Let’s Challenge Some Assumptions

Some directors train under other directors. Shadowing them, assisting them, and so on. I’m a little different. I was taught about directing from the other side of the collaboration, by actors. Exceedingly talented, deeply experienced actors. 

They were so brave. They worked hard. They were kind. That’s why collaborating with them was so much fun, and why I learned so much from them—because of their generosity of spirit.

Some of them had worked all over the world, and worked with my ‘muses’. (Legendary directors, acting teachers, or theorists. The ones whose books lined my shelves—people like Uta Hagen, and John Barton for example.)

My experiences with these people have been formative! They shaped my understanding of what great actors bring into the rehearsal room. It’s a powerful, kind of magical combination, but it may not be what you think:

• Preparation.
• Bravery.
• Curiosity.
• Kindness.

I tell you this story because, as you know, there are a lot of stereotypical beliefs about what actors should or shouldn’t be. Look again at my list. Look at what I’ve included, and what I haven’t. What do you notice?

Did I include talent? Or ‘looks’?

Slowly but surely, more and more of the plays being written and produced are daring to dramatize the world the way it actually is. It is important. There is real hunger for unpindownable characters, who don’t look like everyone else, and don’t fit easily into boxes.

There are great stories that need telling, especially now. If we are to stage them with sincerity and integrity, we need more of everyone.

People coming from more than one place, who look like more than one thing, who bring more than one arrangement of skills.

There is a desire in this field for you, too.

• Be prepared for the work.
• Be brave and willing to try stuff.
• Be curious about the moment at hand.
• Be kind.

That’s the secret sauce. Preparation, Bravery, Curiosity and Kindness are not just values, they are skills someone can build over time. They are choices, too. You choose to try something, or not.

YOU

You’re an actor. 

Maybe you’ve been at it for quite a while. Maybe not. Maybe you feel called to this work, but you’re still working up the courage to refer to yourself this way, when people ask questions about what you do, or what you’re interested in. 

Maybe you’re beginning again after some sort of pause. (Pauses are common. There’s all sorts of reasons we might need to put our attention elsewhere. Family. Relocation. Illness. Rest. There’s nothing wrong with starting over. When the time feels right for you, I hope you do it.)

Wherever you are on the spectrum of ‘experience’—it’s all good.

What matters is:

• You are interested in acting. 
• You want to understand more about the actor that you are. 
• You want to do more acting! 
• You want to get continually better at doing it. 

As we know, there’s so much hackneyed, anecdotal advice about acting and living life as an artist. Sometimes, we encounter great-sounding assumptions, or pathways that worked for other people. They make a kind of sense, but somehow don’t quite fit who we really are, the life we really live, or the gap we’re trying to bridge right now.

So let’s sweep everything aside for a moment, and say only one thing is absolutely true, and applicable to any actor anywhere: 

The more you do it, the more skilled you become. The doing is what matters. The doing is the way forward.

Auditioning and being cast is in projects is a great way into that doing.

Training matters, too.

What I mean by training

I’m not referring to formal education. I mean training the way you would train to run a marathon. After all, if you can run, you can run a marathon. However, you may not be prepared to run a marathon today. You may need to work up to it, and train to run farther.

Training is about getting to know, stretching, and nourishing the actor that you are. Exercising your bravery. Your imagination. Your skills. Your instincts. Your stamina. 

Discovering. Strengthening. Preparing. Practicing.

Acting is a practice, like yoga, or medicine. The more you do it, the more you stretch and hone specific muscles, skills, and other inner resources. You are a theatre practitioner. It’s the doing that counts.

There are as many pathways to great, compelling acting as there are actors. Your task, your life’s work, is to learn your way. To discover what empowers you—not someone else, but you—to do braver, bolder, cleaner work with greater ease.

Acting is an infinite game: the kind you play for the adventure and pleasure of continuing to play it. The good thing is that, in many ways, the game begins when you say it does… when you decide you’re starting. When you take action. You begin auditioning. You dig into training. 

