Jeffrey Puukka

About

I am a theatre director and acting teacher living and working in the Pacific Northwest. My goal is to work with students to unlock the authentic actors within themselves. Visit my website for testimonials and reviews: JeffreyPuukka.com

To put it simply...

I am passionately curious about actors and actor training.

I love helping people stumble into confidence.

I love witnessing creativity unfurl, and impact the world.

Professionally, I work where these things I love meet and merge.

I am a theatre director. I am an acting coach.


Highlights

Hired 1 time
24 years in business
Serves Vancouver , WA

Photos and videos


  • Reviews

    0.0
    0 reviews
    5
    0%
    4
    0%
    3
    0%
    2
    0%
    1
    0%

    BA

    Brittany A.

    “With simple additions like contemporary music and iPhones, director Jeffrey Puukka demonstrates the continuously relevant story arch of ‘Streetcar‘ in today’s society. This modern production deftly depicts how the reaction to rape victims has never really changed in the years since the play opened on Broadway in 1947.”
    ... Show more
    June 13, 2021

    RO

    Richard O.

    “Vigorous, engaging theatre.” … “A three hours of unrelenting intensity. It seems that every line carries a powerful emotional punch.”
    ... Show more
    June 13, 2021

    DM

    Damon M.

    “One of the best acting classes I’ve been to in quite a while. I studied with Uta / AADA / Meisner and actors from the Actors Studio in NY. I know a thing or two about acting classes”
    ... Show more
    June 13, 2021

    AE

    Ani E.

    The magic of being simultaneously inside one’s comfort zone and outside it: Jeffrey has been able to strike the most graceful and fruitful of balances when it comes to making sure participants are stretched to their potential, without sacrificing the warmth and guidance that stand as testament to a gifted teacher and acting coach.”
    ... Show more
    June 13, 2021

    LB

    Lyra B.

    The thing that makes Jeffrey stand out to me is how good he is at bringing out YOUR brilliance. He doesn’t impose anything but instead, like any good teacher, helps you discover your own excellence. His coaching is insightful, deeply useful, expertly tailored to YOU. He responds to your desires and needs (no matter how diverse or wide ranging) and is able to provide coaching that exactly fits what you’re looking for. He’s also kind, essentially ego-less, and absolutely willing to acknowledge the limits of his expertise (eg, he won’t try to sell himself to you if he doesn’t think he has anything to offer).”
    ... Show more
    June 13, 2021

    Frequently asked questions

    Curious parties can reach out to ask questions and see if we'd be a good collaborative fit.  You can read my students' reviews and contact me via my website.  https://www.JeffreyPuukka.com  

    Jeffrey Puukka is a theatre director and acting coach of Finnish and Irish roots, living and working in the Pacific Northwest. 

    Jeffrey’s favorite projects from 20+ years of directing include Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire, Polly Teale’s Mermaid, David Adjmi’s Elective Affinities–which performed in Portland, Edinburgh, and Cambodia–as well as his own adaptations of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and Women of Troy, inspired by Euripides. 

    Jeffrey is passionately curious about actor training and has mentored actors ranging eight to eighty years of age.  Jeffrey initiated and leads The Monday Night Acting Lab, originally sponsored and hosted by Mt. Hood Community College from 2017 until the Covid-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, The Monday Night Acting Lab has continued to grow, in spite of the pandemic, by being conducted online. Jeffrey has guest-lectured at Washington State University, and has collaborated frequently as an acting instructor for Metropolitan Performing Arts, and as an interpretive speaking coach for the nationally recognized speech and debate program at Sam Barlow High School.

    For 1:1 coaching scenarios, I charge $60 per hour.  When students are interested in pre-booking 6 or more sessions at once, I apply a suitable discount when we calendar the working time.

    There are many coaches to choose from.  Have a conversation with your prospective teacher beforehand, to make sure you feel listened to, and understood.  Not every coach is an ideal fit for an individual student's learning style.  

    What is your goal?  What do you want to work on?  If you're not sure, let's start by clarifying that.


    Services offered

    Acting