Performance Lessons

First things first gotta know your initial goals. Students want to try performance for all sorts of reasons. Some want to practice confidence building, and public speaking while others have had entire careers/lives but always wanted to try or enhance this part of their background. Heck, I had someone who wanted to improve their voices for a Dungeons and Dragons campaign. And yes there are those who want to become performers. All of these different goals get separate strategies.   
Next things next we assess your current skill level by going over background. This helps me figure out where you stand on among other things terminology, focus, physicality, dance background, and all that jazz. Now, this is entirely for your benefit. Maybe you've never been on stage a day in your life, or you just finished a tour, either way, I'll try to find the precise approach that will help.
Last things Last: We keep things flexible. Goals change, sometimes a person starts off wanting to try this performance and suddenly realizes this is what they want to do with their life.  Or maybe the type of acting focus changes (TV to theatre, that kind of thing). Learning as cliche as it sounds is a lifelong thing and we're certainly not going to be trapped in whatever conversation started the journey.  

- A Master's in Drama and Theatre Studies from the National University of Ireland: Galway.
- Taught Theatre 101 at Burlington Community College
- Taught Creativity in the Classroom at Stockton University
- Taught Introduction to Acting at Stockton University

So we have some options here:
    The Mentor: 40 dollars an hour.
            This is your basic acting coach. The first lessons are figuring out your personal goals. Then we develop personalized acting regimes so you can continue to improve every day (more fun than it sounds). And we continue on the greatest hits: Audition prep, Shakespeare, Scene Breakdowns, cold reads, voice training, movement on stage, and whatever else strikes your fancy. This price point assumes weekly lessons.

    Audition Time: 50 dollars an hour (Five lessons)
          Ok. You want to get started showing up to auditions. Let's get you ready as quickly as possible.

  1st lesson: Etiquette, Type, editing audition piece tactics, and cold reading. Decide on classical monologue for lesson 2.
 2nd lesson: Cold Read opening. Work on classical monologue. Pick contemporary drama
3rd Lesson: Cold Read opening. Work Contemporary drama. Choose contemporary comedy. 
4th lesson: Cold Read opening. Work contemporary comedy. 
5th lesson: Cold Read Opening: Perform and film classical, dramatic, and comedic monologues for students' future use. 

   Shakespeare: 60 dollars an hour (Sive lessons)
1st Lesson: Go over the basics of the language, iambic pentameter, and tools. Choose a script and character. 
2nd Lesson: Discuss overall themes, ideas, and recurring metaphors. Choose Scene.
3rd: Break the scene down, and develop the arc. Choose Soliliqy.
4th: Line-by-line breakdown of Soliliqy. 
5th:  Perform and film a soliloquy for the actor's use. 

Additional notes: Prices are based on the lesson. Willing to host students at my apartment for no additional charge. Online Lessons likewise. If students would like me to travel to them gas and tolls will be included. Or if they want a rehearsal room scheduled the cost will be added to the lesson price. (Usually 45 dollars more)  

While receiving my Master's in Ireland I did acting coaching as a side gig. Once I graduated and returned to the states I taught at Burlington Community College and Stockton University. 

My students have ranged from young performers in their mid-teens to senior citizens.

Wrote and acted in my original play "Kingfish" reviewed here: Kingfish - TheaterScene.net

Performed in the well-reviewed tour of "Etched Glass Decanter"
In the award-winning short film, "Capricies
The production/directing of my original play "The Promised Land" made its off-off-Broadway debut. It was reviewed positively in the DC metro press.
https://dcmetrotheaterarts.com/2018/06/10/review-the-promised-land-by-dunvegan-productions/

Think about a few things to ask yourself in regard to your teacher:

- What "method" do you use?

        So less of an absolute concept than it used to be. Still, many actors/directors view themselves primarily through a particular acting lens. It might say this in their bio (trained in Meisner or Chekov for instance) but often times this is left blank. It's important because while all of these can be powerful tools sometimes a particular system is not the right fit OR occasionally it is the perfect style for you. But knowing what background (and ideas) you're learning can be very important. 

- Am I a priority?

       Now I don't mean the student should be the center of the teacher's life. Trust me, having had enough mentors and mentees that's never the case. But nor should you ever feel like you are not the main focus in your own lessons. Lots of actors/writers/directors teach to support their income. This is fine but also not an excuse to ignore their new charge. Now the vast VAST majority of tutors/teachers/coaches love doing this work BUT be aware and never be afraid to switch should it appropriate. This leads me too...     

 - Is this the right teacher for this skill?

Depending on your development as an actor you might be looking for a mentor who can go over the basics (and teach you how loaded the term is) or a particular skill set: Are you trying to develop your voice? Increase your range, power, and affinity for accents. Or perhaps you still feel physically awkward on stage. Not every teacher is perfectly suited to teach every skill under the sun... and that's ok. Don't be afraid even if you LOVE your current mentor to search for other professionals in context. This isn't a relationship you're not "cheating."  

- How much time do I really have to commit?

       This is often the biggest frustration when learning any new skill. But it can be offset but developing manageable goals. Do you only have fifteen minutes a day?  Maybe a couple of hours here and there. Communicating how much time you have AND how much time is expected for each task is helpful. Now this will of course depend from person to person (not everyone learns the same skills at the same pace) but will help make sure your not overreaching or getting bored because you can do more.

- What are my "needs?" 

   This will at least partially depend on your goals. If you are a beginner at least one of your needs may very well be "having some fun." Cause well you're learning how to be silly and spontaneous. Later on, it may become more focused, I "need" to get this audition right, and more focused critique is a part of that. And these will be the same questions. Not to sound too hippy but it starts with examining your emotional responses: If for the last few lessons you've been thinking, "This is a waste of time." Examine why you feel that way, "We're just playing silly games and not doing anything."  Then ask two questions. First, what is the best possible reason we are doing this activity or exercise, method, or scene and what can I get out of it? Oftentimes we dismiss (I'm super guilty of this) what we don't immediately understand and then lose opportunities for growth. 2nd question is what would I rather be doing and why? Do you feel your progress has improved enough to add additional challenges... or maybe the class is going too fast and you'd like to refocus on a previous lesson.  Once you have both in your mind the discussion with your mentor can be much more productive. "Lane, I understand you have us pretending to be chickens to attempt to get us to focus our body and energy into habit-breaking movement... but I had been hoping to get a better handle on the Shakespearean Language for the upcoming season."