Three students – Ari Gottlieb
'99, Chris Welch '00 and Amy Rilling '98 – honed their acting skills
last summer with the best in the business.
The Union trio attended the British American Acting
Academy at Balliol College of Oxford University outside London to take a series of
master's classes in Shakespeare and contemporary theater with the likes of Ben
Kingsley, Alan Rickman, Derek Jacobi, Fiona Shaw and Kevin Spacey – widely regarded
as some of the finest actors of the day.
Classes were long and rigorous, according to Welch, who
said a typical day involved about 12 hours of movement, voice, Shakespeare and modern
drama. “I never even had a chance to see London,” he said of his schedule.
The three were selected after auditioning with Bill Lacey
of Boston University, who recently was guest director for the College production of The
Two Gentlemen of Verona. Lacey also played the lead role in God Delivers, a
1995 production about President Eliphalet Nott.
“It was really cool to be around people who are the
best in the business who really enjoyed sharing their knowledge,” said Welch.