ARC and The Curators welcomes diversity of all kinds and acknowledges the traditional custodians of whose unceded lands on which we meet, gather, and work.
We pay our respects to Elders past, present, and emerging.
ARC Acting Studio
Which class is right for me?
Actors Laboratory
The ARC Actors Laboratory is the perfect acting class for unlocking personal potential in a fun, safe and inclusive environment, enabling professional and artistic growth at your own pace for new and emerging actors and those revisiting their craft.
Empower your personal agency as an actor, storyteller and manifester of moment.
Designed to enable your personal development both onstage and off, this specifically curated program of activities is unique to ARC. You will explore workshops in voice, movement, mask, energy, rhythm, impulse, epiphany, physical body, discovery points, transition moments, character development, improvisation, script analysis and scene studies throughout the course. The workshop program uses a variety of dynamic contemporary acting styles based on the later work of famous Russian teacher Stanislavsky, including elements of contemporary American and historical European masters - especially Vakhtangov and Michael Chekhov.
Whether you want to develop your skills to pursue a career in acting and performance or enhance your communication skills for personal and professional reasons, the ARC Actors Laboratory is right for you.
Commencing Monday 12 October – 30 November
6.30pm - 8.30pm
(8 weeks)
New students welcome. No previous experience required.
Class size: 10
Cost: $330
Christ Church
9 Chippendall Street, Milton
(Free off and on street parking is available)
Special Short Course - Intensive commencing Tuesday 15 September
With the implications that covid has caused we are recommencing the ARC Professional Training Ensemble with a special 5 week intensive program in our wonderful new ARC Studio Venue. This will focus on a the performance of a short script in conjunction with exploring elements of the work of the great Russian trio: Stanislavski’s Active Analysis, Michael Chekhov Technique and Evgheny Vakhtangov’s Fantastic Realism.
We will conclude the Intensive by attending The Curators new production of the highly provocative, ultra realist Vincent River on Tuesday 13 October at 7.30 pm at Christ Church. The cost of this ticket is included in the course fee.
Following that in early November we will recommence work on a new large production for performance after Easter, 2021.
The ARC Professional Training Ensemble enables professional acting training and practice for stage and screen. Similar in intention and style to the conservatoire productions offered in the acting programs of many universities around the world, PET is offered on a rolling schedule, taking 2 terms to complete.
PET engages acting students with contemporary performance methodologies that empower students as articulate, inventive creatives who are safely and imaginatively able to work on character development, interpersonal and behavioral relationships, text analysis and scene studies. Through the 'now world' exploration of concepts such as 'isness', active analysis, epiphany, spirit centres, mythologising the character and the actor's duality, combined with text analysis, physical body work, vocality, rhythm, reaction and transition work, each actor will grow as an active, alive, thinking, imaginative creative who is dynamically transformative in performance.
Each aspiring actor can be wondrous in performance through the ARC PET program.
This course is for students with significant prior experience and is via audition or prior ARC Studio experience via discussion.
Contact Michael via arc@curators.com.au if you would like to find out more.
Commencing Tuesday 15 September – 13 October
6.30pm - 9.30pm
(5 weeks)
Small class size (Entry by audition or prior ARC class attendance)
Cost: $275
(includes ticket to Vincent River on Tuesday 13 October and post show discussion)
Christ Church
9 Chippendall Street, Milton
(Free off and on street parking is available)
Please email michael@curators.com.au to register your interest.
The LUMEN TRAINING ENSEMBLE
The name Lumen means Measure Of Light and is of Latin origin.
Within the ARC context, it refers to the light of personal energy that we experience via our unique identity.
The LUMEN Training Ensemble is designed specifically for gay/bi/pan/trans males and those who identify as male.
By exploring queer and heteronormative texts through the lense of the participants, this one of a kind project is designed to honour the self, explore truth and empower, enoble and reinforce personal identity through the process of acting craft. It is for those who want to explore the self and/or develop their skills as an actor. Each of these goals benefits the other. The classes offer a process of discovery and of acclamation within a safe, supportive, joyous environment. The end result is the creation of a community – an ensemble – of artists who will work towards the production and presentation of a unique performance project in 2021.
Designed to enable personal development both onstage and off, this specifically curated program of exploration and discovery is entirely unique to ARC. You will participate in workshops on voice, movement, mask, energy, rhythm, impulse, epiphany, physical body, transition moments, character development, improvisation, script analysis and scene studies throughout the course. Whilst based in the realism, the workshop program will use a variety of other dynamic contemporary acting styles and focus on great plays from authors such as Tony Kushner, Terrence McNally, Mark Ravenhill, Philip Ridley and famous gay plays such as Angels in America, The Inheritance, Holding the Man, Jeffrey, The Normal Heart as well as significant heteronormative texts such as Whose Afraid of Virginia Wolf, Cloudstreet, True West, Streetcar Named Desire, Private Lives, The Homecoming among so many more. This workshop series will be a feast for the senses.
This program is open to 18+ gay/bi/trans/pan males with no/little acting experience ranging to those with more experience. Feel free to contact Michael on 0430 246 353 or at michael@curators.com.au to find out more.
