The ongoing Vermont class is on haitus.

Jock Macdonald will continue to help the Vermont students with their various projects. Mr MacDonald is also available for private coaching. Email info@thoreast.com for coaching information and appointments.

If you are looking for an excellent, professional acting class in Vermont we highly recommend Richard Waterhouse's class. For further information on this class please contact Dawn Kearon.

Course News:

Colleen Alexander has written a short film, “Beyond Table Six,” scheduled to shoot in June. Director is Georgette Garbes-Putzel, Director of Photography is James Reid and Camera Operator is Heather Fitch. The film stars Noni Stuart, Larry Becker, Colleen Alexander, Jayson Argento, Dawn Kearon, Joseph Grabon, Kyle Darling, Oriko Dzewaltowski, Sharry Underwood, and Jason Lorber. The story takes us into the intimate lives of three couples.

Colleen Alexander was recently cast in two short films, “An Ancient War” and “Out of Focus.” Both projects will be screened at the Vermont International Film Festival, in the Student Film Forum in the Fall of 2007.

Oriko Ikeda did a short called “Fly Away” this summer. She had a supporting role and it was written and directed by Wakana Yokota & Alex Jones.

Tara O'Rielly recently wrapped her first short film “Love Insurance” where she was assistant producer. In the Fall of 2005 she was cast in Michael Fischer's short film “Stick Season” and recently played the role of Cecily in the treatment of “Fishing” written by David Rocchio, directed by Larry Robbins and filmed by John O'Brien. 2007 she will play Cecily in the feature length film of “Fishing.” Fall of 2005 Tara toured the stage production of “Voices” around Vermont playing the role of the mother. “Voices” was produced and written by Bess O'Brien and Abby Paige of Kingdom County Productions. She will be in the film version of “Voices” filmed this summer (2007) by Kingdom County Productions. Tara had a supporting role in Moxie Productions

Sharry Underwood has worked for director Jay Craven in “Stranger in the Kingdom,” for director Jenny Bowen in “Wizard of Loneliness,” for director David Giancola in “Tangents” and director Martin Guigui in “The Wedding Band.” In 2005, Sharry worked with director Jerry Wood for Burlington Filmmakers in “Sales Pitch.” She has been studying Acting for Film with Jock MacDonald of Thor East for two years.

Kyle Darling recently played the role of Peter van Daan in “The Diary of Anne Frank” at the Quarry Works Theater in Adamant, Vermont. He landed the role of Dillon in the horror film “Final Curtain-Manhattan Massacre” (a Curtain Call Production), which was filmed in New York City. He was cast as Kody in the short film “Scholastic Necromancy” (a Megalomaniantics production), which filmed in Burlington, Vermont.

Dawn Kearon was cast this summer in a supporting role in the feature film “For the Love of Pudding,” “a romantic, political, mockumentary that follows Senator Ronald ‘Ronnie’ Pudding on his campaign trail towards re-election and unconditional love.” She also had a lead role as Darla this summer in a short film called “Love Insurance,” a romantic comedy about a first date that goes terribly wrong after Darla takes a trip to the bathroom at a pizza joint. The short was written by Peter Lind, a student of Carter Thor Studios East in Vermont, and was based on a real live date gone wrong that Peter had many years ago. This is the first film produced by their new production group called TBD Production, which includes four of the Vermont CTSE students. This past Spring, Dawn had a supporting role in the short film “Work a Double,” a comedy about the restaurant business. She was also cast in a supporting role in a film, “The Singers” last summer. The film is based on Russian short story about a man, numb since his wife's death a year before, who finds his way to a tavern and witnesses a singing contest that makes him feel something for the first time since losing his wife. Dawn had the lead role in the film, “The Clothing Line,” a short film about the journey of a little red dress. The film was entered into the Amazon.com short film contest last April and got over a 1,000 hits internationally. This is the film that finally got Dawn on the IMDB, she is overjoyed to report!

William Pelton, a graduate of the Syracuse University Drama Department, has worked for many years with local theaters and became a CT Studios East student 5 years ago after working on an independent Vermont film. Recent work includes appearance in several commercials; “The Developer;” in George Woodard’s “The Summer of Walter Hacks” (in post); background videography, editing, and video cameo as Lt. Burrows for Peter Lind's original play “The Patient Minotaur;” appearance in the Waterbury Showcase; the creation of “Eve” in the short, “Love Insurance” (in post, also by Peter Lind); and writing, filming, and editing a monologue, “Death by Chocolate,” featuring CT classmates, for submission to Girls on Film’s film festival in Manchester, England. A strong interest in props, costumes, and set construction has led to scenes in class including a plexi and hardware cloth cell for Hannibal in “Silence of the Lambs,” a “Titanic” that actually smelled of the sea, and a Superman outfit complete with flying illusion (not bluescreen!). This summer, Bill appeared with Lost Nation Theater in several roles in “Stone,” an original script with music about the Barre Granite Workers circa 1900-1940, which has been filmed for DVD; and with Quarryworks Theater as Mr. Dussel in “The Diary of Anne Frank”. During the school year, Bill works with the Association of Vermont Recyclers presenting environmental education skits for kids K-6.

