Acting Conservatory

Private one-on-one coaching in accents and accent reduction — learn an accent for a role, or soften one for clarity. Available in person or online. Specializations: British, New York, Southern and other regional American accents, plus various Asian accents. Accent reduction is in part structured speech correction (not therapy) — especially strong for achieving a standard American accent. The philosophy: reduction is about the ABILITY TO SWITCH between accents, not permanently removing your natural accent — control over voice placement, speech, diction, and pronunciation.

Advanced Acting is for students who already have training and are ready to work at depth. Scene study, character work, and sustained rehearsal over a full 115-minute class. Curriculum: Advanced students push their ownership of improv exercises, work longer-form improv, and in monologue and scene work handle more advanced classic literature and film and TV scripts. (Formerly listed as Scene Studies.)

Fundamental Acting is an ongoing group class for students ages 5 to 17 covering listening and reacting, improvisation, monologue work, and scene studies. Class sizes are kept small to maximize participation. An annual showcase films students in a short film format. Curriculum: Fundamental Acting teaches improv, monologue, and scene work — the foundations of yes-and, listening and reacting, basic character wants, scene breakdown, and the foundational mechanics of the different theatre games.

Intermediate Acting builds on Fundamental Acting for students ready to deepen scene work, character development, and on-camera technique. Curriculum: Intermediate students are no longer learning the mechanics — they learn to expand and play, building on advanced elements of improv such as heightening and clumping, and in monologue and scene work they begin working with easy classic literature and film and TV scripts.

Musical Theatre combines acting, singing, and movement to build well-rounded performers through songs and scenes from the stage. Beginning August 2026 it runs as a triple-threat class — singing, dancing, and acting together — in a single 1 hour 25 minute session, for students ages 8 and up.

Private acting lessons are for working actors — one-on-one coaching on live material, auditions, and roles in progress. Structure: pro-level and fully customized — live audition material, preparing a specific show, film, or TV role, college, or competition — structured accordingly. Advanced private students should still be enrolled in ongoing group classes; privates are not meant to replace group.

TV/Film/Commercial Acting teaches essential camera skills for auditioning in Hollywood: eye lines, micro-expressions, body positions, and on-camera performance. Curriculum developed by Paul Kwo. Recommended for ages 8 to adults; co-enrollment in Fundamental Acting is recommended.

Voice Over Acting at PopRock Academy covers auditioning for commercials, animation, dubbing, looping, video games, and audiobooks. Curriculum developed by Paul Kwo, who has voice credits in Everything Everywhere All At Once, Shang Chi, Black Panther, and more. Students record in an industry-standard recording booth each week. Online classes are available.

Voice-over training for adults — the same professional-track curriculum as the youth program, in its own dedicated adult session. Commercial reads, animation, narration, and building a working demo.