Why are British actors taking our roles? This is the question currently being debated in American acting circles. It has led to soul searching about our training, our aesthetic, our talent. One theater practitioner explains the phenomenon thus: British actors work harder, are more dedicated to their craft and get better training. After spending 27
Over the years students have approached me from inside and outside the School of Fine Arts with requests for an independent study in film. There is no film school at UCONN and although we have classes in Drama and Art and Art History, students often want to pursue their own projects such as live action,
I was so excited to discover the half hour comic drama Transparent by Jill Soloway, writer of Six Feet Under. Starring Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent is about a 70 year old man who transitions from a he to a she and the subsequent reaction by his grown up family. Based on Soloway’s experience of her own
I find it humbling when I return to the yoga mat. To authentically ask my body what it needs today and then to trust it, to allow it to unfold without expectation, takes courage. I am so driven by results that I can often get in my own way, creating all kinds of unnecessary obstacles.
I recently had the good fortune to spend an afternoon at the Getty Center in Los Angeles and stumbled upon a book called Wabi Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers by Leonard Koren.* I was drawn to it by the simplicity of the cover: a single, faded, slightly desiccated leaf. Upon reading, the principles
There is an economic revolution happening across the globe that changes how we think as individuals, how we perceive ourselves, how we work, where we work and how we relate to those we are working with. In my experience, start-up theater and film companies will need to be small and agile, ready to change quickly
One of the joys of making art lies in the collaborative process. Sure it can be frustrating and arduous, but when you are creating with like-minded souls, working towards a common goal, it is a deeply fulfilling experience. I recently attended a workshop led by Robert McKee. His subject was long form television with a
Did you know that 73% of Hartford adults are functionally illiterate? That is a shocking statistic and one that galvanized me to get involved as a literacy volunteer. When I walked through the doors of Literacy Volunteers of Greater Hartford, I had no idea that I would leave uplifted, altered and inspired. I had the
One of the most transformational experiences of my actor training at The Drama Studio, London was working with the Alexander Technique. A simple and powerful practice designed to help us reconnect with our “natural” alignment, it has been an intrinsic part of my life ever since. Typically we walk through life in a patterned state,
My University of Connecticut graduate students have recently had their headshots taken and some have come to me for advice. I have to admit that I don’t mince words. What can I say? I have strong opinions on the subject and those opinions are as diverse as the individuals themselves. But the bottom line is