Wednesday 5 August 6.30pm - 8.30pm
(8 weeks finishing on 23 Sept)
Cost: $330 / $220 (unemployed/underemployed/student/pensioner)
Christ Church
9 Chippendall Street, Milton
(Free off and on street parking is available)
Bespoke 1-on-1
In 2020, ARC is pleased to continue offering ARC: Bespoke 1-on-1 Workshops for actors at all levels of development.
Bespoke ARC Workshops are tailor made to your needs. They exist to inspire development of your actor's technique and can be engaged as a one off or in a sequence where Michael operates as both acting coach and director to unlock your full potential in performance. ARC Bespoke are vital for audition preparation, empowering you as an artist to land the role, agent procurement, showreel performance and admission to tertiary actor training programs etc.
Embolden your acting, your monologue and scene work in a safe, secure, professional environment through ARC Bespoke.
With limited places available at the moment we recommend that you make contact as soon as possible to find a suitable time. Michael will work around his rehearsal and other teaching commitments to find a special time that is perfect for you.
$80 for one hour. $100 for 90 minutes.
Please contact Michael at michael@curators.com.au or 0430246353 to discuss your needs and book a time before you pay.
Michael has a 25 year history of successfully helping actors gain admission to the top acting programs in Australia and internationally, as well as gaining agents, landing film and television roles, developing their personal acting skills and philosophy to become noble, magnificent practitioners of their craft.
ARC Acting Studio creates a new ARC of opportunity.
• The ARC Acting Studio works to crepate a harmonious training community that explores personal agency, imagination, creativity and performance.
• Through it you can develop your sense of self, your real voice, your personal and performance presence through the concept of play.
• You can become a strong, independent actor - performer - presenter - person.
In a world dealing with COVID-19, the ARC Acting Studio offers adults the opportunity to engage in developing personal voice, creativity, confidence and self-awareness through dynamic acting and performance workshops in a place of personal respect, adventure and self-esteem.
Each workshop series implements a variety of dynamic contemporary acting styles and philosophies of being that are relevant to that specific program of study.
Whether you want to develop your skills to pursue a career in performance, have a passion for acting that you want to further develop, or you want to enhance your communication skills for professional reasons, ARC is right for you.
Each workshop series is filled with a specifically curated program of activities that includes voice, movement, improvisation, script and text to stage exercises and workshops. But within each of these is the profound exploration of truth through fictionalised action.
What occurs in the stage space will astound you.
We will search for the beautiful, the simple, the profound and the truthful - in the everyday and the every moment.
You will discover comedy and tragedy, humour and pathos, new life and energy as you explore the infinite possibilities and abilities you will create and reveal in yourself as an actor.
Michael Beh has taught acting and drama for over 25 years as well as directing over 50 productions. He was a Fulbright Fellow who has taught acting and theatre studies in the acclaimed Drama Department at Carnegie Melon University, USA (ranked as one of the top University Drama Departments in the world), as well as at QUT and UQ. Michael has also trained with the Moscow Arts Theatre School and world renowned artists Adolf Shapiro, Mladen Kiselov, Anne Bogart, Mike Alfreds, Augusto Boal, Diane Cilento and Frank Theatre. He has worked in professional, independent, university and education sectors as a director, writer, designer and dramaturg including Queensland Theatre, La Boite Theatre, Brisbane Festival, Three Rivers Shakespeare Festival, Anywhere Theatre Festival, heartBeast Theatre, City Theatre, Gyre Theatre and the Australian Acting Academy. Many of his past students have been accepted into university drama programs including the elite acting programs at NIDA, VCA, QUT, Griffith Con, Tisch School of the Arts/NYU (NYC), Circle in Square (NYC), Cal Arts (Los Angeles), RADA (London), Rose Bruford College (London), Royal Central School Speech and Drama (London) amongst others.
What artists who have worked with Michael have had to say:
“This guy is the real deal. Just do it, really do it!”
Joan Littlewood, British Stage Icon
“Michael has a unique talent. With great passion and sensitivity, he draws the very best performances from actors. His knowledge and experience of theatre is vast. As a director, his shows are probing and visually stunning. As a teacher and acting coach, his insight into characterisation and the acting process helps actors craft performances that are rich, complex and compelling.”
David Patterson
Artistic Director, heartBeast Theatre
“It's been a privilege working with Michael Beh who brings so much experience, insight and passion to his work in Theatre. Michael has a great understanding of acting technique and the creation of character. I really enjoyed exploring improvisation and scene work with him. He takes an inventive and open-minded approach and values actors as co-creators. I never cease to be amazed by his terrific knowledge of theatre forms - everything from Greek to Post-post-modern. He's committed to making exciting, moving Drama - and succeeds in doing so!”
Lisa Hickey
Actor & Drama Educator
“Michael engenders a truthful and creative approach in teaching acting to all ages. By utilising his vast experience as an acting teacher and director, he assists the student in selecting the most suitable interpretation of character for them. Students will gain valuable insights in developing and sustaining characterisation through Michael's understanding of the craft of acting.”
Warwick Comber
NIDA Graduate & Master Actor
"I have had the pleasure of working with Michael Beh as a director. Michael has a unique approach which I found very freeing and inspiring as an actor. He uses imagery and improvisation to help inform actor choices and he has had training in and experience using many different theatre forms and acting styles. ARC Acting workshops would be a wonderful opportunity to work with a practitioner of Michael’s calibre and International experience, enabling the student to grow as a person, presenter or actor."
Amanda McErlean
Actor & Matilda Award Nominee
