For Shani Atias, training at The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute “liberated” her. LSTFI “taught me to get int touch with my body.” It became a “strong foundation” for Shani’s acting career, which spans from NCIS: New Orleans to award winning Isreali-American films and everything in between.
Originally from Israel, Shani came to LSTFI for the two-year conservatory program in Los Angeles and “ended up landing a teen show” right off the bat. As a child Shani found a love for acting and film while “watching telenovelas from Argentina… I was 9 years old.” In Israel, all citizens over the age of 18 are required to do military service. Shani “trained to become a commander…. and it was incredible.” The training and service “was an amazing challenge, physically, mentally and spiritually.”
In her spare time, Shani is committed to volunteering with an organization called Larger Than Life, a organization that helps families of Israeli children with cancer. She has been working with the organization for a while and now assists with the program’s “dream trip to California,” that allows kids to take a trip to Los Angeles.
The Strasberg Method Training
There are no shortcuts…. If it is not burning inside of you, don’t waste your energy.
Shani Atias on Acting
The values and discipline Shani learned in the military transferred over to her training at LSTFI. At Strasberg “you train way harder and longer than the actual battle,” the battle being a stage or film role. Shani trained hard at Strasberg and put in the extra effort to watch Lee Strasberg’s tapes to hear what Lee said about The Method “in his own words.”
Her Method Acting classes taught her the importance of “knowing hour body, instrument, and soul.” Her training has stuck with her through her professional career. “I love relaxation,” said Shani, “even for a minute… given the circumstances” of a film or TV set, there isn’t much time for relaxation. Another technique she loves from LSTFI is animal work. “I can’t wait to have a role that requires [a lot of animal work]”
In 2013, Shani was able to use some animal work for her character in an episode of NCIS. “I used the hand of a leopard… I was playing a woman who was like a caged tiger.” Since then, Shani has also been in NCIS: New Orleans and is currently filming an episode of NCIS: Los Angeles.
Like every production, NCIS: New Orleans is “near and dear” to her heart. “The whole cast and crew was so supportive and kind” when Shani had to leave the set because of a family emergency. It was good for her to know that she had the support of her production team behind her.
Making Acting Career Moves
In 2018, Shani won Best Actress a the Los Angeles Cinema Festival for her emotional portrayal of Ronit, a female Israeli soldier, in Tzeva Adom: The Color Red. She is faced with difficult moral decisions when she decides to show compassion to a young Palestinian boy. This production was close to home for her because of her time in the Israeli military. Her military background gave her “life experience and discipline” that translated to her commitment to pushing herself as an actor.
Recently, Shani was in an Israeli-American movie called Happy Times, a horror-comedy about a dinner party that goes horribly wrong. Shani plays one of the main characters, Noya. In 2019, Happy Times was nominated for Best Film and won Best Script at the Haifa International Film Festival. Happy Times “is not in America yet,” but when it is available, be sure to check out a LSTFI alumna’s performance.
In the future, Shani would love to create her “own stories… as a producer or writer.” As an artist, it is so important for your personal voice to be heard, no one else can speak your truth.
Shani Atias (center) in a scene from Happy Times
The Alumni Blog for LSTFI is run by Aly Homminga.
If you are an alumni and have a story you think should be featured, please emailahomminga@strasberg.edu.
Going into her 12th year working at The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute, MJ Karmi is seasoned in both acting and teaching. MJ teaches Method Acting, Improvisation, Scene Study, a new class in Los Angeles called Making It Personal Through Sensory, and many others. She is also a lifetime member of The Actor’s Studio and is currently work-shopping a new play titled Dear Murderess by Barbara Bane.
“I feel like everything being taught at Strasberg is what I learned in my Masters [Degree]… Students learn how to be the best possible artist”
MJ Karmi
Passion for Strasberg’s Method
When I asked MJ what her favorite part of Lee Strasberg’s Method was, she replied, “all of it.” She has been doing Method Acting for over 30 years, originally training under Elizabeth Kemp at LSTFI New York. “You fall in love with the work,” said MJ about The Method.
MJ is particularly passionate about sensory exercises. “I would not be the actor I am without sensory… It is the foundation of my work.”
“Sensory is so important in terms of opening up our instrument… to make [us] available to all the stimulus… It connects us to our unconscious mind.”
MJ Karmi on Method Acting
At LSTFI and The Actor’s Studio, “there is an understanding that members and trainees… are very serious actors.” There is power behind LSTFI, “when [casting directors] see Strasberg on a resume… they know that person is highly trained.”
Teaching at The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute
“For me, to pass on the work that I love so much is important to me… It is really special for me to pass it on.”
MJ Karmi on teaching The Method
“When I walk into Strasberg I feel myself lift,” said MJ. She loves the atmosphere of LSTFI and the values the institute promotes. “I know I am going to experience something today that is going to be artistically exciting.”
Working with students for two years brings joy to MJ. “I get to see a student grow over a two year period… I am soaring while they are soaring.” There comes a time in the student’s training when “everything [they] have learning has all come together,” and for MJ seeing that discovery “is amazing.”
The new class she is teaching, Making It Personal Through Sensory, builds on the techniques learned in Method Acting Classes and provides guidance on how to “connect to this person I am creating” on stage. “The difference is night and day with authenticity”
Benefits of Method Acting Techniques
Some of the most important Method Acting techniques for MJ are sensory, animal work, and improvisation. “Improv is so so so important!” It teaches actors two things, “one: how to listen… and two: how to use themselves in improv.” Improvisation encourages the actor to use their own experiences and feelings to generate a genuine performance, “in other words don’t act.”
“Animal work is instrumental,” said MJ “very important for the students and for my own work.” Animal work helps actors develop and understand their characters’ ” body language, the unspoken, behavior” and more.
In her own career, MJ uses sensory techniques and also works hard to make every production personal. “I have a document with pages of questions for the character.” In every show there is subtext to a scene, or “what’s underneath the event in the scene,” that MJ digs into the scene to find. It is all about “how am I going to make it personal?”
One of MJ’s other recent movies, The Discovery, is now streaming on Netflix. The film stars Rooney Mara, Jason Segal, and Robert Redford. The movie explores what would happen if someone could prove that an afterlife existed. Such a discovery caused millions of people to kill themselves in the movie. The movie is haunting and dark, worth a watch for a good movie and to support MJ Karmi!
On stage, MJ is currently rehearsing on a staged reading of an Irish play titled Woman in Scarecrow by Marina Carr. The staged reading will be at LSTFI at the end of March.
Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute alumni Nate Boyer’s career has been anything but ordinary. He spent 10 years in the military as a Green Beret and then became a walk-on for the Seattle Seahawks. So how did he come to train at LSTFI? “I was interested in acting at 19,” said Nate. “I had never performed in any way except sports.”
After finishing his military career, he was looking into schools that supported the G.I. Bill. LSTFI offers one and two-year conservatory opportunities for veterans under the G.I. Bill. He was drawn to LSTFI because he knew he would be “working with others who are passionate.” “[Strasberg] is small and intimate, that was appealing to me… I just knew that is what I was going to do next.”
“The true reality of acting is that you’re still in your experience of reality, just in a different person’s set of experiences.”
Nate Boyer on truth in acting
Being Changed by The Method
“Something I have struggled with is stillness… [Stillness] comes with relaxation and feeling comfortable.” The Method has given Nate the tools to not only be a better actor, but a more understanding person. “As an actor, you have to really believe what you character believes… you [sometimes] have to empathize with things that go against your moral compass.” Being in the mind of someone different from you forces you to think the way they do. The Method “has forced me to… let the character dictate the way I feel.”
Nate takes inspiration from Ben Kingsely’s quote, “my main currency is in silence and stillness.” Nate’s Method Acting training has taught him that “unnecessary movement comes form unnecessary tension… it is essential for an actor’s body to be grounded.”
