Lights, camera, action! The San Jacinto College South Campus Department of Theatre and Film is staging a unique piece of modern classical theater titled “The Acting Class” beginning Nov. 8.

During the play, audience members audit a “professional” acting class where they ultimately become part of the class for the evening. The class is taught by “legendary actor” Danforth Lackshaft, portrayed by Diego Portillo.

Program Director and Professor Kevin Holden said the scenes performed come from noted playwrights like Tennessee Williams, Arthur Miller, Edward Albee, Lanford Wilson, Tony Kushner, and Eugene O’Neil. The featured scenes are from American theater classics like “Burn This,” “Angels in America,” “A Streetcar Named Desire,” and “Death of a Salesman” to name a few.

“The real motivation behind this concept is we wanted to do something from a great American contemporary playwright,” Holden said, “but performing something like ‘Death of a Salesman’ in its entirety would not be something that would really appeal to our target audience (San Jac students).”

He noted, the group is taking short scenes from noted playwrights and putting them “in the world of an acting class” for an added twist.

“There will be some mild audience participation as well,” Holden said. “Hopefully, it will be a fun show to attend, while exposing our audience to modern, classical American theater.”

Performances of “The Acting Class” will take place Nov. 8-10 and Nov. 15-17 in the Black Box Theater of the Flickinger Fine Arts Center (S15) on the South Campus. Curtain time is 8 p.m. and admission is free of charge. Further information is available at 281-929-3483.

Rosa Espitia contributed to this report.