*Message From The Chair
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*In The Spotlight

Dear Friends,

Now that the hustle of the holidays is over, the staff and students of the Burt Reynolds Institute are preparing for a busy year ahead. We are excited to announce that our home away from home for all classes and productions will be the beautiful Mirror Ballroom, which is part of the Lake Park Town Hall.

For the trivia buffs among us… did you know that the building which houses the Mirror Ballroom and the Town Hall was constructed in 1927 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places? Impressive! Equally as important, Mr. Reynolds attended elementary school in Lake Park and, years later, he attended college in the Town Hall building, which was then Palm Beach Junior College. It was here that the late Watson B. Duncan “discovered” him and put him on the stage. The rest is history. Considering the way life has come full circle, I guess Thomas Wolfe was wrong when he wrote that you can’t go home again. We are thrilled to call Lake Park our place of residence.

In the coming months, The Burt Reynolds Institute will host an open house, a showcase and the return of the popular BRIFT Radio Waves productions. Details will be announced shortly so stayed connected to BRIFT by reading our newsletters and the BRIFT Blast.

In the meantime, class schedules will be as follows:

• Sundays – 1PM – Fundamentals of Acting
• Thursdays – 6:30PM – Writing the Feature Screenplay
• Thursdays – 7:30PM – Improvisation
• Saturdays – 10AM – Improv for Young Actors

I am very proud of all we have accomplished at the Institute and of the many people who work so tirelessly to guarantee its success. A very special thank you to the Board of Directors, our staff, students, volunteers and, especially, Mr. Reynolds, whose tireless devotion to “giving back” has created our very special family.

-Douglas Rill
Chairman of the Board of Directors of BRIFT

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MASTER ACTING CLASS WITH BURT REYNOLDS
By invitation only and based on completed application, which can be found on our website. For inquiries, please email classes@brift.org

FUNDAMENTALS OF ACTING FOR ADULTS
Sunday at 1PM
This scene study class is open to all performers, but especially beneficial to novice actors wishing to learn and perfect the finer points of theatrical technique. Taught by Sherman Roberts.

YOUNG ACTORS SCENE STUDY
Saturday at 1PM
This class, taught by Todd Vittum, is geared toward younger actors (ages 12-17) wishing to hone their scene study skills.

IMPROV
Thursday at 7:30PM
Todd Vittum brings his expertise to the classroom, teaching his students to 'think quick' and increase their self-confidence. For beginning and intermediate students.

IMPROV FOR YOUNG ACTORS
Saturday at 10AM
This Saturday morning class brings the same level of expertise that is offered to adults but in a manner that children can understand and embrace. A great self confidence builder, Improv For Young Actors will give your son/daughter a lasting edge in a competitive world. Taught by Todd Vittum.

TELEPROMPTER: A TOOL FOR THE PROFESSIONAL ACTOR
Monday at 7PM
Our teleprompter proficiency course provides an opportunity to learn and grow comfortable with one of the most helpful tools used by actors and business professionals and, by extension, generates confidence in public speaking. Included will be host technique, cold read preparation, walk and talk, ad lib and on the set dos and don'ts. Teleprompter proficiency is one of the most requested skills by casting directors in South Florida. Don't miss out! Taught by Patty Serrano--owner of Little Panther Prompting--who has more than twenty years experience in film and television.

WRITING THE FEATURE SCREENPLAY
Thursday at 6:30PM
This intensive course is designed to take your screenplay from conception to completion. Learn how character development interacts and dictates plot structure, including the concepts of character past, character wants versus character needs, character arc and self-revelation. Learn the importance of discovering one's authorial identity and writing from personal belief. As the student begins to write a screenplay, he/she must bring a working copy for each member in the class. Scripts will be read in class and critiqued for benefit of author and students. Under the direction of Donna Carbone.

TELEPROMPTER: A TOOL FOR THE BUSINESS PROFESSIONAL
Two hour, one-on-one course. Call (561) 743-9955 for details. Our teleprompter proficiency course provides an opportunity to learn and grow comfortable with one of the most helpful tools used by business professionals. For the corporate executive, knowing how to use a teleprompter can enhance presentation skills and speed the climb up the ladder of success. Even those who have already successfully faced an audience will gain greater confidence from mastering this skill. Taught by Patty Serrano--owner of Little Panther Prompting--who has more than twenty years experience in film and television.

INTRODUCTION TO VOCAL & VOICE PROJECTION
Monday at 7PM (on hiatus)
Avery Sommers will offer the first in a series of classes designed to elevate performance to a higher level. Utilizing Broadway show tunes and music from the American Song Book, Avery will instruct singers and non-singers alike how to make the most of their voices so that they can reach out and touch everyone in the audience. This class will include learning to: (a) be your own calling card-the art of walking into a room and presenting yourself in a manner that is sure to impress, (b) deliver the proper handshake-send a message of confidence with just the right touch, (c) talk it through-find the meaning behind the words by treating songs as monologues. Don't miss out on this wonderful opportunity!

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Please note: prior registration and RSVP is required for all classes as some have limited enrollment. Class times/locations subject to change. For information and registration, please contact Donna Carbone at (561) 743-9955 or email info@brift.org to RSVP.

