Astoria has been called Actoria, and for a good reasons. It comes as no surprise that many aspiring actors call Astoria home, considering the aordable rent, authentic and diverse restaurant scene, and even a rapidly morphing arts scene. But what if actors had a wonderful organization in the neighborhood so they could stay on this side of the bridge? Starting this March, professional actors with extensive teaching experience and New York stage and screen credits will lead classes designed for toddlers, adults, and everyone in between as part of Rising City Arts’ new Community Acting Class Series. €is marks the ‚rst time that the Astoria-based program, known for bringing theater residencies to Queens schools and community organizations, will oer acting classes to the public. Classes will be taught at Broadway Dance Studio in Astoria and range from music and drama for the ‚ve-and-under set to a teamtaught acting technique and improvisation class for adults. Of particular note is an oncamera commercial technique class for teens, taught by RCA founder Dina Ann Comolli, who has acted in over 30 commercials. It includes “parent/child information sessions,” and promises to help teens “make commercial auditions turn into callbacks and bookings.” “It’s exhilarating to see the students from our in-school residencies get excited about theater, whether it’s acting out scenes from Shakespeare or writing and performing their own plays,” said Ms. Comolli, who said she made the decision to oer public classes based on popular demand. “So many students and parents ask about continuing classes with us, or tell us about a sibling or a friend who wants to study acting,” she said. “I think when there is real love behind something you are selling,,” explain Comolli, “It comes back to you.” An Astoria resident of 13 years with strong ties to the local community, Ms. Comolli launched Rising City Arts in 2010, after the arts program she’d been working with, City Lights, closed its doors. “€at left a huge gap in arts programming for students, and also for a group of super- talented teaching artists, many of whom happened to live in Astoria,” said Ms. Comolli. “I’d always wanted to increase opportunities for Astoria actors, so I’m especially excited to be employing local professional actors to teach local aspiring actors,” she said. When asked why she believes the arts are such an important component of education, Comolli oers this: “You can just see in children how artistic they are and how they just want to dance, they want to perform, they want to get their hands on clay, and we lose that. I think it is so important to be able to explore, to express your spirit, to think critically. €ere are groups of pigeons and somebody cues them, and someone communicates with them, and they all just know where and how to –y in that group. €at’s how we are as a community of artists, really. And so I thought let’s come together as artists, and just –y.” About Rising City Arts Founder and Executive Director Dina Comolli Ms. Comolli received her MFA from Harvard’s American Repertory €eater Program for Advanced Actor Training and has acted in numerous o-Broadway and regional productions. TV credits include “Law and Order: SVU,” “Fringe,” “I’d Kill for You,” “School Spirits,” and over 30 commercials, including “€e New York Times,” “Cablevision,” and “Google.” She has taught acting with City Lights Youth €eatre, €e Academy of Dramatic Arts, €e Westchester Conservatory for the Performing Arts, Arts to Grow, €e Creative Arts Team, and Project Liberty, among others. [email protected] (718) 986-0967 www.risingcityarts.com THE ARTS 36 | BOROMAG.COM | MARCH 2014
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