Admit it. Buried deep in the farthest recesses of your mind, tucked safely in your ‘Do not open, will never happen’ life box, you’ve got a dream; the velvet red curtain swishing open to reveal you at centre stage, and the standing ovation from your enraptured audience. You weren’t born to sit at a desk all day long, you were born to do theatre, darling!
Or not. Perhaps the closest you’ve come to dreams of theatre is that pesky recurring nightmare where you’re stuck on a stage in your underwear before a packed-out audience. No matter whether you’re a Howard Hughes introvert or a Speidi attention monger, there’s a new class in town that caters to both. The immensely popular Drama Workshops Dubai (DWD) is bringing their act to Abu Dhabi, offering an eight-week acting workshop with a veteran stage actor.
The class will pull you out of your shell and polish up your public speaking confidence, so expect to see more than just actors flocking to take it. Of course, the class is designed for aspiring amateur actors, so the cherry on top is the final monologue night, where workshop participants take centre stage before an audience. Just the thought sends chills sprinting up my spine, but a DWD graduate, Assam, assures me it’s the best part of the class. ‘Everyone’s racing around helping each other get ready, and it cements the backstage camaraderie that’s been building the whole eight weeks,’ he explains. ‘You step into the spotlight, with the most amazing friends behind you, and it’s pure exhilaration.’
Previous workshop participants agree that the class can be life changing. If your inner child is buried somewhere under your credit card bills and your Spinneys grocery lists, it’ll peek its head from the to-do wreckage during improv comedy activities and stage sword-fighting lessons. The intimate group offers a safe space for people to come out of their shells and learn about themselves creatively; silly play, laughter and games
are encouraged.
Assam loves this acting workshop, in particular because it’s not as commercial as other groups. ‘They’re trying to train new actors for the sake of art, not money. They will dedicate as much time as they can to support you. It’ll be your new family.’ For Dhs1,500, you can sign up to take the class, which starts February 13. For Dhs2,000 you get the professional package, which includes a high tech video of your magnificent monologue moment and an actor’s profile on their website for the perusal of production companies and advertising agents. DWD is often contacted by local film groups looking for actors, so your brief stint into the world of theatre could land you a real-life performing gig.
Go ahead… open your ‘Not in this lifetime’ dream box. You never know what could spring out.
For more info, visit www.dramaworkshopsdubai.com, or call 050 986 1761.