All classes are held at Lake Park Town Hall (Mirror Ballroom), 535 Park Avenue, Lake Park, FL 33403

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NPB CULTURAL ALLIANCE OFFERS FUNDRAISING WORKSHOP CHARLOTTE PELTON TO SPEAK ON SPONSORSHIP DO’s & DON’TS

On Friday morning, February 14, the Northern Palm Beaches Cultural Alliance will offer a one hour workshop for non-profits, which will focus on the fundamentals of sponsorships. Guest speaker will be Charlotte Pelton, President of Charlotte Pelton and Associates, a leading management consulting firm with proven expertise in the fields of planning, marketing and resource development.

The workshop will be held at the Palm Beach Gardens Recreation Center located at 4404 Burns Road, starting at 10AM. This will be preceded by informal networking at 9:30AM. The event is open to the public and will benefit all those looking for ways to raise awareness for their organization and increase monetary support. A suggested donation of $10 (cash at the door) is being asked of non-NPB Cultural Alliance members to offset costs.

Ms. Pelton will inform on the proper way to build packages for event and fundraising sponsorships with special emphasis on sponsorship do’s and don’ts. A question and answer period will follow her presentation along with time for networking among attendees. Visit charlottepelton.com.

For further information, Roger Buckwalter at rogekar@aol.com or RSVP via Facebook events page. WHAT: WORKSHOP - Sponsorship Do's & Don'ts! GUEST SPEAKER: Charlotte Pelton/Charlotte Pelton and Associates TIME: 9:30AM - 11:00AM DATE: Friday February 14, 2014 LOCATION: City of Palm Beach Gardens Recreation ADDRESS: 4404 Burns Road, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida 33410 COST: Suggested $10 donation for the public. Free to current NPB Cultural Alliance members PRESENTED BY: The Northern Palm Beaches Cultural Alliance

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BRIFT ACTORS NEEDED FOR STAGED READINGS

Writing the Feature Screenplay students have been enjoying the talents of BRIFT actors during the twice-a-month staged readings. Scripts under development are presented in staged reading format so that writers can hear how their words will sound when delivered on film. This allows for questions and feedback from the actors which benefit the writers during the editing process. Both actors and writers have been enjoying their time together and have gained a new respect for the effort it takes to bring a script from conception to completion. Actors wishing to participate in these readings should contact Donna at briftfinancedirector@comcast.net or by calling 561-743-9955.

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Happy Valentines Day to all of our wonderful readers, students, and staff! We appreciate YOU!

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Are you a Judy Garland fan? Would you like to see a FREE dress rehearsal of The Property Known As Garland? Lee Marlow (aka Earleen Carey) will be rehearsing for it at the Village of Wellington Community Center (12300 Forest Hill Boulevard, Wellington, FL 33414 in the main room) on February 12, 2014 at 7:30PM. If you'd like to see this fabulous, FREE rehearsal, RSVP to Lee at ASAP at leemarlow2000@yahoo.com

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Andrea Conte will be playing the part of 'Brooke' in the upcoming Maltz Jupiter Theatre production, Other Desert Cities, happening February 16-March 2. The award-winning dramatic play, written by Jon Robin Baitz, involves a family with differing political views and a long-held family secret. Click here for ticket information and to learn more about the play, production, and cast.

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Artist and actor James Hook will be participating again in this year's Street Painting Festival in Lake Worth (February 22 and 23). The two day event, which is free to the general public, will feature more than 600 artists. This year's theme is "Movie Stars and Movies"--and with Mr. Reynold's blessing--James will create a portrait of Mr. Burt Reynolds in chalk on the actual street (no paint or other media is allowed except for a base medium that washes off in the rain). Over the past thirteen years, James has completed portraits by Michelangelo, Rafael, Da Vinci and others (see photo below). The festival also features music and food. For more information, visit streetpaintingfestivalinc.org

Filming continues on Johnston Blakley's Victim Number 8. The second episode in the series includes castmembers Amy Hoerler, Jane Rumbaua, Christi Berlane, Ricky Gennaro, Rhonda Stearns, Douglas Rill, and Debbie Dailey.

Are you a current BRIFT Master Class actor or a BRIFT/BRITT alumni? Are you a student currently enrolled at BRIFT? We would love to hear from you! Simply write a one to two paragraph blurb and drop us an email at BRIFTmultimedia@gmail.com (subject line: "In The Spotlight") and let us know what projects you are working on or have completed. NO EXTRA WORK!

Submissions are due the 25 of each month--no exceptions. We look forward to hearing about--and celebrating--your success!

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Douglas Rill ... Chairman of the Board of Directors of BRIFT
Todd Vittum ... Executive Director
Donna Carbone ... Managing Director/Writer
Amy Schulz ... Editor/Writer/Multimedia Coordinator

For more information about classes, events, etc, visit our website at BRIFT.org.

We strive to get the BRIFT Blast out to you in a timely manner at the beginning of each month. Have any suggestions, comments, ideas, musings, or complaints? Please email them to the Editor.

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Want to find out about upcoming shows, events, seminars, and classes? Then you'll want to sign up for the BRIFT Florida e-Blast! Click on this link to sign up today: https://bit.ly/u3ooXW

The Burt Reynolds Institute for Film & Theatre ("BRIFT") is a nonprofit 501c3 organization that is committed to educating and involving the community and artists in all aspects of film, television, theater, live performances, film festivals and exhibitions, as well as preserving Mr. Reynolds' memorabilia and the history of the film industry.

The Burt Reynolds Institute for Film & Theatre
PO Box 264
Jupiter, Florida 33468
(561) 743-9955 | info@brift.org