October-November 2012
Tuesdays, 7:00 to 11:00 pm; October 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, November 13
(note: no class on Election Day November 6)
Mondays, 7:00 to 11:00 pm; October 8, 15, 22, 29, November 5, 12
$375 for directors
$325 for actors
3402 Motor Avenue, Los Angeles
310 392-2444 / john@judithweston.com
The Actor-Director Lab is a performance laboratory that joins the very different energies, needs, and talents of actors and directors. A dynamic, project-oriented workshop, attended by working professionals, where directors and actors collaborate with each other, in an environment that is intense, creative, and positive.
Judith’s feedback on the actor-director interaction, her simple and effective tools, and especially her insights into the emotional center of each scene make this class unique. Described by her students as “the House M.D. of emotional life,” she has the ability to solve scenes of any genre, and take each director and each actor to another level. It's not a directing workshop that has actors in it, or an acting class that has directors in it – it’s an acting class and a directing class at the same time.
The Actor-Director Laboratory gives directors and actors simple, reliable techniques for communicating with each other, and for getting to the center of the script and its characters. But the Lab is not simply a collection of tools. Judith asks questions that other people don’t think of.
FOR DIRECTORS, the Lab offers the opportunity to learn and practice rehearsal techniques – a subject of confusion and anxiety for many directors. A hands-on environment, with professional actors, using scenes of your choice – a valuable follow-up to the Acting for Directors course. Athletes and musicians all maintain a training regime whether or not they are working – but there are very few opportunities for directors to develop and maintain their “chops” in between jobs. Even if you never find time for formal rehearsal in the “real world,” understanding the tools and rhythms of rehearsal is your ticket to greater freedom and creativity with actors on the set. Each director will present three scenes over the six-week session. Directing slots in the Actor-Director Lab are open to directors who have taken ACTING FOR DIRECTORS, or who have significant professional acting experience.
FOR ACTORS, the Lab provides a challenging preparation and exercise for television and movie sets, where typically the actor’s process is a low priority and the actor must direct him/herself. Actors in the Lab work every week – with a different director each time. The value of working out with direction from different directing styles is immeasurable. You learn how to make confusing direction work for you. You become able to recognize and respect your deepest intuition – while responding to direction. To be professional – and at the same time intensely primal, instinctual, and present at all times. All toward this central benefit: increased confidence leading to more bookings. This is an advanced workshop for actors who can function at a professional level. Acting slots are open by invitation, after a personal interview.
Directors as well as actors get to a new level of confidence when they keep a daily or weekly practice with their craft. Participation in the Lab sharpens your skills, extends your range, builds confidence, and takes your work to a new level. Judith's tools and insights prepare both actors and directors to find and trust their own instincts.
The work in the Lab often leads to work outside the Lab. For more details of film, television and stage appearances, projects and awards – please click on KUDOS. And click on the following links for comments from DIRECTORS – or ACTORS – on how the Lab has worked for some of the individuals who have taken it.
Features for Directors:
- Script analysis and preparation for rehearsal;
- Instruction and guidance in “scene-shaping” – creating the events of the scene;
- Demonstration of blocking techniques; pace, tempo-rhythm, tone, and style;
- Demonstration of rehearsal techniques, including improv and warm-up exercises;
- How to communicate your vision to others;
- How to maintain your vision without shutting actors down;
- Directors choose the material they wish to work on, and are welcome to use original work and workshop scenes from upcoming projects.
- A new scene, new character, every week. You work quickly and work deeply;
- An intense, creative, supportive environment;
- An opportunity to meet and work on an equal footing with working directors;
- Script analysis tools that work for any genre;
- Exploring your resistances and turning them into creative energy;
- Increased ability to respond fully to any direction;
- Staying alive to your own instincts, and to your acting partner, no matter what the script or director asks of you.
It is required for directors and actors taking the Lab to have read one of Judith’s books, either DIRECTING ACTORS or THE FILM DIRECTOR’S INTUITION, or both. They are available at most bookstores, or at Amazon.com or mwp.com. You will get the most out of this workshop if you have read both books.
Participants in the Lab are eligible for other benefits at the Two Lights Studio:
- Opportunity to sign up for rehearsal time at the studio, when available;
- Invitation to use the Studio for readings of your scripts, with no charge for using the space;
- Invitation to Special Events at the Studio, such as the Q&A Series
- Invitation to screen your short film at Two Lights Cinema Screenings
To sign up, or ask questions, call 310 392-2444, or john@judithweston.com.