Our hearts go out to all of the victims, families, and loved ones impacted by the shooting at Seattle Center this past weekend. Like so many in our city, we are having a hard time processing that this happened in a place that means so much to our community. Seattle Center has always been a gathering place for connection, creativity, celebration, and shared experiences. We held our classes there last summer, and we know firsthand the beauty and energy that space holds for arti

A prop is defined in the theatre or on screen as something an actor handles personally. This definition separates it from set or other elements. Props are a part of the layered, meaningful and tangible dimensions of a character's world: the props surrounding a character must be given meaning, a personal connection and a story, Once an actor immerses themselves in the Given Circumstances of a character, they must decide which props they will use and how they will use them. Sta

A sonic sweep, like a submarine.” "Not selective listening or waiting for your cue. A full, active, 360-degree sweep of everything that’s happening in the room, your scene partner, the ensemble, the audience, the energy between all of it and a constant, genuine attempt to respond to what’s actually there." This quote is from an interview with the great actor Cate Blanchett. She studied the Meisner technique, which focuses on the art of listening above all. Actors trained in M

Our Spring Advanced Studio class wrapped last week, and we are in awe of the specificity, courage, and heart in this group of emerging artists. Over the course of 8 weeks, they explored monologues and scenes from Pulitzer Prize-winning plays, challenging themselves to dig deeper, take risks, and sharpen their craft. To witness their growth, vulnerability, and commitment to the work has been incredibly rewarding. We are so proud of the artistry this group brought into the room

Our studio is based on the core principles of acting as described by Konstantin Stanislavski and Uta Hagen. Stanslavski's unabridged and restored book An Actor's Work as translated by Jean Benedetti is authoritative and thorough, laying down the key process elements of acting fundamentals. Respect for Acting contains Uta Hagen's important Nine Questions every actor must work through in creating a dynamic and multi-dimensional character. Students who study these foundational t

Our Spring Studio 1 wrapped last night, and what a special 8 weeks it has been! This group of actors all found themselves circling back to the work, each through their own unique journey, life experience, and time away from acting. There was something incredibly powerful about reconnecting inside of the work together and witnessing everyone rediscover their artistic instincts and courage. A major takeaway from this session: we can never be too specific. The truth is always in

Photo by Paul Bulai on Unsplash It seems that we can compare our individual lives to a flame, as Shakespeare said: a brief candle. The thing that makes us different and unique from a flame, is that the flame is guided, and its existence is determined by what we call the laws of physics in a strict sense. It can grow with fuel or be doused with water and must follow these rules without choice. We on the other hand, have a sliver of agency. So like a flame with a bit of agenc

Spring in Seattle is BLOOMING! Finally! Light returning, days stretching, and suddenly everything sharpens into color and motion. That’s what it feels like in The Studio right now. Rooms humming. Breath, text, risk. The quiet electricity of people choosing to show up again and again. Our actors are stepping into auditions, into bookings, into themselves—week after week—not chasing something distant, but deepening into the craft they love. We’ll be sharing more student shoutou

This summer, we are adding a new class to our curriculum. The true foundation of any actor's work is their physical instrument: body, voice, mind, creative imagination. We have learned over the past year that the more we teach new actors how to tap into their physical potential, the further they can go in the acting sequence of classes we offer. An actor who is attuned to what their body can do is an actor with more creative potential. Iveliz Martel is a theatre artist and te

The last year of the Fire Horse was 1966. That year, both Blonde on Blonde by Bob Dylan and Pet Sounds by the Beach Boys were released. Both would become landmark albums and in some ways signaled that something profound was happening at the time in American pop culture. Pet Sounds laid the groundwork for albums like Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band , and is cited by Paul McCartney as the most influential pop album of the modern era. Blonde on Blonde was equally influent

Is the digitally raised human being still living in three dimensions? Photo by Joel Ambass on Unsplash It is now commonly understood that one of the most profound questions facing humanity in the digital era is the functioning, use, care, connectedness and coordination of the human body with the mind. As a teacher of acting, I have witnessed first-hand a new reality in young actors born and raised in the 21st century: a general lack of ability to move with ease in three dime

As 2025 comes to a close, we’re taking a breath and reflecting on a full-circle year. In January, we reopened our doors, and over the past twelve months, our community has shown up with focus, generosity, and heart, reminding us why we do this work. Thank you to every actor who stepped into our rooms, challenged themselves, stretched their skill sets, and trusted us with your creative journey. We strive to meet our students where they are, and in doing so, you continue to tea

Photo by Mathias Reding on Unsplash Here we are in the middle of the Big Dark, Seattle's annual festival of SAD and human hibernation. What better time to consider the darker areas of your character's psyche? In Uta Hagen's Nine Questions, we are to ask: "What are my relationships?" The obvious answers come to mind when we begin working on this question as far as a given script: a mother, a sister, a child, a co-worker, a neighbor, etc. But when we dig into these relationshi

(Part of the Litany against Fear spoken by the character Bene Gesserit in Frank Herbert's DUNE.) For the actor, fear is the killer of the creative impulse and the willingness to take risks. Fear is what manifests the ghosts of judgement, failure, the critic-ego and the need to be "right." Simply put, fear is the greatest obstacle to an actor's development while training. As one develops the skills of an actor, one is acquiring the facility of using the tools of the craft, the

While I miss being in the room with our courageous and disciplined students this quarter, stepping back into a rehearsal process has been...

You may have noticed I’m not teaching this quarter. Huge thanks to Andrew for stepping in to teach our advanced class while I am in...

The actor needs to use time and space as creative tools.

Imagining Yourself Living Truthfully in the World of a Character: The Magic "If" When Konstantin Stanislavski defined his Magic "If," he...

An argument for the lost habit of reading . Photo by Tom Hermans on Unsplash A mind that is able to think critically, that is to say, a...

Defining units of action: the elements of a scene. Playwrights use acts and scenes as demarcations to frame units of dramatic action in a...