Workshops & Coaching
As an artist based in Toronto, I specialize in acting, directing, writing, and dramaturgy for stage & screen. As a storytelling coach, I facilitate professional self-development and guidance to other writers & creators who need help in crafting their stories.
I help artists feel confident, prepared, and grounded.
DISCOVERING THE MOMENT
An acting workshop for both actors & directors, on how to build, adapt & collaborate on the creation of characters and the filming & staging of compelling performances, by finding the key moments that propel the story forward in every scene, every shot, and every thought.
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An epiphany I had, when as a teacher I was sharing the art of film acting, was that the power of story is present at every moment in our lives. Each moment, like a story, has a beginning, a middle, an end, and a new beginning.
It is that simple, but it is within that simplicity that makes it so profound. We control the length & duration of those moments, but no matter how big or small, every moment follows that inevitable pattern.
It means that every second of our existence is worthwhile. No matter how big or how small, no matter how insignificant it may seem, that moment is a universe unto itself. A whole universe living within a tear rolling down someone’s face, in a smile given from an awkward glance, or that long awaited kiss that someone receives when they least expect it. It means that life is actually meaningful and worth sharing. It means that one single moment can make all the difference, and if we can share those moments and talk about them without judgment then maybe we can better understand why we are here and what we are capable of.
Whether we are acting for the stage or screen, it is about discovering these stories within the larger story. Finding the key moment within an action, within a thought. Uncovering the hidden moments as well as the moments that reveal themselves, as the larger story unfolds, reaching a climactic peak, and then driving onward toward a new beginning.
Work will consist of guided exercises, mask work, improvisations, prepared monologues and short scenes. And will be dependent upon each actor's individual needs and my advice as your coach.
Some outside preparation will be required.
THE MASKS WE WEAR
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Everyday we are asked to play a variety of roles. Some that are chosen and some that are chosen for us. At home, at work, at play, we are called to be our best Selves.
Whether you are a daughter, a son, a parent, a grandparent, a boss, a teacher, a student, a professional, a sibling, a spouse, a friend, whatever role you are asked to play, the source within is always You: your Soul Self. Life may pull you in many different directions, but if you can understand the You behind all the masks perhaps you’ll feel more equipped to deal with Life’s pressures and be confident and adaptable to take on any Role that is asked of You.
Envisioning our Soul Selves under our Masks, we will contemplate who we are within, and reflect upon what is required to be the Masks we wear and understand the purpose of You who wears them.
Ultimately, seeking an understanding that the Mask is a construct, and that who we are within is our Authentic Self, that is adaptable, confident and ready to take on any task that is asked of Us, but also knowing our limits and being truthful with ourselves as to when we need to say “No” to a ‘role’.
This workshop offers specialized coaching for Actors who are working on film or theatre projects, auditions, or personalized training between jobs.
And for Professionals in other fields who are seeking new perspectives on their life and career, this workshop will help facilitate advancement and personal growth by using the same Acting Coaching Model, but focus more on the actual ‘Roles they play in Life’ minus the performed character an Actor would play in a project.
A self-development workshop to identify the roles in your life and to strengthen the source within.
THE MONOMYTH SPIRAL
A writing workshop in three parts, inspired by Joseph Campbell’s theory of ‘The Hero’s Journey’ and how the steps we take in mythic storytelling can be applied to all mediums of writing and narrative composition.
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From the moment before you woke up, up to now, your entire day can be perceived like Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey, and is an example of the Monomyth Spiral in your Life. It can be observed in everything. Everything has a beginning, middle, end, and new beginning.
Inspired by the concept developed by Joseph Campbell, The Monomyth Spiral marks a pattern found in every cultures’ mythologies. A Pattern found in nature, from the subatomic to the cosmic. A continuous ‘Fibonacci’ spiralling event which moves in time from birth, to living, to dying, to new birth, which then moves onto a new spiralled path.
Observing and examining these events, help us understand causality and the “why’s” of Life. They can also help predict where we might go in the future, from one event onto the next.
As writers, we capture these events through words; inspired by what we see & experience & imagine.
As artists, we choose the most intriguing & captivating stories to tell, cultivating the words in such a way that is unique to our own style & voice.
How we compose onto that framework creates our art.
The Monomyth Spiral gives the writer a foundation to build on, a framework for the story-events to lay on, and then launches off from there.
This is not a formula or rule to follow, but an understanding of how human beings experience life, and the common mythical process we innately use to examine our lives.
We will explore each section of the Monomyth Spiral, and discover how one step leads to the next, and how the whole path shapes our story from beginning to end to new beginning. Keeping in mind, however, the central reason you chose to tell this particular story, and define what that principal ‘Ordeal’ is that overshadows everything in it.
Beyond the story of asking “Who am I?” — explore “Why am I?” — these ‘why’ questions come from experiencing the Ordeal. The events of the story seek to answer these questions that the Ordeal poses, which then shape the ‘who’ we want to discover by the end.
Joseph Campbell referred to this Ordeal as “being trapped in the belly of the whale” — but I find in today’s day & age, a more compelling metaphor for this might be: “being caught in the belly of a DRAGON” - a mystical, magical, mythical, ferocious, incredible phenomenon that envelops you in your story. And, understanding the depths and details of your story’s ‘Dragon’, may help you understand the central path your story takes, and in what direction it wants to go.
We will explore how to identify your story’s ‘Dragon’ and how each step of the Monomyth Spiral helps you find a way through that ’belly’.
INDIVIDUAL COACHING
Whether it is acting, writing, or creative self-development, I will work with you individually and help guide and navigate your creative process & ongoing training, specifically designed to suit your needs.
Group Classes: $50/hour
Individual Coaching: $75/hour
( Studio Space Rental: $40/hour )