Reed Birney played Uncle Vanya at SoHo Rep in 2012 in a translation by Annie Baker, with a cast that also included Michael Shannon. He joined us in December 2021 to discuss the character in depth. You’ll hear Reed and I talk about: his ideas going into Chekhov what he discovered and connected with about the role trusting the script challenges in the production and playing trapped characters We also learn lots more about Reed in our lightning round with a couple special New York questions! This episode marks our third installment in our Chekhov series as we focus on Reed playing the ..read more

We have our first workshop scene NOT from Shakespeare, and there’s a great reason! From October 2021, we present a deep dive into the first half of Act 2 from Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya with director Libby Appel - who wrote the translation along with our dramaturg! Uncle Vanya - excerpt of Act 2 DIRECTOR: Libby Appel (Q&A) DRAMATURG: Allison Horsley VOICE: Ursula Meyer PROFESSOR: Alberto Isaac (interview) SONYA: Deidrie Henry MARINA: Jully Lee VANYA: Howard Leder YELENA: Sara Mountjoy-Pepka ASTROV: Corey Hedy One final thing I’ll leave you with before we get to it is that Sara mentions toward ..read more

Geoffrey has played Dogberry twice, at very different times in his life, and finds it's a fascinating character to dissect. He first performed it as a student at Amherst College and then again at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. You’ll hear Geoffrey and I talk about rehearsals, preconceived ideas, and discoveries. How to ground characters that seem eccentric, bizarre or over the top, and how to trust yourself and the script. He’ll talk about working on roles that people think are “funny” and dealing with any sense of obligation an actor might have to be comical. And as some of these guests ha ..read more

We have another “all pro” group—all the actors in the scene are professionals, so the work has been so fun and rich! Our dramaturg Philippa said that she found it so mind-blowingly good how fully the actors and director jumped into this scene, that it’s not something she usually experiences—and I don’t think I could have said it better myself. In the scene today, Silvius tries in vain to get an answer from Phoebe regarding her love. Rosalind chides Phoebe about her treatment of Silvius and Phoebe ends up falling in love with “Ganymede” (which is, of course, Rosalind in disguise as a man). Afte ..read more

Today’s guest grew up on a tiny island in the Caribbean, studied fashion and dance in New York, often felt like she never had the right background or training, and yet found success in several careers. Veralyn Jones is an award-winning actress who has been working professionally for over 30 years across theatre, film and TV. She has worked at The Denver Center, South Coast Repertory, Mark Taper Forum, The Kirk Douglas Theatre, and internationally at LaScala Theatre in Stockholm, Sweden.   Click here for full show notes and links. Become a Patron to get exclusive access and discounts ..read more

Today’s guest grew up in the Philippines, fell in love with movies as a kid, found validation through acting, pursued his master’s degree, got fired from a big break, and still has been working for over five decades! Alberto Isaac has been working for 50+ years across theatre, TV, and film. In addition to regional theatre gigs across the country, he has enjoyed a long association with East West Players, joining them shortly after that company started, and also found success as a director and playwright there.     Click here for full show notes and links. Become a Patron to get e ..read more

Today I'm excited to share a "vocal clinic" we did as part of The Rehearsal Room with certified Fitzmaurice Voicework teacher, Scott Ferrara! This is something very new to me, so I was excited to learn directly from a teacher, and as you hear, this work can be very different (and still quite beneficial) to the "traditional" voice warm-ups you may know. There are also many personal applications to this voicework beyond acting—something you can carry into many areas of your life!   Get your copy of "10 Ways to Stop Worrying and Start Working!" See additional content on Facebook, T ..read more

Today's guest started in the theatre at a very young age, felt adrift and wasn’t exactly sure what he’d do as a young man, and ended up working for years at some of the best theatres in the country. Jamie Newcomb has performed in over 60 Shakespeare plays and 75 other productions. He worked for 14 seasons at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, is a founding company member of Shakespeare & Company, and was an inaugural company member of The Denver Center Theatre, where he remained for 7 seasons.   Click here for full show notes and links. Register for Acting the R ..read more

Marcelo shares how he approaches a voiceover audition for a video game. We look at what direction and description is initially provided and then how to use your instincts to create your own performance rather than going for an impersonation. You’ll hear the actual audition Marcelo sent in and we also get into dealing with rejection and booking jobs. Click here for full show notes and links.   More... Learn about Acting the Role: The Macbeth's with Susan Angelo and Bo Foxworth Become a Patron - save 10% on workshops Get your copy of "Keys the Pro's Use to Unlock Any Script ..read more

Marcelo was born in Argentina, moved to LA at a young age, felt very lost with his career, almost quit after his first TV role, and eventually booked a job that changed his life. Plus, we get a quick look at Marcelo’s process with a voiceover audition for a video game, and you’ll hear what he sent in! It was fascinating to hear about the many ups and downs, and all the relationships, mentors, and teachers who helped him along the way. We covered a LOT of ground, so get ready for a very full ride. A lot of laughs too.   Click here for full show notes and links. Get ..read more