There have been times in my life when a work of art lifted me out of a deep trench of depression and despair.  Once when I was struggling alone in a too expensive New York City apartment after a devastating breakup, I read Crime and Punishment, and when I got to the last chapter, where […]

Just wanted to post a Williams quote that I found to be moving. It was discovered by my friend and current student Pamela Osowski. “When did we become so small and so apologetic? Why do we apologize for our humanity? Love what you love, and make no apologies. This is your identity. The most horrendous […]

When people first come to my scene study class, they often ask what is expected of them in the way of rehearsal.  Of course, that depends on the material, but here’s a model of a good way to start your work on a scene: Get the material and read the whole play a couple of […]

Some thoughts about “letting yourself alone.” When I first heard the expression, I couldn’t imagine what it meant or why such a concept would be useful… I was 19, apprenticed at a theatre in New York from a midwestern college.  Letting yourself alone? Why? Weren’t we here to train ourselves, become ourselves, perfect our skills, […]

Been trying to write about a central schism in our work— the bastard marriage between commerce and art—that make up the theatre, the movies, and television in our culture.  More resonance to the idea that “the drama is conflict.”  The more I try to write down what I have to say about it, the bigger […]