RISING STARS PROGRAM

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The Weist-Barron-Ryan "Rising Stars Acting Program” is far from new to instructing and providing a loving, supportive, and engaging environment to individuals with developmental disabilities. We currently instruct the general public and DDD higher functioning/self directed individuals. We have also had children from DCFS, as well as Perform Care. We find that our workshops help with self confidence, speech, diction, public speaking, presentation, reading, focus, eye contact and so much more in a fun and interactive way. These skills will help those that are involved in our workshops in any avenue of life. Our students practice scene work, commercial reads, monologues, directing, operating a camera, audition technique, and more. If that isn’t fun enough in itself, students also participate in engaging exercises in the forms of various games. Through all of the aforementioned activities, we’ve been able to see first hand just how much acting has positively impacted the lives of our students and helped them grow in so many ways! Our actors also gain experience while being a part of various productions. A few projects worth mentions are “We Are Actors” which our Rising Stars directed and performed in, winning Best Ensemble in the Atlantic City Cinefest. What a huge accomplishment for these amazing actors! We launched a new project for our Rising Stars called the "Day in the Life" series. We have been working closely with our actors and their families so that they can share their stories with the world! And in 2022 we had the pleasure of casting over 30 of our Rising Stars in "Ezra" starring Robert De Niro and Whoopi Goldberg, coming to a theater near you in the fall of 2024!

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INFORMATION ON OUR PARENT CORPORATION

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Our Rising Stars Program is a subset of our parent corporation: Weist-Barron-Ryan of NY Acting Workshops. Weist-Barron-Ryan of NY Acting Workshops has been in Atlantic County since 1980. We are the nation's oldest studio for on-camera acting, and have been awarded the honor of being the #1 acting workshop in the nation. We have been successfully training actors since 1954 and have many A+ stars in what we like to call, our “WBR Family...” (Seth Green, Tiffany Evans (Lion King), Jameel Saleem, Courtney Cox, several Emmy winners, several Miss NJ’s and a Miss America just to name a few)...and all right here from South Jersey!  We have instructed lawyers, politicians, realtors, sales professionals, regular everyday folks, etc. We also cast for movies/commercials. Our long list of projects we cast for can be found on our parent company’s website, linked at the top right section of this page. The most recent was "Death Saved My Life" Starring Meagan Good and "Bruised" starring and directed by Halle Berry. She took the time out of her busy days shooting in Atlantic City and had lunch with our special needs actors! Another of our Rising Stars is up for a role in the CBS Television show, “Blue Bloods.” (Fingers crossed!) We are considered under goods and services. Also, please feel free to check out our parent company’s website, www.weistbarronryan.com and social media pages for more information. 

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On behalf of the entire WBR Family, we would like to welcome you to come check us out, sit in a workshop and experience the magic of acting first hand. Please feel free to reach out to us by phone or email with any questions. Our doors are always open!

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Sincerely, the WBR Team