Photo by Craig Lawrence, Fight Guy Photography
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I am an educator with a wide range of interests, including acting, movement, voice, stage combat and musical theatre performance. In addition, I am also a practitioner and teacher of the First Folio Cue Script Shakespeare Technique, also known as "Unrehearsed Shakespeare." Below, you can see a sampling of workshops and classes I am able to teach. For more information, or to book a workshop, contact me here
Excerpts from Student Evaluations
“I feel like I have grown so much because of Brian! He has been a great influence on me this year and has really made a change. I am not just better in my ability, but a better person and a more confident one as well!”
“He was one of those teachers that everyone hopes to find. He helped us not only grow as people, but as actors as well.”
“Brian makes everyone feel great. He makes everyone feel safe in the classroom. Free to express ourselves and he really knows what he is doing.”
“He is incredibly good at communicating ideas to the class. He has a wide knowledge of this field and loads of experience. He is friendly, kind and helps to create a good atmosphere for work.”
“Always helpful, understanding, easy to talk to. Open to hearing about and helping to fix any problem.”
“Brian knows what he does. He is a wonderful teacher. I have learned so much.”
“He was one of those teachers that everyone hopes to find. He helped us not only grow as people, but as actors as well.”
“Brian makes everyone feel great. He makes everyone feel safe in the classroom. Free to express ourselves and he really knows what he is doing.”
“He is incredibly good at communicating ideas to the class. He has a wide knowledge of this field and loads of experience. He is friendly, kind and helps to create a good atmosphere for work.”
“Always helpful, understanding, easy to talk to. Open to hearing about and helping to fix any problem.”
“Brian knows what he does. He is a wonderful teacher. I have learned so much.”
Acting
With extensive Stanislavsky training and a MFA in acting from Western Illinois University, I am available to teach acting classes/workshops and assist in monologue coaching. Utilizing a thorough examination of a character's objectives and intentions, in conjunction with the techniques of Michael Chekhov and Sanford Meisner, I can assist in finding the truth of the character and eliciting honest responses to imaginary circumstances. Whether in a group setting or working one-on-one, a text based system of analysis and experimentation can lead the actor to the goal of complete honesty on stage. Currently, I am a Certified Teacher Candidate with the National Michael Chekhov Association (NMCA).
Stage Combat
From a knock-down, drag out fist fight to an elegant sword fight, I can teach you how to make the moves look good, sell to an audience and above all BE SAFE! From basic classes to more specific specialty classes, I have taught stage combat to 6 year-olds all the way up to professional actors and everyone in between. I can custom tailor a class or workshop to meet your group's specific needs or I can use any number of specialty classes I have developed over the years. In addition, I am also sanctioned to teach the Society of American Fight Directors' Skills Proficiency Test class. Requiring a minimum of 30 contact hours of instruction, students may elect to test for recognition in any one of the SAFD's 8 recognized weapon forms: unarmed, rapier & dagger, broadsword, quarterstaff, knife, smallsword, sword & shield and single sword.
Unrehearsed Shakespeare
How could they have done it? Shakespeare and his players performed a new play every day. How did they have time to rehearse? How did they know where to move? How did they know when to move? How did they know to whom they were speaking? These questions, and more, can be answered by examining the techniques of Original Practices or "Unrehearsed" Shakespeare. Utilizing only a handful of tools and techniques and the text of Shakespeare's First Folio, students can hearken back to our theatrical past and explore one method of how Shakespeare's plays may have been originally performed. Armed with only a cue script, containing the text of the actor's role and the four syllables of the cue before it, the actor will learn how clues in the text and punctuation can guide them without the benefit of rehearsal. Not only will this offer clues to how Shakespeare may have been performed, but it will also shed new light on Shakespeare's text, using an actor-centered performance method. Workshops are available in a one day format, introducing students to the basics of the techniques, or a five-day workshop, culminating in a production of a full-length, unrehearsed Shakespeare play!
Musical Theatre
With extensive experience performing in such musicals as Miss Saigon, A Man of No Importance, Parade, Children of Eden, Me and My Girl and The Rocky Horror Show I can also teach classes and workshops in musical theatre scene study, song study and audition coaching. As a devoted musical theatre enthusiast and practitioner, with a personal collection of over 2,500 musical theatre recordings and 500 scores, I am able to coach or instruct the student in how to utilize basic acting tools and implement them into a musical theatre performance or audition situation. Whether finding the ideal material for an audition or working on furthering performance ability, I will aid the student in getting to the root of the character's objective with the goal of absolute truth and honesty on stage. Additional focus includes using lyrics and musical phrasing to assist in developing character.
Movement
Connecting an actor's physical life to their emotional life is essential for honest communication of a character on stage. I can create a class or workshop utilizing such varied techniques and ideas as Alexander Technique, Action Theatre, Laban, Neutral Mask, Commedia dell'Arte, period movement and physical comedy to help the actor to release inhibitions, create a firm connection to the physical body and unite the instrument into a cohesive whole. Additionally, I have completed my 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Certification and am currently registered with Yoga Alliance.
Voice
Utilizing a free and open voice is a tool necessary for any actor. Using Rodenburg, Linklater and Fitzmaurice Voicework techniques, I can aid in focusing on elements of breath, resonance and range for the most effective use of the voice on stage. Whether for contemporary or period drama, I can train or coach your actors to work at the peak of their capabilities. In addition, I can also serve as a dialect coach, having instructed actors in the use of Standard British, Cockney, Southern Plantation and Irish dialects.
Auditioning and Professional Preparation
Individual and/or group instruction on the business side of acting. As a SAG-AFTRA/AEA actor with over 30 years of experience, I can cover such topics as creating a resume, selecting headshots, writing cover letters and dealing with agents and unions. In addition, I can also offer coaching in both musical and non-musical auditions, whether for college/conservatory programs or professional auditions, I can assist with choosing appropriate materials, polishing existing pieces and how to to effectively communicate to an auditor in the limited time afforded in an audition setting.
