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The Actor’s Center.
At the forefront.
Rome. A hidden city piazza plays host to a small supermarket, a busy café, and a small park with children playing next to 18 people standing, sitting, crouching in bizarre positions, frozen. Pay a bit more attention and you'll see they're actually moving.
Michael Margotta, director of The Actor's Center-Roma, regularly challenges actors to move across several meters of space in as MUCH time as possible. But education isn't the only function of the Center. It's more of a unique and systematic way of pushing actors, acting and the dramatic arts to new heights, bringing together actors of all levels and walks of life to, well, act. Based on the philosophy of The Actor's Studio in the U.S., the 150+ members of the Actor's Center are members for life, pay no dues and enjoy all the benefits of Michael's and other members' input on their work.
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Michael Margotta - Actor
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Members can use the Center and other members for scene work, culminating in once-a-week sessions where they present their work to members. The ensuing feedback becomes an invaluable tool, as actors receive suggestions on topics ranging from better "blocking" on stage and use of their voice, to whether they were "in the zone" or not.
Unfortunately, acting in Italy is often treated more like a commodity than a craft. Actors are given little time to develop or use their abilities to the max, with many important productions relying on "buona la prima" (only shooting one cut, to satisfy technical requirements, regardless of the level of the acting). So actors have to get together with their peers and make sure their first cuts are as good as possible. The Actor's Center gives them a chance to do that.
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