I've been working as an actor in film and television for over 30 years. 12 years ago Deb Aquila asked me to come teach with her at her studio in Los Angeles. It was an incredible opportunity for me to work alongside a teacher and casting director who has spent many years working with A-list actors. This is where I honed my ability to teach and train actors. I quickly discovered that in addition to loving my work as an actor, I also love and have a great passion for coaching actors. I find it extremely rewarding and gratifying to take what years on sets and years of successful auditions have taught me and develop my own unique approach to passing my knowledge and experience along to other actors.
As an actor who continues to work in the industry as well as having spent years working with actors of all levels, I have an ability to help you take audition material and turn it into a piece of work that will make you stand out.
Our work together will focus on using information found in the text to clarify the 'given circumstances' of the character and then guide you to use your imagination to create specific backstory and imagery that will enable you to live and behave truthfully within those circumstances. The way I work will take your attention away from 'acting the words' into authentic behavior and a need to communicate based on what is happening 'in the moment' each time. The given circumstances don't change, but what happens to you and your reaction to what happens within those circumstances will be different each time you step into the scene.
After you have a clear understanding and connection to the given circumstances, I employ specific exercises to help ensure you are actively listening in the scene. Active listening will enable you to be fully present while you work and when you are fully present you are open to surprise and spontaneity. What happens to you as 'the character' will become a replication of what happens to us in life. We become a character who is impelled to DO something based on what is happening in a specific place - a character who does something based on who they are with, informed and based on who they are.