Workshops or classes are a great way to train alongside others. You can build your community.  

Sometimes though, the hunches, goals, or questions you are working through deserve more time than you’ll get in class.  

Time to ask more questions.

Time to get more feedback.

Time to try more things. To experiment and flop in big, messy, glorious ways that you can learn a lot from. To pivot. To try something different. 

That’s when training 1:1 may be of use.

1:1 Working Time

When I work with actors 1:1, there is some kind of goal or question we are focusing on in our sessions.

For instance:

• Building a repertoire of monologues for auditioning.
• Exploring Shakespeare together to find greater ease working with rich, poetic text.
• Honing your cold reading skills. Stretching your scene study muscles.

It’s okay if there’s more than one piece of the puzzle that feels important to you right now.

We’re going to work intentionally, and not try to do everything at once. Collaborating together is about empowering yourself with time. Time for you, and the things on your mind.

We’re going to be strategic, and dedicate our sessions to one or two focuses at a time, so that we are thorough and giving your intentions the respect they deserve.

So! What are the goals, questions, tasks, or concerns you want to dig into? What do you notice obstructing your path, or your ‘progress’?

And, are you ready to empower yourself by claiming this time, attention, and support?

If you are, I’m glad you came. Collaborating with actors is what fuels my joy, and I cannot wait to see what you do.

WHAT TO DO TO get started

1. Peruse the Options for 1:1 Working Time below, and choose what makes sense for you. 
2. When you click the Book Now button, you’ll be directed to a page where you can schedule your session, or set up your package.
3. When you schedule an appointment, you’ll be asked some questions around why you’re booking this session. The more you information you can share, the better.  
4. You’ll pay. When you’ve completed the process, you’ll receive an automated message thanking you, confirming that your information has been sent to me. The ball has been set in motion!
5. After you’ve scheduled your appointment, you’ll be hearing from me. I’ll be sending you the meeting link we’ll use. (This part isn’t automated. I set it up and send it to you myself. It won’t be instantaneous, so keep an eye on your inbox as we draw near the appointed time.)
6. If I have questions for you, I’ll get in touch for clarity before we work together. If you have questions for me, feel free to do the same. 

You’ll pay, and when you’ve completed the process, you’ll receive an automated message thanking you, confirming that your information has been sent to me. The ball has been set in motion! 

Options For 1:1 working time

Single Sessions:
$105 / session.

A session is seventy-five minutes. This allows us an hour of working time, with a little buffer to pause, or ease in and out of what we’re working on.

more than one session

This is just about thinking ahead. My experience providing 1:1 coaching is that nine times out of ten, people who book one session return and book again.

The Five Session Package below saves you 10% in the long run, compared to scheduling five appointments one at a time.

Five session package:
$472.00

Special Occasions

The Last Minute Quick Look
$45 / 30 minutes.

This is a quick, thirty-minute opportunity for you to squeeze in last minute audition prep with a fresh pair of eyes.

Important considerations:

Please understand what this kind of appointment is and is not good for. It’s brief. We don’t have lots of time for super deep discussion, experimenting, or adjustments.

—You have already chosen and prepared your material.

—This is a last minute opportunity for feedback.

—For deeper exploration, I encourage you to book a longer session.

When and where?

For your convenience, appointment arrangements are made through Acuity Scheduling so you can peruse my office hours for a time that works for you.

Our appointments will be conducted online, unless you are in proximity, and specifically request in person collaboration. (Options for in person collaboration are limited.)

For online appointments, please work from wherever you’re comfortable, and feel most empowered to express yourself and explore.

Photographs

1. Jeffrey Puukka.
2. Jeffrey Puukka in rehearsal with Lindsey Rae Johnson, photographed by Ary Finch.
3. Jeffrey Puukka photographed by Ary Finch.
4. Testimonial backdrop photo: Jeffrey Puukka photographed by Natasha Elizabeth Hass-Hauskins.