Los Angeles-based Music Director Georgia Stitt and Director Michael Jaeger announce THE GYM, a musical theater class for working musical theater actors in Los Angeles.

Check out our website here.

Six weeks. Tuesday nights. 7-10 pm. July 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 and August 7. Location TBA.

After five successful years of classes in New York, THE GYM is heading west. In 2002 Director/Choreographer John Ruocco and Musical Director/Composer Georgia Stitt founded THE GYM as an alternative to traditional acting classes and coachings in response to the very real need expressed to them by friends and colleagues in the performing arts.

John and Georgia realized there was a whole category of actors — professionals with credits and experience — who simply needed a non-pressured, supportive and driven work-space (which also provided feedback and discussion) in which to practice their craft. They quickly learned that this forum was also extremely appealing and beneficial for young professionals at the beginning of their careers. The combination of seasoned actors and emerging artists created a dynamic and creative environment offering great perspective and support.

Using their experience as private coaches and educators, John and Georgia created a model that allowed the participant to design his own course of study or to choose her own point of concentration. The class structure is very simple. Each session meets once a week for three hours. Each of the eight participants is assigned twenty minutes a night and may opt to work on anything he or she chooses– new material, existing repertoire, audition pieces and monologues, musical theater sides, solo performances, or burgeoning cabaret acts. Students have used class to develop or revamp audition books for musical theater and to prepare for graduate school auditions. Performers have used the forum to help them make the often difficult transition from Ingénue to Leading Lady or Leading Man to Character Actor. Opera singers have explored Pop Songs while Vocal Stylists have started telling stories. The possibilities are limitless and each session confirms the opportunity and value of THE GYM concept.

In the five years since THE GYM began, over 200 people have participated in either classes or workshops. THE GYM is a living class experience that grows and changes with each performer. GYM Alumni are a vital and active part of the class and community and often have gone on to accomplish extraordinary things.

Whether you are trying out new material, coaching old favorites or pushing your own limits, there’s always something to work on at THE GYM.

For more information, please visit our website. See you at the GYM!

Georgia