“David [Lee Strasberg] says the tiger in the jungle is heavy like a mountain and light as a feather at the same time… An actor must roll with the punches.”
Nate Boyer on acting
Telling Important Stories
Being a veteran, Nate finds it inspiring to tell stories of fellow veterans. Stories of veterans are “very personal” for Nate. “Veterans have such interesting stories,” and Nate wants to share their stories. “In Hollywood, people want to find what kind of connection you have… they trust that I’ll tell the story right.”
Currently, Nate is working on a developing a podcast with the History Channel that tells stories of World War II veterans. 2020 marks the 75th anniversary of the end of WWII. For Nate, it is important to catalog those stories “before they leave us forever.” Additionally, Nate spent last month filming for a new movie called The Secret of Sinchanee. The production is set the in woods of Massachusetts and features a team half comprised of veterans. The filming is still in the filming process, and Nate plays a character named Detective Drew Carter.
“I think my experience in the military help shape my scope of open mindedness… You have to learn to listen. We usually forget that people have different perspectives.”
Nate Boyer
Connecting with Others, On the Field and On Stage
In 2016, football star, Colin Kapernick began protesting police violence by sitting during the national anthem. Being a former Green Beret, Nate was contacted a lot by the media to ask what he thought of Colin. “I was a big fan [of Colin]… I felt like it was time to share my perspective and why I respect his rights.” Nate continued that there are a lot of hard things happening in America now, “a lot of hatred… It was a frustrating time to be in America.” Nate supported Kapernick and wrote and open letter to him suggesting that he kneel instead of sit, in order to show continued respect for troops. “I want to be a bridge builder,” said Nate. People can “disagree in a respectful, productive way. “
Nate Boyer standing next to Colin Kapernick kneeling
Charles Nuckllos teaches Screenwriting and Advanced Dramatic Writing at The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute, NYC. He is also a part of the Playwrights and Directors Unit of the Actor’s Studio. LSTFI and the Actor’s Studio have a long and successful history together. Lee Strasberg taught classes and developed many of his Method Acting techniques by working with actors at the Studio. Because of his work at the Actor’s Studio, Charles Nuckllos had already “known the work of Lee [Strasberg].” The Studio “got me into the family,” said Charles.
“Ultimately, I am a storyteller. The essence of what we are doing is telling stories. We have to get people interested in what we have to say.”
Charles Nuckolls, on his career in film/theatre
In his career, Charles is a passionate storyteller. “I like to tell stories that deal with subject matter that is challenging… [Stories] that are rooted in the ways in which we treat one another, good and bad.” Two of his recent projects showcase this desire for challenging subject matter in a very real way. One is Remnants of a Dream: The Story of Dearfield Colorado, a documentary of the story of the first African American settlement in Colorado. The other is20 Minutes of Action [password: 20minutes], a cinematic dramatization of the anonymous testimony of the woman assaulted by Brock Turner in 2015. Although this topic is hard to see, the story it is telling is important and the women acting in the piece “use experiential acting techniques, like what we teach at Strasberg.”
Remnants of a Dream
For Charles, Remnants of a dream was a passion project and long time commitment. It all began in 2010, “I first came across a newspaper article” about Dearfield and the African American homesteaders. “I decided to get in touch with the author about the ghost town.” He was able to visit and was surprised to discover “the remains [of homes] were still there… hence the [documentary] title.” It got him thinking about what life was like for the people of Dearfield.
I am extremely proud to play a role in bringing this story to the public.”
Charles Nuckolls on directing and creating Remnants
“I try to resurrect the lives and nuances of what these people were going through… one of the greatest things was the sense of community they created.” The homesteaders lived in “extremely rough conditions.” Dearfield was mostly a farming community, but there was a lot more to Dearfield than just farming. “I was surprised to see just how intertwined… political, economic and civic structures were.”They held “community life parties” and had “economic stability.”
Teaching at The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute
Charles teaches Screenwriting and Advanced Dramatic Writing. Because his students are primarily actors, he challenges his students to think about the kind of characters they want to play. Actors want to play characters who are “complex” and “have something to say.” Writers should write characters who are that strong. Stories that are particularly interesting to Charles are stories of “people who have good intentions, but do bad things… All characters have flaws.”
“The Strasberg Institute deals with sensory work. Being able to tap into ourselves for our work.” In writing, build characters and stories from yourself. “Keep [Strasberg’s] work connected to the [writing] work.” Keep yourself in your writing. ” I am always writing something… and actively working on several things.”
“I think we all continually have to be students of our own craft” in order to “gain a better understanding of the craft and our relationship to it.”
Charles Nuckllos on self-improvement
Charles also enjoys the multicultural elements of LSTFI. Students come from all over the work for Method Acting training. “They all bring their own cultural perspectives from all over the world.” This creates an atmosphere for “the more robust dramatic material.”
On February 26, 2020, David Lee Strasberg paid a visit to LSTFI New York to lead a workshop on the evolution and application of his father’s work. He explains how his father left behind a tremendous legacy – the value of which lies not in its prestige, but in its wisdom. Lee sought to create a training that would both develop and preserve the art of acting, so that the loss of an actor did not mean the loss of their craft. One of the tools in The Method, David explains, is prior moment. For a character, the circumstances at hand are informed by moments and experiences that happened prior to the scene. For the actor, the same is true. While we live and work in the present, we are informed by the past – by Lee and Stanislavski, by the actors and theatre practitioners that came before us.
Sense Memory
Reading a passage of Lee’s writing, David begins the workshop with a focus on sense memory. In The Method, sense memory exercises are used to recall and reactivate sensorial experiences from life – the sharp taste of a lemon, the pain of a toothache, and so on. David explains, however, that the focus of sensory work must remain on how the exercise affects you, rather than on indicating the experience for the audience.
Take, for example, an actor working on extreme cold. If the actor is making faces to express discomfort, or shivering and rubbing their hands together, they are missing the point. Instead, the actor should concentrate on interacting with the sensation. Where on my body do I feel the cold? If I move around, can I find the sensation elsewhere? Can I feel the warmth of my breath, a prickling on my exposed neck, or a numbness in my fingers? By doing so, the sensory work allows the actor to bring reality to their performance, rather than pantomime.
Juggling Multiple Exercises
Often, an actor will use more than one sensory exercise to unlock the full reality of their character and circumstance. David explains that, while the actor can be juggling multiple exercises, only one can be worked on consciously.
“The mind can think of only one thing at a time, consciously. The other tasks are performed subconsciously. Therefore, first practice with one of the objects before adding the others. This is a general rule only too often disregarded.”
Lee Strasberg, on using multiple sensory exercises
David explains that while the human being can perform several tasks at once, he can only focus actively on one. The rest are performed subconsciously, as a result of training or habit. As actors, we must practice each exercise fully – and individually – before combining them. Through deliberate and repeated rehearsal, you can condition your responses to become unconscious, Pavlovian.
Physiologist Ivan Petrovich Pavlov conducted an experiment in which he rang a bell immediately before feeding a dog his food. By repeating this continually, Pavlov found that, upon hearing the bell, the dog would begin to salivate even if the food had not been presented. As actors, we are able to train ourselves to experience and be affected by a sensory exercise unconsciously, which then allows us to focus consciously on another exercise. It is this phenomenon that led Lee to say:
“I am much more interested in Pavlov than in Freud.”
Lee Strasberg
David notes that much of the rehearsal required to reach this level of work must happen on your own. While in theatre, there is often an extensive rehearsal process before a production, the same amount of effort should also be applied to on-camera work. Whether preparing for film, television, or an audition, you must find time at home to experiment with and rehearse your relaxation and sensory.
