Students attend prestigious acting academy in London

Two Orange County high school students traded in part of their summer vacations to be part of the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London.

Los Alamitos resident Jamie Ostmann, 16, and Rachel Charny, 17, who both attend the Orange County School of the Arts, were among 12 students selected from around the country to participate in the acting academy in July and August.

The academy once housed actors Maggie Gyllenhaal, Alan Rickman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins and Allison Janney.

The students were taught by classically trained British actors with stage credits at the Globe for eight hours a day, five days a week in courses like technique, scenes, monologues, clowning, stage combat, language, singing and court dancing.

Jamie and Rachel are members of South Coast Repertory Theatre’s most advanced acting conservatory for high school students.

--Brittany Woolsey