Always tell the truth, but in the most interesting way possible. The range of human experience and expression is vast. There are many ways to react to a situation and still have it be utterly and deeply truthful. — Reed Birney Welcome back to season 2 and I’m excited to have actor and teacher Reed Birney […]
Text Work: Harold Pinter’s The Hothouse with Peter Van Norden
The following is a re-airing of Peter’s text work session taken from the full episode with him. In this excerpt we discuss performing a speech from Harold Pinter’s The Hothouse. About the guest Peter Van Norden graduated magna cum laude from Colgate University, and studied with Sanford Meisner and many others at the Neighborhood […]
Text Work: Mike Bartlett’s King Charles III with Nike Doukas
The following is a re-airing of Nike’s text work session taken from the full episode with her. In this excerpt we discuss performing a speech from Mike Bartlett’s King Charles III. Nike Doukas is a fantastic actress, director, teacher, and accent coach. Originally from Massachusetts (same as me!), Nike studied at the University of […]
Text Work: Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead with Geoffrey Wade
The following is a re-airing of Geoffrey’s text work session taken from the full episode with him. In this excerpt we discuss performing THE PLAYER from Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. Geoffrey Wade (@geoffreywade) is an actor, director, teacher, photographer, and acting coach, and he was recently in the national tour of The Curious […]
Text Work: Noel Coward’s Mrs. Worthington and Shakespeare’s King Lear with Harry Groener
The following is a re-airing of Harry’s text work session taken from the full episode with him. In this excerpt we discuss singing a Noel Coward song and performing Shakespeare’s King Lear. Harry Groener is probably most familiar to audiences for his musical theatre work in New York, as well as being a series […]
Text Work: Shakespeare’s Henry VI with Armin Shimerman
The following is a re-airing of Armin’s text work session taken from the full episode with him. You wanted these text work sessions as separate episodes and I’m happy to accommodate! First up, Armin talks about his general approach to Shakespeare and some of the overall principles he teaches in classes. In this excerpt we […]
Text Work: Mini-Shakespeare Master Class with Dakin Matthews
A great speech is like an aria: it has a musical structure, and it is normally clearly marked where the emotional climaxes are, if you know how to read the rhetoric. — Dakin Matthews We have a BONUS episode today with a mini-Shakespeare master class with Dakin! This “class” is taken from the full conversation with […]
Ep #12: Dakin Matthews (Shakespeare scholar/actor/teacher, Broadway plays/musicals) on Acting the Classics and Your Artistic Family
Actors are challenged to bring their instrument to the highest level of availability—their voice, their movement, their psyche, their understanding, their emotional life—so that if they are doing a great play that deals with great issues and great emotions, they can fill that greatness with their instrument. — Dakin Matthews I’m thrilled to welcome Dakin […]
Ep #11: Ben Whitehair (Z Nation, Tweetup, NextGen Performers) on Building Relationships and Intelligent Rule-Breaking
So don't be surprised!
When I stopped measuring my progress and success by what I booked, and measured it by the quantity and quality of relationships I was making, everything changed. — Ben Whitehair I’m thrilled to welcome Ben to the show! As you’ve already guessed, he is a younger actor and has been pursuing acting professionally for about 10 […]
Ep #10: Gigi Bermingham (Solo Show, Master Class, SoCal Theatre) on Being a Misfit and Living Her Dream
Maintain and foster your relationships: make an effort to stay in touch with people who might connect you with work. — Gigi Bermingham I’m thrilled to welcome Gigi to the show! She’s an actress and singer whom I first saw onstage in a LA production of Tartuffe and I’ve since been fortunate to work with […]