Affective Memory
“Every human being contains within himself the keys on which to play all types of emotional experience. The means by which we are able to avail ourselves of this experience of ours is through the process of emotional memory, or memory of experience.”
Lee Strasberg
This, in the words of Lee Strasberg, is the core of the affective memory exercise. When using an affective memory, the actor selects an event from their life, an event that is “sufficiently unusual to have made an impression on you”. The actor then focuses, not on the emotion they experienced during said event, but on the sensorial experience of it.
“Make no effort to capture the emotion itself, but only the object and event that caused it”.
Lee Strasberg
Misconception of Affective Memory
As with much of Lee’s work, the affective memory is often misunderstood or misused. The greatest misconceptions surrounding the affective memory exercise are as follows:
The affective memory must be dramatic. Actors often believe that an emotional memory must induce sadness or anger, or that the exercise requires them to re-experience trauma. On the contrary, an affective memory can recall any emotion, including those of joy, excitement, and humor. Positive emotions are just as valuable to the actor as are negative ones.
The affective memory should be recent. Experiences we have encountered more recently often feel “fresher” and thus more likely to be effective when incorporated in our work. However, The Method insists on a seven year rule, asking actors to only recall affective memories that happened at least seven years ago. This rule is not an issue of safety, and recalling a more recent memory is not considered harmful. However, the actor’s response to a more recent memory is impossible to predict and more likely to be inconsistent. David explains that if a memory from seven years ago works for you today, it will work for the rest of your life.
The affective memory will always look the same. All too often, an actor employs an affective memory in search of a particular manifestation of emotion, such as tears. Similarly, if the actor experiences a particular manifestation once, they may then feel pressured to repeat this experience each time. However, in doing so, the actor loses their concentration on the object of the exercise and will not experience the emotion. Lee explains, “Remember that the emotion will always appear, but it may not look the same”.
In order to avoid this problem of anticipation, David emphasizes the need to always start from scratch. He explains that an affective memory is like meditation. By the end of your meditation, however you may practice it, you find a blissful, zen place. However, the next time you mediate, you cannot simply jump right to that zen place. You have to start from the beginning, each time, with no expectation.
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Laura Dern in Marriage Story alongside fellow LSTFI Alumna Scarlett Johansson
Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute Alumna Laura Dern is dominating awards season this year. According to Dern’s IMDB, she received over 25 nominations in 2020 alone. This has been a big year for Laura, and we are all proud of the amazing work she has always done. In 2020, the nominations came from her work in three projects: Big Little Lies, Little Women, and Marriage Story.
Award Shows
Notably, Dern won awards for Best Supporting Actress at The Oscars and The Golden Globes for her role as Nora Fanshaw in Marriage Story. For the Oscars, she was up against seasoned actresses Kathy Bates and Margot Robbie, up-and-coming actress Florence Pugh, and LSTFI alumna, Scarlett Johansson. Johansson was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her work in Jojo Rabbit and nominated for Best Actress for her work in Marriage Story. A great day for LSTFI alumns!
At the Oscars, Laura gave a powerful and emotional speech about family and love. “Noah [Baumbach] wrote a movie about love,” she said, “and about breaching divisions in name and in the honor of family and home. And hopefully for all of us in the name of our planet.” Additionally, she thanked her parents who inspired her to act. This was Dern’s third Oscar nomination, but first win.
With all of her nominations and wins, Vogue calls 2020 “the year of Laura Dern.” Vogue did a gallery of her night at the Golden Globes. Over the years, Dern has been nominated 8 times for a Golden Globes and has won 5.
Finally, Dern won her first SAG (Screen Actor’s Guild) Award for her work in Marriage Story. We are so proud of Laura Dern and all of the incredible acting work that she does. She is one of many Notable Alumni that LSTFI is proud to claim.
Laura Dern with her Golden Globe
Laura and her parents, Bruce Dern and Diane Ladd, both prominent Hollywood Actors
On Friday, March 6, the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute hosted its third annual Strasberg Film Festival. LSTFI presented a lineup of 29 short films, all created by Strasberg students and alumni. With screenings happening throughout the day, this year’s event was the most successful yet. And now, presenting this year’s nominees and winners!
Best Actor
Sebastian Delacasas, “6” – WINNER
Kush Bhatia, “Astray”
Andre Vauthey, “Going Beyond”
Best Actress
Lorena Rodriguez, “Division Ave” – WINNER
Mafalda Pinto Correia, “The Dine-and-Dash Dater”
Emma McBride, “Astray”
Best Supporting Actor / Actress
Liana Sonenclar, “The Right Reasons” – WINNER
Emily Hope, “Blocked, Blank, Glass” – WINNER
Ana Moioli, “The Right Reasons”
Giorgia Valenti, “The Right Reasons”
Sarah Barnett, “The Dine-and-Dash Dater”
Olga Mikhaylova, “The Dine-and-Dash Dater”
Best Screenplay
Kush Bhatia, “Astray” – WINNER
Quinn Cavin & Ryan Cairns, “The Dine-and-Dash Dater”
Liana Sonenclar, “The Right Reasons”
Best Director
Braxton Fannin, “6” – WINNER
Quinn Cavin & Ryan Cairns, “The Dine-and-Dash Dater”
Recently, it seems like the world has turned upside down. Businesses and schools are closed. There is a national suggestion to ‘social distance.’ Despite all of this disarray in the world, The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute is continuing the work Lee Strasberg created for us– online, of course.
Classes in New York and Los Angeles have transferred online for now. Students are relaxing and doing sensory exercises from home. Most teachers have even figured out a way to continue scene work while being online.
Doing The Method From Home
David Lee Strasberg teaching ‘Method in the Morning’ via Google Meet
Michael Moroso, a student from LSTFI Los Angeles, said this about online classes, “My teachers have been really creative with how we can still work on scenes and sensory/relaxation through Google Meet. I think we’re all hanging in there and making the best of the situation!”
Though it is difficult to adapt, teachers are also making the best of it. Los Angeles teacher David Salsa commented on the Google Meet classes saying, “We ended up finding some momentum and ways to connect through it even though we aren’t physically together. We talked about how it requires more focus that if we can achieve it like this then we are together it should feel a lot easier.”
It might be hard to stay inspired during this time. LSTFI students and faculty are doing their best to keep their commitment to Method Acting Training alive.
If you are feeling a little lost, here are some words of encouragement from NYC teacher Lola Cohen:
“Let’s really buckle down and do the work Lee prepared us for – to overcome adversity. Look at this as an opportunity to grow and become more resilient and committed to our craft…. No room for negativity. We will be together on this journey. Just think, one day it will be an emotional memory!”
Alumni and Faculty blogs written by Aly Homminga
Are you an alumni with an interesting story and you’d like to be interviewed, email Aly at ahomminga@strasberg.edu
Music and Lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison
Book by Bob Martin and Don McKeller
Directed by Sam Barkley
Musical Direction by Bruce Baumer
Choreography by Maria Byers
March 11 and 12, 2020 in The Irma Sandrey Theatre
In a loving send-up of the frivolously inconsequential stage musicals of the Jazz Age, a fan known only as Man in Chair gives a spin to the original cast recording of one such musical, providing the audience with amusing minutiae about the play and the players.
“Acting is the most personal of our crafts. The make-up of a human being – his physical, mental and emotional habits – influence his acting to a much greater extent than commonly recognized.” – Lee Strasberg
By now, veteran and aspiring actors alike are sequestered at home. Like millions of other folks around the world, they are unable to do the work they’ve trained for. There’s a sense that we’re all in this together, as we shelter in place, while theaters and movie sets sit empty. By literally doing nothing, we’re all doing our civic duty. Inaction, of course, can be hugely challenging for an actor.
