenty-first century training for actors. Learn how to prepare for your audition to the program!
News Feed
Senior Dean Update: Media & Creative Arts Anti-Racism Action Plan
Fri, October 15, 2021
In June 2020, I committed the FMCA to seven action items to address the attitudes, behaviours and structures that act as barriers for students from Indigenous and equity-deserving communities.
Update: Humber Music Solidarity One Year On
Fri, October 15, 2021
In June 2020, Humber Music faculty pledged to address systemic racism and gender discrimination in the music programs by working with students, alumni, administrators, and industry experts
A Message from the Senior Dean: Music Degree Update
Tue, April 27, 2021
Over the past few months, the Faculty of Media & Creative Arts began a review of our Bachelor of Music program delivery.
No news at this time.
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