Actor and director George Dzundza will teach an acting class this fall at Tillamook Bay Community College. Submitted photo

TILLAMOOK – Professional actor George Dzundza will teach an acting class in conjunction with Tillamook Bay Community College during Fall Term 2009. Dzundza has hundreds of credits on the stage, screen and television and plans to share that experience and knowledge with the general public in this class.

Dzundza said of the class: “…we will take a serious look at acting principles, scene study, play analysis and character study. These are all major factors when preparing for a role. One of the goals of the class is to work scenes into a performance event. The proceeds of this event will go to a local charity.” Dzundza also added that “…the objective of the class is to get as close as we can to professional standards.”

An audition is a prerequisite for participation in the class. Auditions will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. Sundays, Aug. 23 and 30, at Tillamook Bay Community College, 2510 First St., in Room 8. “Acting – How to be an Artist” will be taught from 2 to 5 p.m. Sundays, Sept. 27 through Dec. 12. The course fee is $25 and is open to adults only.

For more information or to schedule an audition, contact Mark Johnson at (503) 812-5286 or (503) 322-2069 or Mary Hanthorn at (503) 842-5406 or (503) 801-0759.

Dzundza (pronounced “Zuhnza”) has been involved in theater since his college days in the 1960s. He studied with Dr. Jerome Rockwood, author of “The Craftsmen of Dionysus,” a book on the technique of acting, at St. John’s University. After five years at St. John’s, where he majored in speech and theater, he continued his studies at The Stella Adler Conservatory of Acting. He spent six years working with Adler, who was perhaps the only American actor who actually studied with Konstantin Stanislavski, the man that gave us “The Method.” While there, he studied with Harold Clurman and Pearl Pearson, both of whom were members of the original Group Theatre. Clurman was a respected theater director and critic and Pearson was an actor. Their teaching formed the base from which he was able to build a professional acting career that has spanned close to 40 years.

He has appeared on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway, regional theater, dinner theater and national tours. His television and film credits are extensive and he has worked with some of the greatest actors of our time.

Dzundza has been living in Netarts for the past few years and directed the world premiere production of “Prominence” in Tillamook last year.