But you needn’t feel as if your time is going to waste. While the issue of income is one we cannot readily address here, have faith that one day things will return to normal. When that day comes, we will most likely witness a renaissance in the arts unlike any seen in our lifetimes — if ever before. We predict there will be abundant fresh opportunities for actors, and a tidal wave of new creative projects.
Now is an excellent time to practice sense memory exercises in preparation for future roles. Consider starting a daily practice building those fundamentals of acting, relaxation, and concentration, and working on your sensory skills. All you need is a chair! Your home is full of objects and sensations worth recreating to imaginatively, using the sensory tools.
And of course you can always recreate a place or person as a way to escape alone time in your lodgings. Why not explore a private moment, or channel an animal? Lee Strasberg’s exercises are specifically designed for actors to do alone, to build the skills required to create a role.
This time is obviously bringing up a lot of emotions for everyone. Fear, despair, love, gratitude, anxiety, boredom, grief for lost or sick loved ones, joy for simple gifts and overlooked beauty in the least expected places…the list goes on. Most Americans appear to be experiencing a runaway trainload of emotions, from minute to minute; day after day.
All of which can be great building blocks for future artistic work. Consider keeping a record. Journaling can be a great practice for actors. Not only can it have a grounding effect, but it’s a great resource to return to when trying to connect to future roles.
What are some other things to do while stuck at home? An informal survey of suddenly out-of-work actors and theater professionals suggests creatives are taking a pragmatic approach to this sudden, forced downtime to hone their skills as best they can, hang on, and stay safe. Many actors view this as an excellent time to pursue new, potentially career-enhancing skills, such as learning a new musical instrument.
Evan Duff is an actor pursuing a musical theater career in Manhattan, for instance. He’s attempting to teach himself to play the guitar; a long-term, long-delayed aspiration. “These are difficult times, and the industry has a way of consuming our lives,” Duff said. “While all that is on pause, I think the best thing we can do to better ourselves is to ask what we want out of life, and live that experience fully while we have no other obligations.”
Others intend to use this time to refocus on long-delayed, or perhaps long-overlooked projects, such as writing. What better time to focus on your desire to write a monologue, for example? What better time to dig out that old play script you’ve been putting off, and getting back to work? Henry Haggard is a veteran stage and television actor living in Nashville, where he takes advantage of growing opportunities in the television industry centered in Atlanta, Georgia.
An Actor Prepares
“It’s a wonderful time to catch up on reading plays and articles about what’s going on in American Theatre,” said Haggard. “[It’s a] great time to memorize monologues for auditions, for writing to theatre companies you might want to audition for, or to practice your self-tape skills for self taping for that next Netflix show you’ll be auditioning for.” Colleagues are finding creative ways to stay sharp as well. “I’m seeing a lot of my friends recording little comedy sketches…one or two-minute solo sketches about being cooped up or about anything your imagination might come up with. If you’re an actor who also writes, this is the exact time for writing,” Haggard said. He is clearly not remaining idle.
“Actors who are pursuing [self-taping]…it’s a good time to watch the hours of Youtube videos that casting directors all over the country put out as a resource to actors. It’s fascinating to hear casting agents I’ve never met, yet auditioned for many times, answering questions from actors. [That’s an] invaluable resource…knowing who you’re auditioning for.” Finally, Haggard mentioned that as a highly social actor, this forced isolation is challenging for him. Doubtless many actors can relate. Staying busy clearly is helping.
Writing and playing musical instruments are not necessarily core actor skills, but any versatile actor attempts to broaden their horizons, and enhance their repertoire of at-the-ready monologues, audition pieces (such as songs), or even physical skills, such as stage fighting.
The latter can be more challenging, if you happen to be sequestered alone. And loneliness itself is a particular challenge for many of us. That’s why many actors and theater personnel have also expressed an interest in offering free (or, occasionally paid) online classes, performances, comedy bits, songs, monologues; what have you.
Stay Safe and Keep Honing Your Craft
There’s never been a better time to observe raw human emotion, behavior and reaction. Everyone you know — and everyone you don’t know, for that matter — is struggling with multiple strong, visceral emotions right now. And they will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. Observe, internalize, and learn. It’s all there on display, in spectacular fashion. Stay safe out there, and keep observing and growing. It will get better.
The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute is also launching an online acting class subscription program, so please check back for more details on our program page.
The need to practice self-quarantine during the global pandemic has forced all of us to learn new ways of coping, new ways of being, and new ways of staying sharp. While there’s a strong impetus to eat too much and spend way too much time on the couch, there are things we, as actors and theater professionals, can do with this unexpected windfall of free time to hone our skills and explore new horizons.
Read New Material:
Find monologues and audition pieces. This Actor Aesthetic article has some great tips for actors and links to places where you can find scripts and monologues.
Dramatist Play Service and Samuel French have hundreds of great plays available for download.
Get back to basics. Here is a short reading list of books that can help with The Method work:
An Actor Prepares by Stanislavsky
Acting: The First Six Lessons by Richard Boleslavsky
Strasberg at the Actors Studio by Robert H. Hethmon
The Lee Strasberg Notes by Lola Cohen
The Method Acting Exercises Handbook by Lola Cohen
A Dream of Passion by Lee Strasberg
Want something contemporary?
New Play Exchange is a platform for up-and-coming playwrights to share their work. A reader account is $12 for one year. The Writer Pro account is $18 per year.
Many Broadway and movie stars have been doing live streams from their homes. The Actors Fund on Youtube has started ‘Stars in the House,’ a channel dedicated to posting videos from celebrities, including Jessie Mueller, Kristen Chenoweth, and Judy Kuhn. Some writers have taken to Facebook to live stream master classes. America’s most produced playwright, Lauren Gunderson, has been teaching free classes via Facebook Live.
We Are All in This Together
Hannah Wisner is Wardrobe Supervisor at Marriott Theatre. She offers her own perspective on the crisis and its effects on suddenly out-of-work theater professionals. She notes that many working actors are also waiters, administrators, personal trainers, etc. These professions have also been sidelined, and incomes have evaporated as a result.
“The nature of theatre is contract work to begin with, so many actors have had years where they are out of work for a month or three. The problem now is that their day jobs don’t exist either (often temping, restaurants, nannying),” said Wisner.
“But people are getting creative by holding voice classes, dance classes, concerts over Instagram live, where people can tip via Venmo. They are continuing their workout routines, they are entertaining their friends over their Instagram stories. They are unemployed. Most are very depressed and scared. And so is a huge chunk of the country. They are just doing what they can to scrape enough money for food and hopefully, they have a live-in partner, roommates, parents who can help them pay rent.”
People Need Art
“What I think is most interesting is that theaters/arts were shut down first, and traditionally those are where budget cuts go in schools, but the second everyone was locked inside we saw a surge of free theatre streaming, opera, movie releases, etc. People need art, but these artists don’t have security to live on anything right now.”
Clearly, actors and theater personnel are dealing with this crisis in their own ways, but all seem to agree that now is not the time to lose focus. It’s tempting to dwell on worst-case scenarios and give in to fear and worry. But that serves no one. Lee Strasberg built his school on the principle that actors must use what they know; return to that experience or emotion and access it for a touchstone of authenticity when occupying a given role.
Continue to hone your craft through continued education, even while in quarantine. The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute is launching an online acting class subscription program, so check back for more details on the program page.
One of the benefits of attending a venerable institution with a stellar reputation is the opportunity to make connections with the many former students who have made their way in the theatre and film industries. With alumni from more than 140 countries around the world, our students at the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute enjoy the bonds of an unusually strong alumni network.
We encourage present and former students to stay connected by visiting the Alumni News page at Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute online. Alumni should certainly feel free to submit news items for inclusion. In these especially challenging times, staying connected takes on added importance. We welcome any updates you might wish to provide regarding your career. Feel free to let us know what you’ve been doing since graduation, etc. Just drop us a note and we’ll happily post your comments.
