From Quest Theatre

If it involves theatre, then Dan Libman has probably done it. He's acted in theatres across Alberta, the Stratford Festival and he makes appearances in film and TV. Also, add playwright (he's got a new play opening next year in Saskatoon), director, translator and dramaturge to his resumé.

Since 1978, he's been sharing his experience teaching and co-ordinating Quest Theatre's drama school. For nearly 25 years, Quest has offered youth and family theatre locally, as well as touring its shows province wide. (Quest productions are also part of Vertigo Theatre's Y-Stage Series.) The company also has a residency program in which artists visit schools and work with students to put on shows. In addition, Quest is the only professional theatre company in southern Alberta that offers full, year-round acting classes. And the classes aren't just for kids. "There's a misperception out there that Quest is only a kids’ theatre. Well, Quest is for kids, but not just for kids," says Libman.

During the fall and winter semesters, Quest Theatre offers introductory and scene study classes for adults. Class size is limited to 16 people, so lots of individual attention is guaranteed. "The notion behind the introductory class is that it's supposed to be absolutely gobsmacking fun. It's a place where you can safely start and have fun," says Libman.

The class teaches basic acting fundamentals of concentration and focus through games and group work. "We teach people to play again," he says. The introductory class also includes some work on voice, speech and text interpretation, and prepares students to move toward improvisation that is more complicated.

The scene study class is for those who have taken the introductory class, or who have completed some high school or community theatre training. The focus in this class is on how to interpret text through exploring monologues, Shakespeare sonnets, classic and contemporary scenes. Students also have a chance to get in front of a camera. "Acting is easy to learn if you make it clear and less mysterious," says Libman.

He believes that one of the most important things in teaching drama is to create a safe atmosphere in which students can learn. "People have to feel safe, then they'll take great, extraordinary risks," says Libman. "Taking risks should be fun. That's when actors can be brilliant."

He stresses that all the instructors at Quest Theatre School are, or have been, working professionals. "We don't say that what we do is going to be completely different from a school drama program. However, our perspective is going to be different. All our instructors either have a load of professional experience, or are still doing it full time," he says.

Quest Theatre is a publicly funded, charitable organization and the school has seen success thanks in part to some major sponsors. Students in Libman's classes run the gamut from professionals-in-training, to those who are taking the class simply because they've "always wanted to try it out." Many of his students have gone on to further training at post-secondary institutions.

One of those students is Lauryn Allman. She's now in her second year of studies at Montreal's prestigious National Theatre School, after which she wants to pursue a career as a professional actor. She studied with Libman from the age of 13 onwards. "What I consider to be my formative training before coming to the National Theatre School, I learned in his classes," Allman says, adding that Libman "opened up the world of theatre" for her.

Allman says that the most important features of a drama class are an instructor with a sense of humour; a rapport between students and teacher; and a comfortable and fun working environment. "I can still turn to Dan for advice, and I can rely on him to keep my head on my shoulders," she laughs.