Performing Arts   

We will learn to finger-pick a guitar—that is, play using our thumb and fingers rather than a flat pick or plectrum. We will cover chord arpeggios, block chords, Travis-picking and chord melodies in folk, blues, pop, classical and other styles for both solo and accompaniment. Prerequisites: Some background in basic guitar (chords and strumming) required; participants should be able to sit with a guitar on their lap for an hour at a time and have sufficient hand and finger strength and dexterity to form chords and pick notes. Note: We will use guitar-chord and picking diagrams and tablature; participants do not need to know how to read standard music notation. Required textbook: Guitar Method Fingerpicking by Gary Turner (1995), ISBN: 978-1864690712. Materials: Acoustic guitar (steel or nylon strings), music stand (required); guitar stand, footrest and tuner (recommended).

Rock-and-roll is the only job Bruce Springsteen (born 1949) has ever had. He has perfected his craft to become one of the world’s best-selling music artists known for his poetic, socially conscious lyrics that often address the experiences and struggles of working-class Americans and for his energetic stage performances. Through the use of music, video and stories, we will explore his career from the bars of the Jersey Shore to large arenas, and on to the White House and the Broadway stage. Note: There are both an in-person and an online option for this course. Participants must choose only one option to attend; please ensure that you are registering for the option you prefer, as we may not be able to accommodate changes.

Rock-and-roll is the only job Bruce Springsteen (born 1949) has ever had. He has perfected his craft to become one of the world’s best-selling music artists known for his poetic, socially conscious lyrics that often address the experiences and struggles of working-class Americans and for his energetic stage performances. Through the use of music, video and stories, we will explore his career from the bars of the Jersey Shore to large arenas, and on to the White House and the Broadway stage. Note: There are both an in-person and an online option for this course. Participants must choose only one option to attend; please ensure that you are registering for the option you prefer, as we may not be able to accommodate changes.

From a theatrical child to an icon of silent comedies, Buster Keaton (1895-1966) performed amazing stunts laced with naïveté, love and laughs. We will learn about the life and dazzling career of “Old Stone Face” through mini-lectures about aspects of Keaton’s life complemented by clips and full movies.

Four films—Odd Man Out (1947), The Fallen Idol (1948), The Third Man (1949) and The Man Between (1953)—form a thematic and stylistic quartet that helped define post-World War II British cinema. They were all directed by Carol Reed (1906-1976), one of Great Britain’s most acclaimed filmmakers whose films won prestigious awards and earned him the knighthood in 1952. We will watch and enjoy these films to learn more about Reed and to put him and his films in historical perspective.

Filmmaker David Lynch said that we do not create ideas; we catch them, like fish. But how does that happen exactly? What is the nature of inspiration, and how do artists of all kinds catch their ideas and transform them into art? Each week, we will hear from and engage in conversation with artists in various media—such as actors, composers, filmmakers, musicians, visual artists and writers—to learn more about inspiration and the act of creation. Recommended textbook: The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin (2023), ISBN: 978-0593652886.

We will watch and discuss iconic black and white movies from the 1940s and 1950s and compare them with their source material. Recommended textbooks (any edition): The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett (1930); The Postman Always Rings Twice by James Cain (1934); The Night of the Hunter by Davis Grubb (1953); and The Witness for the Prosecution by Agatha Christie (1925).

We will learn the fundamentals of short-form improvisational theater through progressive skill-building exercises, games and performance opportunities. Each class builds upon previous lessons while introducing new concepts and techniques. Note: This course is designed for beginners or those with some improv experience.

Have you ever wanted to be on stage and express your creativity, without the pressure of memorizing lines? Or do you have a vision of bringing a script to life through readers theatre? We will explore fundamental acting and directing principles, balancing the practical and theoretical through a variety of activities.

We will focus on rock and soul music of the 1960s and some of the phenomenal artists who made the era special. Topics include the early California sound; girl groups; Motown; the British invasion; folk and folk rock; hard, art and progressive rock; and Woodstock.

In preparation for the Montford Park Players’ 2026 season, we will watch and discuss approaches by different directors and actors to adapting this year’s plays by William Shakespeare (1564-1616) for contemporary audiences. Plays include Othello, Romeo and Juliet and The Taming of the Shrew. Note: Although reading is encouraged, emphasis is placed on watching the plays. Plays are available widely both in print and online.

Through lecture, discussion and film screenings, we will examine the rise of authoritarianism in the U.S. from the 1920s to today. Films include The Invasion of the Body Snatchers (Philip Kaufman, 1978); The Front (Martin Ritt, 1976); Good Night, and Good Luck (George Clooney, 2005); and 1984 (Michael Radford, 1984).