And alumni involvement need not end there. Strasberg noted that an actor’s commitment should be lifelong; that training should be ongoing. “The fundamentals of the actor’s craft must be practiced daily or else you go backwards.” To that end, alumni frequently attend labs and other classes at our Los Angeles campus, while our New York campus holds periodic alumni classes. Stay tuned for exciting alumni classes being offered online!
During this difficult time of a global pandemic, virtually everyone everywhere is now impacted in life-changing ways. Now, more than ever, we value the connections forged through our creative community.
For example, Yamini Joshi is a former Strasberg student presently sheltering in place in the densely populated city of Mumbai, India. She recently wrote to us at Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute in New York City.
“I hope this email finds you well,” Joshi wrote. “We are experiencing some dark times worldwide with the outbreak of COVID-19, and I thought I should write to check in on all my lovely mentors in NYC.
“Though all of us are homebound, I hope as artists we continue creating and exploring new horizons. I heard NYC has been on lockdown for the past two weeks. The situation in Mumbai is getting worse. Yesterday we had our first complete curfew. [LSTFI: Benefits of Strong Alumni Network
“On a lighter note, I was recently interning with a casting company,” continued Joshi. “Surprisingly, it’s run by an alumna from Strasberg named Panchami Ghavri. She attended one semester a few years ago and remembers all of you very fondly. I’m thoroughly enjoying it there because I get to practice lines with fellow actors and watch their process of auditioning. I’m also meeting a lot of directors and producers in this process.
I’ve attached a picture of our casting team and my recent Holi (festival of colors) celebration below. Just some snippets of my happenings in Mumbai. Take care and stay safe. Hope we sail through this soon. Lots of love and a big hug, Yamini.”
We hope, like Yamini, you will find ways to stay connected with your fellow actors and mentors. Our commitment to our international student/alumni network remains strong, and we look forward to the time when we all emerge from this crisis safe, sound, and hopefully inspired by a renewed focus on the work we all care so deeply about. In the wake of this unprecedented crisis, the world will need our skills more than ever, as we collectively process the trauma and challenges of this event.
In a recent interview, Jason Lee – a Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute alumnus – gave us the inside scoop on his latest role in Eighty 12! A brand new indie television series, Eighty 12 is a coming of age story directed by Louis Rocky Bacigalupo. According to the director, the show is “an astrological drama” and follows twelve characters, each based on one of the astrological signs. Jason stars in the series as Libran, a foreign exchange student based on the sign Libra. Rather than follow a single protagonist, Eighty 12 honors the entire ensemble. Over the course of seven episodes, the characters each deal with their own issues and challenges as their stories interweave.
Free for Prime members, Eighty 12 premieres on Amazon Prime on April 20th, 2020. With only seven episodes, each running approximately twenty minutes, this show is perfect to binge while stuck at home! Jason tells us that, while the director hasn’t officially announced whether or not the series will continue, ideas for a spinoff are already in the works.
Modern Day Success Story
A true modern day success story, Jason shares how he was cast in this new series. After finding the audition listing on a Facebook casting page, Jason submitted his materials and followed up with the director. Nearly a month later, he received a reply. The director asked Jason to come in to read and, assuming he’d been invited to the next stage of the audition, Jason readily agreed. When he arrived, he came to find out that the reading was not an audition, but the first day of table work in pre-production. Jason had been cast based upon his resume and his reel alone!
While stories like Jason’s are rare, they hold an important message. “Your reel is important,” Jason insists, “your headshot is important, yes, but also your reel. You can showcase your talent and what kind of characters you can play.” Bacigalupo later told Jason that a particular clip from his reel was so like Libran’s character in Eighty 12 that he knew the fit was perfect.
Many students and recent graduates worry about having insufficient material for a reel. It is important to remember, however, that your footage can come from anywhere. While professional productions may seem ideal, your reel can be comprised of student shorts, low-budget projects, even material you write and produce yourself. What matters most is that your reel captures your range and abilities. Looking for a quarantine activity? Try writing yourself a short scene or monologue. Play around with material that represents you well and shows off your acting chops!
Lessons Learned at LSTFI
Jason admits that the lessons learned in his time at Strasberg are countless. “I didn’t follow a single teacher throughout my time [at LSTFI],” he says. Instead, Jason chose to study with different instructors during each semester of his study. He describes The Method as a toolbox, with different techniques and exercises readily available if and when you need them. One tool Jason used on the set of Eighty 12 was stage combat! When his character gets into an altercation and is ultimately punched in the face, Jason was able to apply not only the sensory work of sharp pain but also the practical skills from J Allen Suddeth’s stage combat class. While few other lines of work require feigning violence, an actor never knows when safety techniques might be necessary on the job. Jason says,“Many thanks to J Allen!”
The most important lesson that Jason learned from The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute is how to be himself. A naturally warm and friendly personality, Jason is known at school for his positive energy and demeanor. His Method Acting teacher George Loros, however, gave him a gentle warning:
The first time I took George Loros’ class, he told me that ‘being nice doesn’t make you a great actor’.
LSTFI alumnus, Jason Lee
Jason went out straight away and bought himself the book, No More Mr. Nice Guy. Laughing about the experience, Jason explains that George was not telling him to put on a tough exterior, or that kindness and positivity would hinder his career. Instead, George was simply reminding Jason to be himself and to be truthful – to not put on a smile out of obligation. Jason says, “we [as actors] care a lot about what other people think and about pleasing other people.” From George, Jason learned that “there is no one answer.”
Managing Expectations During Quarantine
To compare is to despair. Because everyone is different and everyone’s journey is different.
LSTFI alumnus, Jason Lee
The lessons Jason learned from George Loros are applicable in many ways. In an industry with so many variables and elements beyond your control, it is important to acknowledge that everyone will have their own trajectory and move at their own pace. No two actors will have the same career. This same lesson – that “there is no one answer” – is true in life and crucial to remember now amidst the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Many people, actors included, are experiencing a great deal of anxiety about making the most of their time in quarantine. Social media is filled with evidence of new hobbies adopted and old projects completed thanks to the abundance of free time that comes with quarantining. Actors, in particular, feel the need to emerge from this period of isolation having made significant progress in their career. Pressure seems to come from all directions, encouraging actors to memorize new audition material, create a website from scratch, and the like. But Jason reminds us that we can be productive in ways beyond those which relate to our careers. To those experiencing this pressure and anxiety, Jason urges, “you need to allow yourself to rest” and stresses the importance of “taking care of yourself, physically and mentally.”
For those who feel restless during this time, or who look to productivity as a mode of coping with stress, a busy schedule or self-prescribed routine can be a wonderful thing. The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute has published several articles providing suggestions for actors looking to stay creative or keep up with their practice. But those who do not seek, or are unable to maintain, the same level of productivity they would outside of quarantine should not feel shame. Jason’s advice rings true, now more than ever: “To compare is to despair. Because everyone’s different and everyone’s journey is different.”
Lainie Kazan – an Emmy, Tony, and Golden Globe nominated actress – had an incredible first break into the industry. She was cast as Barbra Streisand’s understudy in the legendary Broadway production of Funny Girl. Getting the part, however, wasn’t Lainie’s big breakthrough. She first had to wait more than a year and a half for Barbra to call out sick and it seemed as though she never would. While she waited, Lainie kept a list of every casting director, producer and industry contact she met. When Barbra Streisand fell under the weather at last, Lainie knew she had to make her night as Fanny Brice count. She spent the day in frantic, last minute rehearsals. She says, “I called everybody on my list and they all showed up. And so did Barbra.” Lainie was devastated to not perform. Making matters worse, the producers told her that Barbra was still unwell so Lainie would have the chance to go on the following night. The catch? She was forbidden from calling her industry contacts. Buzz of the understudy’s big debut had drawn too much attention and she was told to keep the announcement strictly to close friends and family. “So, I called my mother,” Lainie explains, “and she had a duplicate list and she called everybody for me!”
