vcassel
Veteran
I've returned to acting recently after a two year hiatus in which I got married, had a child, and worked days as a writer to support my new family. I'm starting to star in web shorts, return to stand-up and improv, and look into acting classes again in the L.A. area. Recently I've had the opportunity to audit a class at The Heller Approach in Studio City. I've since signed up and completed my first class.
I moved out here to L.A. from Ft. Lauderdale three years ago and started training at Playhouse West. While I found the Meisner technique interesting at first, I soon realized the teaching styles at Playhouse West left much to be desired. In short, trust between teacher and student was in short supply and it wasn't a very nurturing environment in which to grow confidence and courage as an actor.
The Heller Approach is rather unique in the Los Angeles area because it doesn't rely on any method acting techniques. Based on the lessons of the late Don Richardson and his book "Acting Without Agony: An Alternative to the Method", Brad Heller teaches a technique based on muscle memory in which emotion and objective is learned through preparation and remembered by your body through execution.
I'd never heard of this approach before, but last week I audited a class and this morning I worked on my first scene with a student in the class under Brad Heller's tutelage. He guided me in the emotional and objective preparation and breathing techniques and allowed me to let go and work off the other actor in the execution of the scene. It was revelatory. Without the painful process of the standard methods I trusted my body to store and remember my emotion and objective to create a dynamic and vital scene between my partner and I.
What I really like about this class is that cold read/audition technique and scene study are both included and not doled out separately like at a lot of other schools. Brad also works with actors all over the world in private lessons over Skype, so you don't have to live in L.A. to get the benefits of the class.
I moved out here to L.A. from Ft. Lauderdale three years ago and started training at Playhouse West. While I found the Meisner technique interesting at first, I soon realized the teaching styles at Playhouse West left much to be desired. In short, trust between teacher and student was in short supply and it wasn't a very nurturing environment in which to grow confidence and courage as an actor.
The Heller Approach is rather unique in the Los Angeles area because it doesn't rely on any method acting techniques. Based on the lessons of the late Don Richardson and his book "Acting Without Agony: An Alternative to the Method", Brad Heller teaches a technique based on muscle memory in which emotion and objective is learned through preparation and remembered by your body through execution.
I'd never heard of this approach before, but last week I audited a class and this morning I worked on my first scene with a student in the class under Brad Heller's tutelage. He guided me in the emotional and objective preparation and breathing techniques and allowed me to let go and work off the other actor in the execution of the scene. It was revelatory. Without the painful process of the standard methods I trusted my body to store and remember my emotion and objective to create a dynamic and vital scene between my partner and I.
What I really like about this class is that cold read/audition technique and scene study are both included and not doled out separately like at a lot of other schools. Brad also works with actors all over the world in private lessons over Skype, so you don't have to live in L.A. to get the benefits of the class.
