Aspiring local actors and actresses who want the inside scoop on working in New York and Hollywood should consider signing up for this semester’s class taught by Sagan Lewis at Yavapai College.

Acting for Camera Master Workshop runs on Monday nights from Jan. 26 through May 11, from 5:30 till 9 p.m. at the Zaki Gordon Film Institute at YC’s Sedona Campus.

By Susan Johnson

Aspiring local actors and actresses who want the inside scoop on working in New York and Hollywood should consider signing up for this semester’s class taught by Sagan Lewis at Yavapai College.

Acting for Camera Master Workshop runs on Monday nights from Jan. 26 through May 11, from 5:30 till 9 p.m. at the Zaki Gordon Film Institute at YC’s Sedona Campus.

“There’s so much talent in Sedona,” Lewis said. “I’m happy and excited to be offering the class again and to see students as they grow and develop their skills.”

Lewis is a highly experienced television and stage actress herself and has taught acting workshops in New York, Los Angeles, and Maui.

“After years of studying acting in wonderful schools with extraordinary teachers, I discovered the demands of an actor are quite different in a professional environment,” Lewis said. “My teaching combines the best of what I learned in schools with a practical approach that is more suitable when the ‘camera is rolling.’”

Curriculum for the class concentrates on acting exercises, scene work, and discussions, allowing the actor to achieve self-confidence and the knowledge that goes along with being a professional while being in an environment where actors feel safe and motivated to take creative risks.

Lewis is best known for her six seasons and 82 episodes playing Dr. Jackie Wade on NBC’s award-winning “St. Elsewhere.”

Others on the cast called her the “miniature Dr. Craig,” a perfectionist young girl learning to be a surgeon like her mentor, played by William Daniels.

Although her character started out being intellectual and knew all the answers medically, Wade’s personal life was very messed up — married seven years and then ditched by another medical student after he graduated.

“In other words, my character was incredibly dysfunctional personally, but professionally, she was an A-plus,” Lewis said.

The former actress is also known for her recurring roles as Judge Susan Aandahl on “Homicide, Life on the Street” and Sharon on HBO’s “The Beat”.

A 25-year veteran of stage and screen, Lewis appeared in dozens of productions including: “M.A.S.H.,” “Moonlighting,” and “The Golden Girls.”

Of those, “M.A.S.H.” was the most fun for her, appearing as the last guest star ever on the program.

“They were a real family and they treated me well, especially Alan Alda,” Lewis said.

However, her first love was theater.

After getting her master’s degree in acting at the University of California at San Diego, she went to New York to study with some of the world’s noted acting teachers.

She played many roles on stage, including Yelena and Sonya in “Uncle Vanya,” Corrinna in “The House of Blue Leaves,” Antigone in “Antigone,” Stella in “A Streetcar Named Desire” and Agave in “The Bacchae.”

Her stage credits also include three seasons at the Williamstown Theatre Festival as a main stage actress and cabaret singer along with guest artistships at Dartmouth and Princeton.

One of twelve Americans chosen to work in New York City with Tabokov of the Moscow Art Theatre and Spiros Evangelatos of the Greek National Theatre, Lewis is always fascinated with everything Chekhov.

“He speaks to our day now — his work is universal and he’s funnier than people think,” Lewis said. “I love to mine the comedy out of it.”

Independent films are another of her passions and she currently serves as a board member of The Sedona International Film Festival, co-chairing their screening committee.

Professionally, Lewis works as a script consultant.

“People send me their scripts and I give them notes on whether it works or not — evaluating whether they’ve been economical and if they’ve told their story well,” Lewis said. “My intuition about what works comes from a combination of all my experiences as an actor, knowing what producers look for and what an audience wants.”

To sign up for classes, call Yavapai College at 649-4266.