Duo teams up to share the craft of acting

Comedian Brad Garrett walks on to the Las Vegas acting scene from stage left. For him, acting is a craft, and like any other art, it requires serious work and dedication.

Enter like-minded Adam Hill, one of Garrett’s first acting instructors, with more than 50 years of experience.

The stage is set for the duo’s opening of CRAFT Acting Studio, a week of acting workshops scheduled in the Art Square Theatre, 1025 S. First St., Monday through March 31.

“The name pretty much says it all,” Hill said. “Both Brad and I are very craft-
oriented people.”

Voice actor Pat Fraley and actor Jeremy Guskin round out the cast of instructors.

Garrett, who said he considers Las Vegas a second home, cited a lack of educational venues for serious actors in town as the inspiration behind the workshops.

“This is our first time trying it in Vegas,” the deep-voiced, Emmy Award-winning actor said. “I really think there is a demand for quality teaching in Vegas. There needs to be a place to nurture actors.”

With higher demand for Broadway-quality entertainment at venues such as The Smith Center for the Performing Arts and various locations on the Strip, Garrett said many actors are moving to Las Vegas, a market he is hoping to tap into.

“It’s definitely the right time,” he said.

Only four weeklong classes are scheduled, but Hill said that depending on how these turn out, the studio may offer more in the future.

Hill will act as the studio’s resident instructor and said he has been “champing at the bit for months.”

“I’m ecstatic,” he said. “I can’t wait to get back into the classroom. I love the electricity created by a room full of students.”

Hill plans to teach an introduction to CRAFT class that covers a combination of acting methods, from 3-7 p.m. Monday.

“The class is for anyone interested in acting, but those who aren’t serious about it will go running for the hills,” he said.

Hill was the first choice for a resident instructor, according to Garrett, because of his knowledge of multiple disciplines.

“(Hill) is amazing,” Garrett said. “He was my first coach when I was 18. He’s a potpourri of philosophies, and it’s about what works for each person.”

Garrett will also head a two-day session as part of the workshop. His class on sitcom acting is scheduled for noon-4 p.m. March 26 and 27.

Pat Fraley’s Taking Comedy Seriously: Essential Voice-Over Workshop and Jeremy Guskin’s improvisation class — both two-day sessions — are scheduled for 10 a.m. March 28 and 29 and 10 a.m. March 30 and 31, respectively.

Garrett and Hill said they fell in love with Art Square Theatre and could not find a better place to host their studio.

Cockroach Theatre is the space’s resident theater company and has made it its home in the heart of the 18b Arts District for the past six months.

“(CRAFT Acting Studio) certainly brings recognition and notoriety to our company. That’s the easy answer,” Cockroach Theatre managing director Levi Fackrell said. “But more importantly for us, we feel this town lacks serious acting education. Just to have them in Vegas is fabulous. We’re proud to have them here.”

As for the studio and its cast’s curtain call, Garrett said it depends on what type of actors it attracts.

“We’re going to see how these go,” he said. “It boils down to how many serious actors show up. They’re out there. We just need to find them.”

To register for a class at CRAFT Acting Studio, email craftacting@yahoo.com. For more information, call 702-818-3422 or visit bradgarrettcomedy.com/craft.

Contact Paradise/Downtown View reporter Nolan Lister at nlister@viewnews.com or 702-383-0492.