Offers online services
About
I have over 35+ years of student success stories to celebrate. Many of my past & current acting students & public speaking students are now working actors or delivering compelling presentations from the stage.
I love seeing my students gain the confidence to succeed!
Highlights
Hired 19 times
19 years in business
Serves Salem , MA
Offers online services
Payment methods
Cash, Check, Venmo, Paypal, Zelle
Specialties
Experience level
No experience, Beginner, Intermediate
Acting venue(s)
Theater, Improv theater, Musical theater, Film, TV episode, TV commercial, Radio
People in group
1 person
Acting focus area(s)
No specific focus, Hone diction and enunciation, Expand vocal range, Strengthen vocal projection, Refine vocal expression
Students goals
To prepare for an audition, To build confidence, To continue professional development
Acting type(s)
I can make recommendations, Scene study, Cold reading, Method acting, Classical acting, Voice-over, Improv, Physical theater and movement
Student's age
11 – 13 years old, 14 – 18 years old, 19 – 25 years old, 26 – 45 years old, 46 – 65 years old, Over 65 years old
Photos and videos
Reviews
0.0
0 reviews
5
0%
4
0%
3
0%
2
0%
1
0%
KM
ken M.
What I appreciated the most , is your direct way of getting to the point. Meaning, if this is what you, (I) want to be a part of, i.e.,
acting, voice-over, etc., its all possible and do-able.
Thank You - Ken Millen / email address: [email protected]
December 12, 2024
•Hired on Lessons
JAR
jos alejandro R.
I am writing this testimonial to express my sincere appreciation for Debra’s outstanding work as my acting teacher. I decided to take acting lessons with Debra, not to become an actor, but to improve my overall English communication skills, networking skills, interpersonal skills, presentation skills, business communication skills and my interviewing skills.
Spanish is my primary language and English is my second language. I worked with Debra while I was in Boston, MA as an exchange student because I wanted to work on refining my English.
In all our sessions, regardless of the time of day, (when I went back to University in Columbia there was a time zone difference) Debra was precise in outlining the topics that would be covered in the beginning of each and every session and she would explain the next steps that we would be taking at the end of the session for the next appointment. This demonstrates not only her commitment to each individual session, but also her dedication to the overall curriculum and connections of what she intended to teach me while we worked together.
In addition to her professionalism and rigor, she is also a person of great trust who is kind, clear, compassionate, and incredibly insightful. Beyond the topics that we covered in our 10 sessions, I also sought her advice on many personal and professional matters that related to business while communicating effectively in English. In every session Debra always helped me.
I want to reiterate that Debra is a very trustworthy person and a consummate professional. She is an elite acting teacher with a comprehensive methodology. Her reputation, transparency and integrity are of the utmost importance to her evidenced by her offer of one FREE acting class.
After taking one FREE acting class with Debra, I felt very comfortable about working with her and very confident about making the investment in myself. Every penny I spend on my training with Debra has been well worth it, and I am grateful for the opportunity to have worked with such a talented acting, public speaking coach and life coach.
In fact, Debra not only met my expectations she exceeded my expectations. I am eager to have the opportunity to continue to work with Debra again sometime in the near future.
January 26, 2024
Ezrin F.
Words can’t describe how much Debra has helped me. I have only been working with her for a few months and I already booked a paid acting job.
She is patient, observant and gives positive feedback. But she won’t hesitate to show you how to do something better. Debra’s credentials, certifications, range of experience, and the decades of dedication to the success of her students really stood out to me. She saw the potential in me and that meant the world to me. It really boosted my confidence. She took a chance on me, just like how she had stood out to me as, in my words, the perfect instructor. I am very happy that I had the opportunity to work with Debra for my professional acting training. I can’t recommend her enough.
June 04, 2023
Ezrin F.
Words can’t describe how much Debra has helped me. I have only been working with her for a few months and I already booked a paid acting job.
She is patient, observant and gives positive feedback. But she won’t hesitate to show you how to do something better. Debra’s credentials, certifications, range of experience, and the decades of dedication to the success of her students really stood out to me. She saw the potential in me and that meant the world to me. It really boosted my confidence. She took a chance on me, just like how she had stood out to me as, in my words, the perfect instructor. I am very happy that I had the opportunity to work with Debra for my professional acting training. I can’t recommend her enough.
June 04, 2023
•Hired on Lessons
CA
Chris A.
I have been taking classes w Debra for seven months- it has been a wonderful experience in so many ways. This investment in myself and my acting career is already paying off as I’ve gotten paying jobs and continue to get opportunities. I did my research and found Debra on lessons.com.
She offered a free initial Zoom and she patiently listened to my aspirations and expectations, she laid out her approach and style and I knew we would click- and we have. Debra customizes her approach for each student, and it is so refreshing to have high level instruction given by a true pro who only wants you to succeed. Her instincts are spot on and she has a way of getting so much out of me that I was unaware I possessed. If you truly want to get great lessons from a very experienced and compassionate instructor, working with Debra is an easy decision.
