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Designed for theatre students seeking an intensive, practical approach to performance, this program lets you immerse yourself in a conservatory-style acting program. All courses are required and are taught at The National Theatre School of Ireland-Gaiety School of Acting (NTSI-GSA) and IES Abroad.

Watch a short clip of IES Abroad Dublin students sharing what they love about attending NTSI-GSA.

Important note: A core value espoused by The National Theatre School of Ireland-Gaiety School of Acting is ensemble. This program is physically and emotionally demanding and all students participate fully in all aspects of the training process. In order to participate in this program, you must turn in a theatrical resume as well as a letter of recommendation from a theatre instructor (or equivalent) with your application. You also should have taken at least one university level acting course.

You earn 6 credits total. First you complete a 2-week theatre workshop. Then you begin the 4-week summer NTSI-GSA program.

Worth 2 credits:

• TH394 Theatre Workshop (syllabus below)
  • Aims to provide an understanding of theatre production within the context of contemporary theatre-making in a European dramatic tradition.
• Theatre Visits: Students will attend a number of theatre performances during their program. These are included in the program fee.

Worth 4 credits total:

• Acting
  • Aims to root a strong personal technique in an organic, intelligent, and imaginative engagement with text and process. Focuses primarily on the areas of rehearsal and performance, with reference to the actor's honest connection and performative proficiency amid the differing technical demands of various styles and genres.
  • Total class contact time: 60 hours over 4 weeks
  • Encompasses instruction and rehearsal sessions – all practical, covering works of Samuel Beckett, John Millington Synge, Brian Friel and Sean O’Casey as well as touching on other Irish writers where relevant such as Martin McDonagh, Marina Carr, Billy Roche, WB Yeats.
• Voice
  • Aims to develop an intellectual and bodied understanding of the vocal instrument, cultivating tension-free support, control, articulation, resonance, range, and variation of tone - as well as unblocked access to the emotional apparatus. Begins with an assessment of posture, techniques and exercises, and draws from theorists like Linklater, Rodenburg, and McCallion. The voice is used to explore play texts, political speeches, and poetry.
  • Total class contact time: 6-8 hours over 4 weeks
  • Covers accent and vocal requirements of all works dealt with in practical sessions.
• Irish Writers Seminar
  • Total class contact time: 8-10 hours over 4 weeks
  • Covers historical and sociopolitical contexts of works dealt with in practical acting sessions in seminar/discussion class formats. Authors discussed are primarily Beckett, Friel, O’Casey, Synge, Yeats, and McDonagh.
• Showcase
  • Final session of the course – 1 hour (approximately) duration presenting a selection of ensemble scenes rehearsed during the four week program.