Acting with Natalie O.

Hello friends! I'm so excited to be a part of your journey as a performer. Whether your dream is to be an actor or you just want to pick up a new creative skill, you're in the right place. My teaching approach will help hone you or your child's emotional and social learning, as well as developing excellent communication and leadership skills. I'm a working professional actor and playwright based out of NYC. I've been a member of the Dramatists Guild of America for over five years. I have over ten years of experience in tutoring and childcare with students ranging from Kindergarten to High School. I graduated from Bennington College with a BA in Drama and Anthropology, but I never stopped taking classes in order to improve my skills and learn new things (neither should you)! Based on my experience moving between writing and acting, I understand the importance of building your confidence in your craft. I want to be your guide towards building your craft and your voice so that you can be a confident actor and/or improviser! You have a story to tell, and a voice that needs to be heard, so let's make them hear you! I started acting in Elementary School (perhaps the same as many of you!) I took part in school plays throughout Middle and High School, but by the time I entered College, my focus shifted to playwriting. I had several readings by professional theatre companies, including The Classic Theatre of Harlem. I continued taking acting classes as well, since one of the keys to writing a good script is understanding the way actors and directors think. I studied Stanislavski, Jersey Grotowski, Viewpoints, Commedia del'Arte, Musical Theatre Performance, Devised Theatre, The Method, Brecht, Shakespeare, and took a class in audition preparation as well. Although I enjoyed acting, I never imagined I'd be able to pursue acting as a career. After I graduated from Bennington College, I started my own Theatre Company, NOplays. Our mission is to promote and produce works by underrepresented artists in the American Theatre, specifically emerging female writers. We produced five festivals of new plays in collaboration with the 365 Women a Year Project. We also created a one-act devised performance piece titled The Masks of the Goddess. Although working as the Artistic Director and Executive Producer of NOplays was an incredibly rewarding artistic experience, it wasn't always a financially rewarding one. I found ways to supplement my income through working as a children's entertainer for private and corporate events. Through this, I fell in love with acting again. Particularly with acting for younger audiences and interactive theatre. I decided to face my fears and insecurities, move to NYC, and pursue acting in earnest. I quickly found the wonderful world of interactive theatre and comedy improv! Since then, I've worked with the best interactive theatre companies in the country. I'm currently a core cast member for Eight is Never Enough Improv at the Broadway Comedy Club in Time Square. Recently, a play I co-wrote and co-starred in titled Story Gauntlet: Love, Death, and Wallpaper, received an award at the Portfringe Festival and was invited to perform in the Reyjavik Festival this past June. Other credits include THEY Improv, The North Pole Express (the number one interactive Christmas Experience aboard a moving locomotive) the Wyldwood Players, and Liarsville Gold Rush Camp in Skagway, Alaska. That's been my journey so far, but now I want to hear about yours! What are your goals? What do you want to learn? How can I help you navigate this challenging time we're all in as performing artists and prepare to live your best post-pandemic life? **Lesson details** We'll start with a basic warm-up for your voice, body, and breath. Next, we'll move on to specific acting exercises custom tailored to you or your child's needs, interests, and experience level. We'll end by reviewing the next steps needed in order to improve what we covered in class, a cool-down, and a high-five! **Equipment** I have a large collection of plays, and books on acting techniques, as well as access to the HowlRound New Play Exchange, the largest online database of new works.