August 24, 2022
•Hired on Lessons
CH
Chloe H.
When I started working with Debra as my professional acting coach in September 2021, I had no prior acting experience whatsoever. In our weekly sessions Debra taught me how to have fun with acting while also harnessing my craft as an actor. With Debra’s strong guidance, I discovered a passion, love and appreciation for acting that I never knew I could have before.
From September 2021 until January of 2022, Debra worked tirelessly to not only expose me to the history of acting, but more importantly to as many tools, techniques, skills & scripts as made sense on my journey.
Working sometimes 3-4 times a week, Debra helped me through every step of the college audition process. To my own amazement, Debra got me ready to start auditioning for colleges.
In March of 2022, I found out that all of our hard work paid off. I’m so excited to say that I got into my top choice for university with the acting program. I really wanted to be studying in. I will be attending college in the fall of 2022. I couldn’t be more delighted.
To be perfectly honest, I felt like the odds were stacked against me in terms of getting into any University Acting Training program, never mind getting into the prestigious University which was my top choice. I knew that the competition was going to be pretty stiff, given that most applicants probably would have been acting since early childhood and would have auditioned with years more of experience than I. To go from a gap year student with absolutely no acting experience to an incoming freshman at the top college acting program of my dreams is not something that I could have done without the support of Debra Crosby.
Since our first conversation Debra has been pro-actively committed to assist me to achieve my acting goals. She tailored our sessions to meet my needs, my goals and she taught me in a way that I would not only understand but respond well to. With every piece we studied and every technique we practiced Debra was able to identify where I struggled, and she taught me how to conquer those challenges & improve without ever making me feel like I was less than or not capable. She embraced my learning process and she inspired me to want to always be learning more about acting.
Debra is devoted to observing her students and adapting her teaching methods to best fit their learning style. Debra is a well-informed acting trainer who comes with a ton of credentials, certifications, decades of experience and many, many success stories. I feel blessed to have worked with such a kind, compassionate, funny, knowledgeable and highly accomplished acting coach. It is with confidence that I can highly recommend Debra as an acting trainer. No matter who her student is or how much experience they have Debra is ready for the challenge to help her students deliver an outstanding performance, out compete the competition, and discover the confidence to succeed!
April 12, 2022
•Hired on Lessons
Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
First and foremost I want to know what your interest in acting or public speaking is?
Do you have any experience with acting or public speaking? Even if your only experience was in your 1st grade production; that is OK. Everyone starts some where.
What are your dreams, goals and aspirations in terms of acting or public speaking?
What seems to be your biggest challenge or obstacle to achieving your dreams goals and aspirations?
I offer a complimentary phone consultation to listen to understand you and to then offer you helpful information. From there we can both discern if we want to move forward to schedule your FREE professional training session with me via Zoom on a mutually convenient day & time. Sound Good?
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I attended Lesley University in the Expressive Arts and Communication Program.
I have several certifications, trainings and credietials under my belt, as well. I am also a certified life coach.
My 30 year successful career has included being an actress, improv artist, historic character re-enactment, artist educator, writer, television host, casting director, director, producer, acting coach & publuc speaking trainer.
The professional experience, depth of knowledge and business acumen I will bring to your training sessions will not only provide you with exceptional well rounded strong support, it will also give you the confidence to succeed.
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
I have packages of 5, 10, 20 or 40 professional private acting coaching sessions or public speaking training sessions. The more sessions you commit to the more affordable the per session rate.
In summer of 2024, I will be introducing an exclusive, by invitation only professional acting group coaching session. The Exclusive professional acting training group coaching program will be offered at a very affordable rate and will meet on a specific day & time.After an initial complimentary consultation to figure out if we are a good match, I'm happy to discuss my rates with you immediately after your FREE Professional Acting Training Session via Zoom. I prefer to work with clients who are highly motivated about making an investment in their passion for acting and want to be working as an actor or they have a desire to speak in public and want to be a successful speaker.
How did you get started teaching?
I started to ride horses and compete in horse shows when I was 7 years old. At a very young age I started to bring home trophies and 1st place blue ribbons. By the time I was 13 years old, I was given the responsibility to teach the younger students at the riding academy how to ride horses properly.
Horses actually taught me a lot about how to be a good teacher.
What types of students have you worked with?
I have taught hundreds and hundreds of students of all ages and from all walks of life. The youngest student I ever taught was a precautions and talented 4 year old and my oldest student was an amazingly insightful 100 year old.
The characteristics of most of my successful students possess genuine curiosity, passion, imagination, a desire to learn, positive attitude, intelligence, they are coachable and most importantly they are highly motivated to succeed.
Services offered
Acting
Voice Acting
Public Speaking