Saskia Hagen Groom: Actress/performer/producer/director/writer/poet. Saskia was trained at SUNY Purchase — Theatre Arts and Film — and in recent years at Carter Thor Studios East in Vermont. A lover of films, she co-wrote, produced, and played a supporting role in her first film, “Gone” directed by Jock MacDonald and filmed by Stephen Beattie. The film showed at the 2005 VT International Film Festival Showcase. It appeared twice on Vermont Public Television in the Reel Independents program with host Ted Peck and has been locally screened as part of the Killington Arts Guild. She is currently working on her second screenplay based on a local Vermonter’s first published novel. She plans on making her directing debut by filming a short version in 2007. Saskia has appeared on various television programs in the Netherlands, her country of origin. Her theatre credits include Anna in “Anna Christie,” core comedy actress in “Females on the Road,” and the “ABBA Show.” She was the Assistant Stage Manager for Actor's Repertory Theatre during its 2005-2006 season. An avid storyteller, Saskia has been performing her poetry/short stories/ skits/dance at various venues. She is available for acting, performing and producing film/theatre plays.

Heather Vittum and fiancé, Jonathan Fuller, were cast in last Fall's production of “Marriage is Murder” at Burlington, Vermont’s Waterfront Theatre. Heather played Isabella in Shakespeare's “Measure for Measure’ in last Summer's production at Quarry Works. This past summer she was part of the revolutionary war story “Johnny Tremain” at Quarry Works. Heather was also cast as the romantic lead in the comedic and tongue-in-cheek film, “Green Mountain Shuffle.” Set in the Northeast Kingdom, it follows the story of a young grad student interning on the mountain for the summer. The film should be coming out soon on Public Access. Heather hopes to be cast in the role of Rosalind in “As You Like It.” One of her desires is to produce one of her favorite plays, “Tounge of a Bird.” She is currently working on writing a dark comedy or sitcom about some folks who work in a boys’ home.

Dominique Remy Root first started training in Montreal with John Strasberg (son of Lee) before she came to study with Carter Thor Studio. Shortly after joining CTS, Dominique was cast in a supporting role in “Stryker,” one of two films that went on to represent Canada at the Venice International Film Festival 2004. Walking the red carpet in Venice was very thrilling! The same film was chosen as part of eight films in « Canadian Front 2005 » an exhibit of the best eight Canadian Films at MoMA in March 2005. The same film also went to National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa, April, 2005, and back to MoMA in January, 2006. “Stryker” is the story of a brutal turf war between two street gangs in Winnipeg's North End. Omar (Ryan Black), the mixed-blood leader of the ABS (Asian Bomb Squad), dominates the ‘hood with his crew of Filipino enforcers. His nemesis, Mama Ceece (Deena Fontaine), is the girl-thug leader of the Indian Posse. She has just been released from jail and is determined to regain control of her neighborhood. “Stryker” is Canadian slang for a prospective gang member. This film follows one Stryker (Kyle Henry), a 14-year-old Native arsonist from a northern reserve whose arrival in the city serves as a catalyst in this fierce battle.

Jim Reid, who has an extensive stage background, has appeared in recent months in a number of screen projects. They include the role of Maurice Duke (second lead) in a Canadian Feature film, “The Descendant,” which premiered in Montreal in July of 2006 and which is currently playing festivals throughout the U.S. And Canada. (*Circus Maximus Films *& *Eklectika Moving Pictures - U.K.)* Other recent screen credits include the role of Loy Gluckman (supporting role) in the Stoneworks production “Finding Providence,” a principal role in the Stoneworks ultra-short, “The Blackbox,” and Agency Director Peter Vaughn in the Stoneworks short “Project Hex.” Jim’s radio voice-overs over the past months include two sets of spots for Woodbury College (Jody Peterson Voice Production), two sets of spots for the Noyle Johnson Insurance group (Shadow Productions and independent), and three radio spots for Martha Abbot, Progressive candidate for Vermont State Auditor.(Shadow Productions) Jim also landed a voice-over for a Ben and Jerry’s animated TV commercial that ran nationally in the United Kingdom. in the summer of 2006. (Fallon International). Among his more recent television ads are a TV spot for Northfield Savings Bank (Dog Food) and a Blue Cross/Blue Shield commercial. Next on the horizon is the stage role of Talthybius in “The Trojan Women.”

Jonathan Fuller will be starting a new project beginning this weekend. It is an internet TV show targeted at the Halloween season. Davy Russell from Burlington Film Makers is directing this series of 5 short pieces that will be presented as the video ‘blog’ of an amateur paranormal investigation expedition. We will be researching the long history of mysterious disappearances on and around Drake Mountain in Vermont. Visit http://www.drakemountain.com between Monday, October 23rd and Friday, October 27th.

Colleen Alexander recently finished shooting on the set of a short film titled “Work A Double,” directed by Frank O'Neill. The film also starred Emily Lyons, Bob Carmody, and Dawn Kearon from the CTSE Vermont class. Colleen was in a commercial for Four Seasons and is looking forward to working on the production of “Knights In Shining Armor,” which she wrote.

July 15th was the final shoot day for “Love Insurance” written by Peter Lind, directed by class auditor Jerry Wood and starring CTSE students Dawn Kearon, Peter Lind, Bill Pelton and Jamie Joy Martin. With the exception of a few, the entire cast and crew are comprised of Carter Thor Studio Students from the Vermont class. So far it is looking great!

Emily Lyons has been doing voice-over work for and has become the voice of City Market, a local grocery store in Burlington. She also starred in “Work-A Double,” which will be shown on local television in Vermont.