WHY SHOULD YOU BE MY COACH?

Because I will help you grow as an actor by teaching you the fundamental skills of the acting profession. You will gain confidence by learning how to breakdown a scene. You will learn how to rely on the given circumstances of the play by asking yourself questions: What was the character doing just prior to this moment? What did he come here to do? What are the stimuli affecting him – the objects, the odors, the time of day, the temperature? And most importantly: What does my character want and why can’t he get it? The answer to these and similar questions will determine the choices an actor makes as he brings life to his character. In working with me, you will gain strength in making choices of physical actions and emotional tone that will distinguish you as a creative actor from the conventional one. I’ve had the pleasure of working as a teacher at The Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute and then with some of the best acting coaches/directors in the business. In my 25 years as an actor, director, teacher and coach, I have developed my own technique based on the problems an actor faces and how to best solve those problems.

WHAT IS YOUR TECHNIQUE AND WHAT SETS YOU APART FROM OTHERS?

My technique utilizes Method acting that my mentors used, but in an intensely personal way. I coach one-on-one, period. Acting classes can be difficult with a busy schedule and a bit intimidating for beginners. You will not have to sit in a class with thirty other actors waiting for your turn. I prefer to teach actors who want a one-on-one relationship with a coach, a relationship that can nurture an actor across an entire career. This approach allows me to get to know you as the unique individual that you are and for you to feel free to express yourself in a safe environment. It also helps me to see where you are in your life as an actor and to assess your special talents and needs. Phone sessions are also offered so that you can get the coaching you’ll need to make the strongest choices just before you walk into your audition. I will employ sense memory, emotional memory and relaxation if you are having trouble in connecting to the needs of the character. The aim is to show actors how to use their emotions and experiences to break through barriers. I have a keen sense of when actors are tense and blocked emotionally, in short, not in touch. I will teach you how to develop your character, by working directly from the script using script analysis as we explore the psyche of the character in order to understand how that particular character navigates life. Once we’ve discovered the answers to these questions, I will teach you how to compare your life with that of the characters and then you will work from your own personal needs to create real and authentic choices. This will enable you to embody the character so that the character becomes you. You will be taught to use your inherent emotions to act as a stimuli, not to self indulgently flail and suffer, but to inspire and to affectively drive you to a greater realization of your work. Another unique feature of my approach is that while you are doing a scene, I will encourage you to speak out your inner thoughts, feelings and problems, anything that may be preventing you from getting in touch with the moment to moment work of the scene, so that we can deal with it on the spot. This teaches you to become hyper aware of any inhibitions that block you and how to quickly move past them. As we progress, I will help you to choose a scene which may include a scene partner. And I will evaluate and critique your work.

I HEAR THAT YOU ARE ALSO A DIRECTOR. CAN YOU TELL ME YOUR APPROACH TO DIRECTING?

My approach to directing a play is to first find the spine. I do that through script analysis, which for me, is a vital necessity. I read the play several times to determine what the play’s main action is. I learn about the characters, their wants, their needs, their flaws. I begin to view it, not as a written text confined to the page, but as a living, ‘breathing-thing-in-motion’. I read all the parts separately as if I were going to act each of them; this helps me find the chief motivating action for each character. When the actors are called together for the first rehearsal I begin the process of reading the script with the entire cast with the aim of helping them understand the script and the specific reasons for what the characters are saying and what they mean. In short, understanding the author’s intention. This, I find, empowers the actors to come up with their own ideas and emotions as they develop their character’s specific needs and wants. While we are in the process of reading the script, I also will ask the set designer to explain the set to the actors. Just what the set is and how it looks and works for the action of the play becomes more meaningful and the actors’ interest in it increases after the play has been read several times. It grounds them and strengthens their visualization of the event we’re creating. When the actors are rehearsing on their feet, I leave them to make their own choices and discoveries. I begin to listen and learn how the actors work. I don’t worry about pace, in fact, I encourage the discovery of moment-to-moment work. I don’t believe in blocking immediately. I believe the actors find their characters’ actions and true behavior in the discovery process. But should an actor get into trouble or the cast appear to be ‘stuck’, I’m there to guide them through it and here is when all the solid preparation we’ve done together pays off.