My daughter recently went through the audition process for NYC high school drama programs. She had to prepare two monologues, one dramatic, one comedic. Even though I am a working actor she wanted me nowhere near her “process” in preparing. She’s a newly minted teenager so, yeah, I get it. Once ready she recorded the monologues by herself which I looked over to approve. They were, uh, not great. Some good moments but mostly over the top with little connection to the characters in a meaningful way. Do you know how I know the audition needed work? Because I’ve done the same thing. I told her immediately “Stop acting!” We spent the next few hours getting her to a place where there was little separation between her and the characters. We got a take of each that we liked and sent it off. She wound up getting accepted into her first choice, one of the top arts high schools in the city.

You never stop learning as an actor. Each day on set I absorb something new. It’s this knowledge from a quarter century in show biz and real time experiences I will pass on to your child. Everything in my toolbox will be at their disposal. We will create an atmosphere where they can be relaxed and confident and free to experiment. This is where the best stuff comes from! Teenagers rely not on technique but on their instincts. I know I did when I started out. Often times a first instinct about a character is a great choice, but of course we must go deeper. We will work to hone these instincts into a performance that’s grounded, specific and real. At their age, acting should be a joyous, unfiltered experience. So I promise we’ll have fun along the way.

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