PARRSBORO, N.S. – Canadian Actress Sheila McCarthy is coming to Parrsboro in June to teach a two-day class in comedic acting for Parrsboro Creative’s Cultural Campus.
The course is called So You Think You’re Not Funny and promises to be entertaining and informative.
“Everyone’s idea of comedy is different. That’s what makes this class so exciting,” said McCarthy. “You think you’re not funny? You will be after this experience.”
Parrsboro Creative executive director Robert More worked with McCarthy in the Grand Theatre Company in London Ontario for one year.
“She is truly one of the funniest and most entertaining actors I’ve ever seen. And not only is she a brilliant performer of comedy, she knows how to teach it,” said More. “She has set up a fantastic two-day workshop for us which will explore comedy on film from the Silent Film era to present day sitcoms and web series.”
McCarthy has a 35-year career includes performing lead parts at the Stratford and Shaw Festivals, and playing character roles in Hollywood films like Die Hard 2, The Day After Tomorrow, and Stepping Out with Lisa Minelli.
She has two Gemini awards under her belt for Best Actress and has been a leading player in seven CBC television series, most notably Road to Avonlea, Emily of New Moon, and Little Mosque on The Prairie.
She also has two Genie Awards and, at the Cannes Film Festival, won the People’s Choice award for her performance in ‘I’ve Heard the Mermaids Singing.’
Recent projects have seen McCarthy play Connie Hendrix, mother of the clone Alison in the critically acclaimed BBC America series Orphan Black, acting in a new Netflix series called The Umbrella Academy, and, recently, she played the role of Amesha in Star Trek: Discovery, Episode ‘New Eden.’
For this course participants will work in pairs reading, rehearsing, filming and then watching on video a comedy scene of their choice.
Different comedy styles will be discussed, including madcap to British wry humour, and there will be a look at a handful of comic geniuses on film.
McCarthy will also explore the physical side of comedy as well as its inner workings.
This will be done in a warm and open environment where comedy techniques are learned through laughter and fun.
So You Think You’re Not Funny is for students with all levels of acting experience, and for actors both community and professional.
For more course information about the course, go to the Parrsboro Creative Website at parrsborocreative.com, click on Cultural Campus Courses, and scroll down to So You Think You’re Not Funny and click on the link.
