July Summer Studio
High School Students
Ages 15 – 18
Monday–Friday | 2:00–6:00 PM
Designed for emerging performers ready to deepen their craft, ACT Academy’s Summer Studio offer focused, one-week training with ACT's co-leaders: Coburn Goss & Jeremy Williams with guest instructor Lauren Ashley Bishop.
Each week explores a different aspect of performance—from improvisation and musical theatre to audition technique and the realities of working in the industry. Students may enroll in one week or join for the full series to build a well-rounded set of professional tools.
Week 1: Improv Intensive (7/6-10)
Instructors: Lauren Ashley Bishop
Sharpen instincts, build confidence, and discover the power of spontaneity. This intensive introduces core improvisation techniques that strengthen listening, collaboration, and quick thinking—skills that benefit every performer.
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Focus: Improvisation fundamentals, ensemble building, character creation, and spontaneous storytelling.
Week 2: Musical Theatre Intensive (7/13-17)
Instructor: Jeremy Williams
Dive into the craft of musical theatre through focused work on acting, vocal expression, and storytelling through song. Participants will explore how text, music, and movement come together to create compelling performances.
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Focus: Acting through song, character development, musical storytelling, and ensemble performance.
Week 3: Monologue Intensive (7/20-24)
Instructor: Coburn Goss
A powerful monologue can open doors. In this intensive, actors will select, analyze, and refine monologues while developing tools for emotional truth, clarity of intention, and confident delivery.
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Focus: Text analysis, character work, vocal technique, and performance polish.
Week 4: Auditioning & The Business (7/27-31)
Instructors: Lauren Ashley Bishop, Coby Goss & Jeremy Williams
This practical intensive prepares young artists for the realities of the field. Participants will learn audition preparations, self-tape auditions, professional expectations, and how to navigate opportunities in theatre, film, and related creative industries.
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Focus: Audition technique, industry expectations, professional materials, and career pathways.
Learn more about the instructors
Instructors
Coburn Goss, Artistic Director
Jeremy Williams, Executive Director
Coburn Goss and Jeremy Williams are nationally recognized artists, directors, and educators with over five decades of combined experience across theatre, dance, film, and media. Their work spans Off-Broadway, leading regional theatres, major feature films, and independent and experimental performance, reflecting a deep commitment to both craft and innovation.
Both have taught in university and professional conservatory settings across the United States and abroad, mentoring emerging artists in preparation for collegiate training and professional careers. As actors, directors, writers, and producers, their work has received significant critical recognition for its rigor, clarity of vision, and impact.
Together, they bring a conservatory-informed approach to training that emphasizes discipline, ensemble, and the development of the whole artist—preparing students for the demands of college programs and the professional field.
Lauren Ashley Bishop, Guest Instructor
Lauren Ashley Bishop is originally from Little Rock, Arkansas, and now resides in Los Angeles, California. She's done stand-up all over the country, and has had the honor of being a part of 4 tours overseas performing with Armed Forces Entertainment.
You may have seen her on the stage in Second City's Romeo & Juliet Musical @ Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Eve Ensler's The Vagina Monologues @ The Apollo Theatre, Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up @ Theatre at the Center, or in the National Broadway Tour of Scrooge, The Musical with Richard Chamberlain.
Lauren has appeared in numerous national commercials, most notably for Mini Babybel Cheese. She's also voiced many radio and TV ads, including her favorite, Popeye's Mama Slap Chicken.
She is a graduate of Northwestern University, and a proud SAG-AFTRA and AEA member.