Lainie went on to have an incredible career in theatre, film and television, even the music industry. One of her most impactful experiences was the three years she spent studying with Lee Strasberg. Now, she is passing along her knowledge and the wonderful stories of her career to our students at The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute.
Acting for the Singer
Lainie Kazan at the LSTFI 50th Anniversary Gala in New York
For our Institute students, Lainie is teaching the class “Singing for the Actor”. She explains how working with Lee, and learning to implement The Method in her singing, dramatically improved her work in the music industry and in musical theatre. As a result, she teaches her singing classes no differently than those she does for Method Acting. Her Institute students begin each class with a series of vocal warmups, followed by relaxation and sense memory work.
In addition to learning how to apply The Method to sung – rather than spoken – text, Lainie’s class also covers the technical side of music production. Her students learn how to choose and arrange material for themselves, how to deal with contracts and lawyers, how to assemble a band or performance, and even the basics of sound systems and how to operate them!
Using The Method in Comedy
For our NYU Practicum students, Lainie is leading a special four-week masterclass on “Acting Comedy”. She stresses the importance of staying grounded and connected with The Method, even when performing an over-the-top farce. Lainie explains that “you look at a [comedic] script and think, ‘this is funny. But I can’t be funny, I have to be real.’” An actor’s downfall in comedy lies in the temptation to play into the humor, to try to be funny. While the final performance, from the audience’s perspective, is indeed funny, Lainie insists, “You still do the work. You still become the character. You still do the relaxation. You still do the emotional memory.”
Advice for Actors Starting Out
In all of her classes, Lainie has been able to offer the kind of thoughtful advice that can only come after a career filled with experience. One of the most-asked questions from actors starting out in the industry is how to find representation. To deal with the stress and pressure of finding a representative, Lainie says to focus on the craft. “You’ve got to do the work and not think about the success,” she explains. She goes on to advise that, when you do find yourself an agent or manager, you must make sure they are the one for you. While seeking representation can seem like a daunting task, it is not a one way street. As much as an agent chooses who to sign, you must also ensure that they are the right fit for you. Lainie explains the importance of having an agent who understands your type and your strengths, and who will advocate for your success:
Barbra Streisand wanted to be a movie star and people would laugh at her. She didn’t look like a movie star. But she believed in herself and her manager believed in her. You have to find someone who believes in you.
Lainie Kazan, on finding the right representation
Don’t Want to Miss Out?
Hoping to learn from Lainie Kazan yourself? All of our regular programming is currently being offered online as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Current students have access to a myriad of special opportunities, including classes with guest teachers like Lainie and virtual events with casting directors and industry representatives! We have also launched a brand new online acting program, with options for both new and returning students. Head to our Online Acting page to learn all about Method 101 and our Alumni Subscription!
As the lockdown endures, students continue to study Method Acting at The Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute through online classes. The shift to virtual programming in response to COVID-19 has proven how effectively The Method can be taught online. But while acting classes have transitioned seamlessly, online movement classes might spark skepticism. LSTFI teachers Madeline Jaye and Ron Navarre discuss the continuation of Movement classes online.
The Loss of Transitional Movement
Dance and Movement teacher Madeline Jaye describes her own initial struggle when it came to trying to replicate her classes at LSTFI online, “I had a stark realization this Tuesday morning right before my 9am class. For ‘some reason’ I was really struggling to feel movement-motivated. I had gotten up stretched, showered, etc, but something felt not right.” Madeline made the realization that for most of us in the lockdown right now, we are missing what she describes as “Transitional Movement,” that makes up most of our day:
We aren’t spending time walking up and down stairs between classes walking to and from the train walking to and from school or outside for lunch and without that physical and emotional cleanse between activities we start to get all gunked up and antsy and anxious and all the things that get ‘treated’ naturally, through our daily activity, are suddenly upon us.
To supplement the mental breaks that Transitional Movement provided us throughout the day – the small breaths we once got from moving to and from class or work – Madeline suggests, “If you can put on music and dance around, if you can walk or march in place teach standing up where you might normally sit, or if you can get outside to nature safely, point being: doing something every hour or so to shake up our physical being.” Something that we so heavily relied on for a break, that we earned automatically by moving through our daily schedule, now becomes our responsibility. “So ask someone to help you get up or enlist an accountability partner,” Madeline insists, “and move and dance, stomp, roll around as often as you can throughout the day to try and offset our hours and hours of screen directed gaze and newly sedentary state.”
Ron Navarre, teaching Tai Chi at LSTFI. Photo by Patrick Reymann.
Getting Creative with Limited Space
Tai Chi teacher Ron Navarre also discusses the initial difficulty he faced in transitioning his classes online. “The obvious challenge for me has been the process of rearranging my living space for each class and the many limited spaces for my students,” he explains. Students, being the artists that they are, have found themselves getting creative in their newfound lack of space. Some students have made room in their garages, turning the space into their own personal movement studios. Others have found themselves tuning into movement classes from their backyards, which allow them to safely move outside in an isolated manner. Even students without these resources have found themselves space to move by rearranging the furniture in their apartments or by making do with the space they have in their bedrooms. Ron remarks on the adaptability of his students:
For the most part, the majority of my students have handled the process of working in shared/limited spaces very well. It has given me an opportunity to address how to be adaptable and how to relate that to the challenges of working professionally with limited resources.
Madeline talks about how this lack of space has helped her impart an important lesson onto her students. “The warmup I give in class is designed to become a tool in the actors arsenal of methods for physical preparation,” she explains, “It can be done in a spacious studio at the theater, a corner backstage, in a dressing room or a movie trailer on set to any or no music, either in parts or start to finish. So that was not something I was worried about ‘translating.’ Doing this in their domestic spaces literally brought this reality home!” She comments on how her students found the importance of adaptability and have felt the power that movement had given them in this time of anxiety, remarking, “They were surprised at how easy it was to do, out-of-studio and how good their bodies felt afterwards.”
Madeline Jaye, teaching Ballet at LSTFI. Photo by Celine Held.
Focusing on the Individual
Despite the challenges that come with transitioning classes online, both Madeline and Ron have found this to be a positive experience. Madeline discusses how her students were initially skeptical about online classes, as Movement work was done in pairs or small groups. She explains that it is “a class wherein we often depended on input from others.” However, rather than resign to the fears of her students, Madeline saw online classes as an opportunity to deepen their work on an individual level. “I felt this would be a wonderful opportunity to get to the deeper work that usually we would get to much further down the training track,” she explains.
Madeline gave her students an exercise in which they explored the human experience from birth to death through movement. “They reported being profoundly affected by this and unexpectedly moved,” she says, “It was interesting to watch them on my screen as if from windows across the alley. Each in a private but viewable exploration.” With the success of the first, Madeline devised another exercise to keep her students’ focus on the power of the individual:
I guided them through a ‘scene’ using only a chair, that included physically exploring three very strong emotional conditions. They were delightfully surprised to realize they were able to do a whole scene, full of emotions, all by themselves – something usually directed by or shared with another human being.
This work Madeline has created through movement is an important lesson for all actors to learn but, in in particular, for Method Actor. While emotional life is created inside the mind of an actor, it manifests itself physically, a reality the actor should explore when crafting emotional choices for a character.
