THEATER DIRECTOR / SDC
The Trestle at Pope Lick Creek
A Passion for Teaching
As an acting teacher, I thrive on the "ah-ha moment" in class. That instant of a learner's light bulb reaction and a new insight or awareness gained. First and foremost, my classes are about "process," and are focused on guiding actors towards discovering their authentic selves, delving into their preparation for exercises and performance, and working on what it means for them to take a "risk" onstage.
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I have an extensive background in teaching actors - from professionals to novices. For eight years, I owned and taught at my own professional acting studio in Chicago. And for over twenty years, I have been teaching at the university level. All of these experiences have also opened doors for me to do guest artist work and other related teaching and coaching opportunities.​​​​​
Teaching Experience
NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY, School of Theatre and Dance, DeKalb, Illinois
(2013-present) Associate Professor, Assistant Professor, Visiting Assistant Professor
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA, Dept of Theatre Arts and Dance, Minneapolis
(2004-2010) Instructor, Teaching Assistant, Guest Lecturer
ACTORS’ CENTER, INC, professional training school, Chicago
(1992-2000) Head Instructor
NIU Students at GreatWorks Theatre auditions 2024
Northern Illinois University
Classes
Acting: Presence and Connection
introducing MFA Acting graduate students to Meisner-based sequence of exercises – repetition,
independent activity work, and emotional preparation.
Acting: Emotional Agility and Dramatic Imagination
continuing to hone skills for MFA Acting graduate students in revealing authentic impulses and behavior on stage – moment by moment – using dramatic imagination and emotional preparation.
Script Lab: Theater and Performance Across Cultures
survey course for MFA Acting graduate students deepening critical reading, writing, thinking skills
Audition Lab, Graduate
weekly lab for MFA Acting graduate students focusing on all aspects of audition technique
Professional Development for the Actor - MFA Acting graduate & BFA Acting undergraduate
prepares final year MFA and BFA actors for the profession including headshots/resumes, websites, and regional theater auditions
Business of Theatre-Acting - MFA Acting graduate and BFA Acting undergraduate
continuation of THEA 463/563 for final year MFA/BFA actors, focusing on among other things, actor unions, cover letters, business plans, and artist statements
Acting Styles: Clarity and Character
continuance of BFA actor Meisner training, focusing on primary relationships, emotional prep,
the activity, objectives, and character and scene analysis in improvisational and scripted work
Introduction to Performance
introducing first year BFA actors to significant artists, styles, theorists, and representative texts of 20th and 21st centuries and to collaborative processes involved in creation of theater
Directing I (Beginning) / Directing II (Devised) for BFA and BA undergraduates
Aesthetics of the Theatrical Arts
BFA and BA undergraduates focus on the collaborative process involved in the creation of dance and theater by way of design, actors, and dramaturgy.
20th Century Irish Drama: Nationalism, Identity, and the Stage
BFA and BA undergraduates examine development of Irish dramatic literature; a practical engagement with the plays along with analysis of them
Actors' Center, Inc.
Owner, Artistic Director, and Head Instructor, a Meisner-based professional acting studio in Chicago
Meisner-based Technique I, Technique II, Technique III, and Scene Study
enhancing actors’ ability to respond truthfully in the moment, creating deeply connected emotional preparations, and becoming fully immersed in imaginary circumstances of the script