Struthers Library Theatre will present its second directing and acting master class on Saturday, Oct. 16. The class, which is free to members of Warren Players, will be held on stage from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with a break for lunch. While the first class focused primarily on directing techniques, Fr. Shawn Clerkin, the theater professor teaching the second class, will split class time between acting and directing and will present his material in the workshop format.
Clerkin, who is also an Episcopal priest,is celebrating his 21st year as a faculty member in the Department of Theatre, Communication, and Fine Arts at Gannon University. He has been director of the theater program for more than a decade, and has brought to the stage such varied productions as Tom Stoppard's Arcadia, the 60s tribal-rock musical Hair, Brian Friel's Translations, the epic performance of Dickens' The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, and last spring's hit, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. At Gannon, he serves on the Liberal Studies Committee, the Learning Outcomes Assessment Committee, the Gathering in Praise ecumenical service planning committee, and is co-director of the First-Year Experience committee, which helps to coordinate programs for all first-year students at the university. Fr. Clerkin is currently serving as the Vicar of St. Mary's, Lawrence Park, Erie. He has also appeared in numerous productions in the community with The Erie Playhouse and the Roadhouse Theater, and is the founder and artistic director of Shakespeare Summer Nights, Gannon's outdoor free classical play festival. As a vocalist, Fr. Shawn has soloed with the Erie Philharmonic Orchestra, the Erie Philharmonic Chorus, the Erie Playhouse Composer/Lyricist series, and the Presque Isle Chorale.
Interested actors and directors should call the theater at 723-7231 to make a reservation. A nominal tuition fee will be charged. Class space is limited to 30 students.
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Fr. Shawn Clerkin