Madeline has emphasized the importance of the individual within her online classes. Discusses a common trap that actors fall into when they first start honing their craft, she says, “A lot of times actors will say to me they felt their work didn’t go well because, my scene partner.” The purpose of her online exercises has become to recognize that, feeding and reacting off your acting partner is important, much of our emotional life has manifested inside of us long before an interaction begins. Thus, our characters, as our counterparts, must have full emotional lives independent of the interactions with other characters in the story. This emotional life that has been created by the individual is what feeds reactions to other characters. Madeline explains:
I wanted them to realize that the work you do on yourself prior to the scene, is equally important as the work they do with the partner. However, actors in training don’t often have time to deepen their own relationship to the material before having to work with someone else. Having the opportunity to do physical ground work, as the first or second layer to the rehearsals, can profoundly deepen our understanding of our own process.
Ron Navarre, with a group of students. Photo by Patrick Reymann.
New Class Dynamics
Discussing his own transition to classes online, Ron describes, “I feel the shift to online classes was a natural progression for me personally. I have been working on filming an online course for the past year and, as such, I have more equipment than most and was already acclimated to teaching in this fashion.” He describes some of his own revelations upon the shift online, explaining, “Overall I feel the class was able to continue and I have been able to maintain the same level of quality minus the ability to physically interact with students.” He has not found this inability to interact in a physical space not as a loss of quality, but the creation of an entirely new quality of class dynamic:
Interestingly, I find the connection between my students and myself has become more intimate. Seeing them in their personal environments and speaking to them through the medium of the lens and screen is a different energy, not bad, just different and more personal.
This newfound intimacy has also led Ron to approach his Tai Chi classes from a different angle, one that he would like to continue as he meets new students through the medium of online class. “I am curious to see how NEW students will respond to this format,” he explains, “and how I will have to adjust to correcting them without the ability to physically touch them. It takes a few weeks for beginning students to understand the process and the value of Tai Chi and, as such, I may have to take more time explaining and exploring than usual.” Ron continues to evolve these findings as classes continue on our new online platforms.
Always Moving Forward, Even Online
Ron explained it best himself when reflecting on adapting Movement classes for the online format: “All in all it has been going very well.” Neither Ron nor Madeline have seen this transition as a set-back on the training of students, but rather a different lens and an experience for everyone, including themselves, to learn from. In these last months, Madeline has explored exercises that she will continue to develop and implement into her regular curriculum. “What I came away with is that there are many, many exercises that can and probably should be done solo,” she explains, “and I would love to teach a semester’s worth [in person] and see what effect it will have on the next phase of those actors’ training.”
While we miss seeing all of our students in person, and are looking forward to being reunited behind our red doors, we at LSTFI are lucky to have faculty like Ron and Madeline who are continuing to pioneer how Lee Strasberg’s work may be taught.
Even amidst the COVID-19 lockdown, our alumni are still out in the world creating art. Kit Bromovsky completed the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute’s One Year Conservatory Acting Program in 2019. Now, Kit shares with us the projects she has been working on in quarantine!
The Show Will Go On!
While NYC theatre is currently on hold, Kit has been cast as ‘Ange’ in The Lion of Verdun! The new play by Tony Barone is set to premiere next year at the 2021 New York Theatre Festival. The Lion of Verdun is a historical drama following the trial of French General Marshal Phillipe Petain after he is accused of treason after the events of World War II. Kit’s character, Ange, is a Hungarian Gypsy nurse who fled Hungary to escape the Nazis. She cares for Petain at his prison apartment, as he prepares for trial.
Kit is excited to dive into this character and feels very connected to her. Like Ange, Kit’s own family is Czech. She shares, “[Ange’s] father was of Czech origin, similar to me as my dad was also half Czech and his father also fled Czech Slovakia just after the war.” She is having fun researching for the play, not only learning about the history of the time period but getting to explore her own heritage as well.
The play is a reminder of resilience in the face of adversity which resonates now!
Kit Bromovsky, on The Lion of Verdun
Theatre in the Times of Zoom
Although she returned home to England amidst the news of lockdown, Kit has still found time to keep auditioning. She found the listing for The Lion of Verdun on a casting website online and sent in a self-tape. Kit then went on to have two virtual “in-person” callbacks over Zoom. While the cast and creative team is unable to meet under the current circumstances, the rehearsal process has been able to continue through Zoom regardless. Kit shares that the potential of an online reading may be on the horizon. “Thank god for Zoom,” she says.
Making the Best of Quarantine
The Lion of Verdun is not the only project that Kit has been working on in quarantine. In June, Kit will be performing in a virtual performance of Linsey Watkins’ play, Oh Righteous God and Sinful Me, a dark comedy exploring female sexuality. She has also been using this time in lockdown to work on her own writing. Kit is currently working on a play, Double Crossing, with a friend. The pair hopes to perform together in London and next year at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
The lockdown has been a very difficult time, especially for many artists. Kit herself admits, “I find during this time it is easy to fall flat and uninspired without the comforts of real human connection.” To combat this feeling, she has kept busy with her many projects, and even turned to teaching kids online! Kit explains, “we are currently working on Mary Poppins also via Zoom which is hilarious from my kitchen in the depths of the English countryside.” When feeling disconnected from her craft, Kit has taken comfort in reviewing her Method Acting notes from her LSTFI teachers like Lola Cohen. While the possibility of returning to the theatre may seem far away, Kit is very thankful for all of the opportunities to watch productions online provided by companies like the National Theatre.
I feel it is important to not let Theatre fade during such times.
Kit Bromovsky, on remaining connected with the arts during COVID-19
We at The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute bear witness to and are deeply saddened by the immeasurable injustices and pain endured by the Black members of our community and our country. We offer our love and heartfelt compassion to those who are suffering and to those who are engaged in the fight for justice.
As a community of artists, we celebrate and value the richly diverse and powerful voices, talent, culture, stories and history of all people. It is our responsibility to ensure that each voice is equally significant and vital in the arts and to all of us as fellow human beings.
It will take more than a declaration of support for justice and equality to stand against the history of racism and institutionalized oppression in this country. We have a responsibility, as artists and as human beings, to take an active role in shaping the future we wish to see. We are dedicated to actively supporting our students of color and better promoting diversity within the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute. We are committed to upholding a more supportive, inclusive, and anti-racist environment and offer the following actions as stepping stones toward creating such a space.
Promote Diversity in our Teaching Staff
We commit firmly to hiring black artists and artists of color and to asking how our teaching staff, guest instructors, and visiting artists may better reflect our diverse student body. Just as representation matters in entertainment, so too does it matter in the classroom. Moreover, we vow to better address and combat racial insensitivity and racism in our school. It is our utmost priority to maintain a safe, inclusive, and rich learning environment for all of our students.
Examine our Teaching Materials
Each year, our students are given resource packets which include recommended reading and suggested plays for scene work. At our students’ urging, we reviewed our resources and have been updating this packet to provide works that better serve and represent our diverse student body, and will continue to do so. The packet has been moved from print to Google Docs so that suggestions from faculty, and from students, may be reflected immediately. We will ask our teachers to introduce these materials more actively in the classroom, and to engage their students in conversations of race, diversity and representation in the industry.
Looking to expand our curriculum and support diversity in the classroom, our Los Angeles campus has already introduced two new classes to its schedule:
Playwrights of Color: Discovering Underrepresented Voices
Many artists’ voices in the country are underrepresented. There is only one group that is readily visible and that is Caucasian males. In this class, we will explore the extraordinary Other voices in playwriting that have been recognized with Pulitzer Prize awards and nominations, circulating through works from women, Black, Latinx, Asian, Native American, and LGBTQ+ playwrights.
The purpose of this course is to discover how to read and analyze plays both as literature and from an actor’s perspective. We will be exploring each playwright’s intention and each play’s structure, tone, style, language, and relevance. We will be discussing how to craft your own personal connection to the material and characters.
