A new
2.5 day training based on Dr. Sara K. Schneider's study of gifted
undercovers' acting techniques, The
Art of
Undercover readies new and working undercover
officers in the performance skills necessary to work both effectively
and safely in their undercover roles.Think of it this way: Even the most “natural” actors study acting and rely on the feedback they get from directors to calibrate their performances. It's all that much more vital that undercover officers, working under dangerous performance conditions, know how they come across to others and practice, under safe conditions, time-tested strategies for increasing their believability.
Yet most undercover trainers do not have the performance training experience to offer meaningful performance feedback to officers putting their lives on the line in undercover investigations.
Dr. Sara K. Schneider--performance anthropologist, author, and theatre director--began researching undercover operators' experiences and taking part in training with them in the mid-1990s. Her newest book, Art of Darkness: Ingenious Performances by Undercover Operators, Con Men, and Others, has been hailed by trainers and the public at large as “must” reading for law enforcement. Its strategies for officer safety have been profiled on www.PoliceOne.com.
Using Art of Darkness as textbook, training draws on the performance strategies experienced undercover operators have used to create credible performances in their roles, as well as on the techniques used to train professional actors. Shorter presentations and workshops can also be designed for your organization's needs.
Lecture is combined with active practice and critique, video scene analysis, cover story scripting, and debrief. Sara's book and additional course materials are included for participants.
