Mark Anthony goes to BADA at Oxford
Donation protected
It is with great honor that I have been afforded an opportunity to study abroad at the British American Drama Academy’s (BADA) Midsummer in Oxford program this summer. The program is hosted at Magdalen College housed on the campus of the historic Oxford University in England. BADA is a four-week immersion acting program held in conjunction with Yale University School of Drama which accepts only 90 students per year. While enrolled in the program, I will be afforded the opportunity to study British acting techniques, with a strong emphasis on the works of Shakespeare and modern text, physicality in performance and voice, audition techniques, as well as attending Masterclasses with leading actors and directors such as past instructors like Fiona Shaw (Harry Potter), Lucian Msamati (Game of Thrones), and Henry Goodman (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), to name a few. The faculty consists of leading British theatre practitioners and faculty from top American graduate programs, in association with Yale School of Drama.
Since its inception, the program has trained various actors who have become pioneers in the field, with some more notable alumni including Chadwick Boseman (Black Panther), Russell Hornsby (Fences, Seven Seconds), Susan Kelechi Watson (This Is Us), Tarell Alvin McCraney (Moonlight), Kelly McCreary (Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal), David Schwimmer (Friends), Ruth Negga (Loving), Brandon Victor Dixon (Hamilton, Power), Miriam H. Hyman (Blue Bloods, The Wire), Carolyn Michelle Smith (House of Cards), Oliver Platt (Huff, The West Wing), Victor Williams (Precaher’s Wife), Tracie Thoms (911), Paul Giamatti (Straight Outta Compton), and Angel Parker (The People vs. OJ).
I am honored to have been offered a scholarship from BADA to attend, and while it covers a portion of my tuition, unfortunately the scholarship does not cover my remaining tuition balance and accommodation fees. Theatre, and the art of acting, has been a large part of my world ever since I can remember, dating back to elementary school when my acting teacher, Ms. Luna, and my amazing costume designer and #1 support, my mother, helped me to bring the Grinch in “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” to life, which catapulted this adventure many years ago. In recent years, as I have made the conscious decision to pursue a career in acting, accepting the highs and lows that come with the journey, I am stepping out on faith to follow the fire burning deep inside that I have tried to suppress for far too long. With this being said, this is truly an opportunity of a lifetime, but I need your help to make it possible.
I am appreciative for any amount donated as the cost breakdown for the BADA Midsummer in Oxford 2018 is listed below:
Tuition: $3,960
Accommodations (Food and housing): $2,990
Scholarship: -$2500
Balance: $4450.00
With your help, I will be able to study under highly qualified and established educators, directors, and actors, hone in on my craft day-in and day-out for four weeks, while building relationships bound to last a lifetime with other creatives and artists with one common goal, to tell stories of real people one character at a time, or in our case, maybe a few personalities at one time all in the name of art. The art of acting has taught me so much about humanity and myself, and how telling stories may not be curing cancer, but it may very well be the very depiction that leads that little child at home watching to uncover their interest in cancer research leading to a groundbreaking cure. Stanford Meisner explains acting as “living truthfully in imaginary circumstances” which has been the framework breathing life into countless stories such as Black Panther, This Is Us, Fences, Moonlight, and Loving, which have all become fibers of our culture and society bridging gaps and telling narratives that all people can identify with and relate to, and all share a common link of BADA.
Participation in this program will provide me an intangible opportunity for training that will afford me the tools to work in more competitive markets seeking to tell stories inclusive of all experiences and not merely continuing narratives that tell one dimensional stories of kids that look and speak like myself, with far more substance to their existence than the naked eye can view, but without voices r platforms to articulate their stories. The impact that representation has on generations present and future as we turn on television screens and are able to identify and find commonalities with our own journey’s and the character we view is more impactful than words can describe, and it is my mission to serve as the vessel for these stories to continue to live and thrive to be told.
I know that I can do it with your help, and with only a month to garner the funding, I thank you in advance for your support as we embark upon this journey together!
If you would like to learn more about BADA's Midsummer in Oxford Program, please visit: http://www.bada.org.uk/study/ midsummer-in-oxford-program/
Since its inception, the program has trained various actors who have become pioneers in the field, with some more notable alumni including Chadwick Boseman (Black Panther), Russell Hornsby (Fences, Seven Seconds), Susan Kelechi Watson (This Is Us), Tarell Alvin McCraney (Moonlight), Kelly McCreary (Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal), David Schwimmer (Friends), Ruth Negga (Loving), Brandon Victor Dixon (Hamilton, Power), Miriam H. Hyman (Blue Bloods, The Wire), Carolyn Michelle Smith (House of Cards), Oliver Platt (Huff, The West Wing), Victor Williams (Precaher’s Wife), Tracie Thoms (911), Paul Giamatti (Straight Outta Compton), and Angel Parker (The People vs. OJ).
I am honored to have been offered a scholarship from BADA to attend, and while it covers a portion of my tuition, unfortunately the scholarship does not cover my remaining tuition balance and accommodation fees. Theatre, and the art of acting, has been a large part of my world ever since I can remember, dating back to elementary school when my acting teacher, Ms. Luna, and my amazing costume designer and #1 support, my mother, helped me to bring the Grinch in “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” to life, which catapulted this adventure many years ago. In recent years, as I have made the conscious decision to pursue a career in acting, accepting the highs and lows that come with the journey, I am stepping out on faith to follow the fire burning deep inside that I have tried to suppress for far too long. With this being said, this is truly an opportunity of a lifetime, but I need your help to make it possible.
I am appreciative for any amount donated as the cost breakdown for the BADA Midsummer in Oxford 2018 is listed below:
Tuition: $3,960
Accommodations (Food and housing): $2,990
Scholarship: -$2500
Balance: $4450.00
With your help, I will be able to study under highly qualified and established educators, directors, and actors, hone in on my craft day-in and day-out for four weeks, while building relationships bound to last a lifetime with other creatives and artists with one common goal, to tell stories of real people one character at a time, or in our case, maybe a few personalities at one time all in the name of art. The art of acting has taught me so much about humanity and myself, and how telling stories may not be curing cancer, but it may very well be the very depiction that leads that little child at home watching to uncover their interest in cancer research leading to a groundbreaking cure. Stanford Meisner explains acting as “living truthfully in imaginary circumstances” which has been the framework breathing life into countless stories such as Black Panther, This Is Us, Fences, Moonlight, and Loving, which have all become fibers of our culture and society bridging gaps and telling narratives that all people can identify with and relate to, and all share a common link of BADA.
Participation in this program will provide me an intangible opportunity for training that will afford me the tools to work in more competitive markets seeking to tell stories inclusive of all experiences and not merely continuing narratives that tell one dimensional stories of kids that look and speak like myself, with far more substance to their existence than the naked eye can view, but without voices r platforms to articulate their stories. The impact that representation has on generations present and future as we turn on television screens and are able to identify and find commonalities with our own journey’s and the character we view is more impactful than words can describe, and it is my mission to serve as the vessel for these stories to continue to live and thrive to be told.
I know that I can do it with your help, and with only a month to garner the funding, I thank you in advance for your support as we embark upon this journey together!
If you would like to learn more about BADA's Midsummer in Oxford Program, please visit: http://www.bada.org.uk/study/ midsummer-in-oxford-program/
Organizer
Mark Anthony
Organizer
Atlanta, GA