Elexious Acting Lessons

I like to first learn about who they see themselves as an artist or performer. It allows me to connect with them on a personal level before working on their craft. Talking things out is a huge part of how I work with others. I find myself always asking questions to others asking why this choice, where did you root your motivation, etc. 

I have my B.A. in Performing Arts - Theatre from Clemson University as well as a minor in Youth Development Studies, in addition to a Masters of Arts in Theatre Education. I've always connected with students and how they work because it's so different from how adults and professionals work. There's this imaginative mindset behind things, and I find that they're more willing to throw themselves into new choices when asked.

Considering the way the world is at the moment, I've always been they type of person to say give what you can. This rings so true today, especially, because the arts industry is hurting. With that being said, I wouldn't say there's any fixate price for a standard session. I'm always willing to talk things out to find a way that everyone is statisfied. 

I knew I wanted to teach theatre when I was in high school, but I thought of it as a side gig at the time. But as I grew in college, I knew that the way I carried myself that I could have the best of both worlds with acting and teaching theatre. 

I've worked with kids from ages 3 to 18 mainly through children's theatre and elemetary school. Being in a company in college also gives you experience working with people your age. 

I'm appreciative of how much I've learned during a pandemic being in school online. My masters program distracted me in the best way possible of being able to have laser focus on bettering myself as a teacher. The best part of all that was when my semester of classes was almost over, I finally got to offically walk across the stage and have the graduation I've always dreamed about. It was like no time had really passed from my last semester as a college student and my first semester as a masters student. 

Don't be afraid to ask questions. The biggest problem I had was going and talking to people in my industry. I would get so nervous whether it was about getting help on a monologue, or talking about auditioning or working for a show. You just rip the bandaid off and do it because I guarantee, you'll come out of the conversation smiling from ear to ear. That's advice I wish I could give to myself as a student. 

I would say if you have a problem working on anything, try all possible solutions you can think of. And then when you're all out of ideas, then seek out a different perspective. So many people want things to be handed to them in life. For example, let's say a friend of mine came up to me and asked for play recommendations so they could find a monologue for an audition. If they wanted a personal selection, I would ask questions like what plays do you like, who's your favorite playwright or what do you think your type is to try and find material best suited for them. If that person responds with, "I don't know I just something good," then that tells me that they don't want to put the work in to make something their own but have something that was made to be good. Finding a play to direct, or a monologe to perfrom by yourself is such an accomplishing feeling! Especially when you can talk about how you came to learning about it.