About
Hi! I'm an actor-director from NYC with an MA from The Bristol Old Vic Theatre School in the UK. My own trainng has had a variety of perspectives thrown in from both English Theatre conservatoire tradition and American on-camera acting. I love helping other actors find variety, freedom and spontinaeity with text.
Whether you are new to the craft or seasoned, I am someone who can grant perspective to what you're working on. Whether you need someone to pick apart a script with you or have a look at your choices, I'm here. We'll read through your scene or monologue together and find where you can be at your most free whether it is a piece for your repertorie or an audition.
If you're seeking Shakespeare tutleage, you've found it! I love working with actors finding themselves in classical text. If you're seeking modern text tutelage! You've found it. Contemporary work makes up a huge bulk of what I do these days.
I also help American actors build an RP/English accented character and British actors build their Standard American.
www.athenareddy.com
www.twitter.com/athena_reddy
Highlights
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Andrew A.
Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
First, we email and define what they want to get out of a lesson. "I need you to help me with an RP accent" or "I need you to help me choose a Shakespeare monologue" or "I need you to help me prepeare for an audition, will you look at these sides with me?" And then we nail down a date where we can both Skype and we jump into the work via Skype.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I have an MA in Professional Acting from the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School in England. Additional training (which is a long list spanning a decade) can be found on my resume on my website www.athenareddy.com
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
Everyone needs something different and can afford somethng different so I do offer a sliding scale based on time spent and the work that needs to be done.
How did you get started teaching?
I come from a family of ENTIRELY TEACHERS and resisted teaching for a long time but when I started directing my own work, I realized my favorite element was coaching new actors. I've helped many an actor friend prep for an auditiona nd I find that I learn more about the craft through teaching. Though I'm an actor-director first and a teacher second, being a teacher is an essential tool that helps give me perspective on my own work.
What types of students have you worked with?
I worked with an other MA Acting Grad on her accents, I've worked with actors in NYC who are starting to go on film/tv/theatre auditions, people who aren't professionals who just wnat to explore acting as a hobby, I've worked with teenagers who want to bring more to their high school acting work (whether it be for a play or an acting class) and I've worked with YouTube content creators who have no formal training but want to sharpen their skills before they film their sketches.
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
Find someone who gets you. It isn't enough for someone to just have information for you. With acting, you need someone who gets you or they'll attempt to shape you into an idea of you that isn't quite authentic. People throw around authenticity as a buzzword but it is actually important to have a teacher who sees your essence because acting is all about what your individual perspective brings into the text. Don't be afraid to talk to people and ask them questions and go with your gut when someone doesn't click.