Lessons from the Harlem Renaissance: Personal Storytelling in Times of Change
The Harlem Renaissance was a time of awakening for the Black artist in America. This class ventures into and asks what the renaissance of today is for artists, inexperienced and experienced alike. Exploring the work of Black playwrights and how they told the stories of their time, students will discover their own way of relating the world around them to their art. This class will pose the question: what is the story of this time, as seen by the young artist? And will challenge: how will they tell it?
Promote Representation in our Programming
It is our mission to provide ample opportunities for our students to participate in shows that represent and make space for our diverse student body, specifically our actors of color. We commit to staging works by playwrights of color, hiring directors of color, and promoting equity in the casting of our productions. We were proud of the voices represented in our Fornés Fest, a celebration of Latinx theatre, which took place in September. We will continue to work to better promote representation on our stages.
Expand our Community Outreach
For more than 30 years, the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute partnered with The New York City Housing Authority. We are proud of this relationship and continue to offer scholarships through the Lee Strasberg Creative Center. We will work to better broadcast opportunities and to expand our community outreach.
Continuing to Examine our Actions
We will strive to make LSTFI a safer space for our students to hold discussions of and raise concerns regarding race, diversity, and inclusivity. We will continue to question how we may better support the initiatives that come from our affinity group and from other student coalitions and how we may better serve the needs of our students.
We Are With You
Let us dedicate our voices and take action toward building a new reality — in the arts and in every field of human endeavor — based on respect, equity, justice, inclusivity and a profound belief in the significance of each person. To our dear students and community members, we are deeply grateful for your passion and hope your collaboration with and investment in our actions does not end here. Make your voices heard. We are with you.
It seems like there is nothing Ingrid Jean-Baptiste cannot do. In addition to acting, she is an award-winning producer, founder of the Chelsea Film Festival, activist, and so much more. During quarantine she has taken the time to learn and start teaching Kundalini Yoga, a type of yoga that is beneficial for your health and allows you to focus your mind for acting. “When you are doing it,” said Ingrid, “you don’t realize how much it helps your health and frees your mind.”
Chelsea Film Festival
The Chelsea Film Festival, founded in 2013, has grown significantly in the last eight years. “It really has been steady growth, organic growth.” Last year, the festival boasted 100 films from 25 different countries. For Ingrid, the 2019 festival was actually one of the proudest moments of her career so far. With a panel of judges that included Matt Dillon, she said she “was very proud” at how the festival turned out. “There were so many artists who came to share their stories… and powerful films raising awareness about different subject matter”
In 2016, Ingrid received the WOW Award for International Women’s Empowerment for her work as founder and producer of the festival. Throughout the festival, Ingrid works hard to inspire and uplift the women around her and other women filmmakers. “Our voices should be heard. We should have our stories so more people can identify themselves [on screen]… It is important to have that viability.”
Ingrid was also honored with an Audience Award of the French Citizen Living Abroad at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2017. She was one of five French Citizens honored that year for being “ambassadors of France abroad.”
Just being myself… being a female of color producing a film festival. That representation matters… Being the founder and director of an organization like the Chelsea Film Festival inspires people and helps them understand, yes it is possible.
Ingrid Jean-Baptiste on how she empowers women
“Strasberg Changed My Life”
Ingrid’s training at the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute has helped her significantly in her acting career and personal life. “The training is so deep, so ingrained in you when you do the 2 year program like I did.”
“The training [at Strasberg] gives you the ability to believe in yourself and not be scared to make mistakes… Strasberg changed my life.”
Ingrid Jean-Baptiste on Method Acting training at LSTFI
In 2018, Ingrid had a leading role in the short film Goyave (French for Guava). Ingrid toured “with the film to many different film festivals across the world,” including the FESPACO Festival in Burkina Faso, Africa, Sonoma International Film Festival (Best Short Film Nominee), and, of course, Ingrid’s very own Chelsea Film Festival (Best Cinematography Winner). Even though the story was unique to Martinique, a region of France in the Caribbean Islands, “it was a story that resonated with many stories that happened in different countries.” Be on the lookout for Goyave and Ingrid’s other recent film, Instinct Animal, on streaming platforms in the near future!
As a multi-talented artist, Ingrid encourages others in the performance industry to discover talents outside of acting. “It is key” she says,”actually, to explore different creative fields… it could be screenwriting, it could be painting, it could be editing!”
This summer, The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute is offering two-week playwriting workshops for kids and teens! In these online workshops, our Young Actors explore playwriting tactics and tools to unearth raw material from their own lives and turn it into storytelling. Our students will learn to artfully employ elements like character, dialogue, story, structure, and more. By the end of their playwriting intensive, our writers will have created several short theatrical pieces – for Zoom and beyond – and be well on their way to crafting a full length play!
Meet the Playwright!
This brand new workshop is taught by award-winning playwright, Emily Zemba. Based in New York, Zemba first found her way to playwriting through comedy. She loves laughter and has devoted herself to writing “the awkward, strange things in life that make us laugh”. She shares,
For me, playwriting is kind of magical. It’s the art of making something out of nothing. It’s the art of making meaning out of life’s wildest moments.
Committed to her love for storytelling, Zemba went on to receive her MFA in playwriting from the Yale School of Drama. She has since taught at MCC’s Youth Playwrights Lab, Tres Artis Studio, Theater Masters Aspiring Playwright’s Program, and Wesleyan University. Her work has been seen and developed with The Adam Mickiewicz Institute in Poland; First Floor Theater in Chicago; Local Theater; LPAC; Rattlestick Playwrights Theater; Williamstown’s Professional Training Company, and more!
Playwriting for the Actor
Students don’t need to be aspiring playwrights in order to benefit from writing experience and training. Having a background in playwriting can help an actor better understand a play’s structure and approach script analysis at a deeper level. By learning to craft dialogue and stage directions themselves, students will also learn where to search for context clues and background information when they approach a text as an actor.
I strongly encourage any actor working to sharpen their craft to take a foray into the realm of PLAYWRITING! Playwrights attack character, behavior, action, and story in much the same way an actor does. We observe, we interrogate our personal histories, we ask big questions of the world around us… and we use our imaginations to their limits.
Emily Zemba, on playwriting for the actor
Unlock Your Creativity in Quarantine
For those wondering what a day in Zemba’s class might look like – here’s a sneak peek! Each class, Zemba leads the students through guided prompts, free writing periods, and collaborative sharing sessions. On the first day of the workshop, each student is asked to make their very own “Artist Manifesto”, writing down lists of ideas for characters, themes, potential plot points and more. This exercise is designed to activate the students’ imaginations and get them in the habit of writing their ideas down on paper.
Fostering this creative environment, Zemba asks the students to include a list of “impossible things” and write down fantastic circumstances and events that might fall beyond the typical constraints of theatre. The students are in no way required to incorporate or explore the ideas they write down. Rather, they are encouraged to pick and choose the topics that excite them most. This low pressure setting is perfect for those exploring playwriting for the first time – or those looking for a fun way to unlock their creativity in quarantine!
Have Some Guts!
Zemba admits that, whether you’re an experienced writer or just starting out, playwriting takes courage. “There’s a great moment in the film ALL ABOUT EVE, when Bette Davis’ character demands: ‘Lloyd, honey, be a playwright with guts. Write me one about a nice, normal, woman who just shoots her husband.’” Zemba reveals, “I think about this quote a lot. It does take real guts to be willing to let yourself deepdive into the strangest, darkest, scariest, or even funniest parts of the human psyche… and then find a way to put it into WORDS, or, even, dialogue.”
The next session of this YAS Writing Workshop starts August 17th. The class runs for two weeks, Monday – Thursday from 10am to 12pm EST. Email our Young Actors program director kristi@strasberg.edu to sign up today! And in the words of Emily Zemba, “Have some guts! Come try your hand at playwriting!”
