WHAT MY WORKSHOP (and COACHING) IS ABOUT:

I do not believe that you can learn how to act in a workshop or class.  I do not believe that I can teach you how to act. I believe the only way to really learn how to act is by doing plays and movies - that's how I learned.  

I also do not believe that acting skill or craft will get you jobs - it doesn't hurt - but it's not what gets you hired.  I believe that success in acting comes to those who are connected to themselves in a deep, compelling way and who have the courage and ability to consistently be present to themselves, in front of an audience, in front of a camera, or before an auditioner.

I fear that much of what is taught in acting workshops or classes gets in the way of your being present.  I do not believe that acting is all that hard to do - it just takes some talent and a lot of practice: I am not arrogant enough to believe that I understand or even recognize talent (that is between you and God); and again, the sort of practice you need to learn to act is on a stage or in front of a camera - not a class.  There is a performance element in my workshop but more about that later.

What I can help you learn is how to be present to yourself and how to use that experience to make your work more personal and compelling.  I believe that people go to plays and movies to be reminded of what it is to be a human being. - that's what they need.  And that is what this workshop is about.  My commitment is that everytime you stand in front of a camera, or stand on stage, or stand in front of an auditioner you are the most compellingly present human being you can be.

In this workshop I begin by helping you become present to the experience of being you - to learn to know what that feels like and how every person has a uniquely personal way of getting to that place.  And secondly, how to use that experience in your work - how to hang onto yourself in direct, practical ways when you are working.

I am a working actor myself.  I will work with you the way that I've learned to work myself as an actor, director, and writer for the past 25 years - that's all I know.

Acting serves the person - the person does not serve the acting.  The material of a scene is the relationship you have with yourself and the relationship you have with your fellow actor(s).  The material of a scene is not the script, the set, the costume, or the props - those are all tools to help you explore the relationship you have to yourself and relationship you have to the world - the script, the props, etc. are there to support you, not for you to support them.

As Marlon Brando so aptly put it: "They say action and you don't have to do anything."

HOW THE WORKSHOP OPERATES:

Each workshop is limited to twelve actors.  Each workshop is a minimum of three hours.  I do not lecture.  Every actor works in every class - I have never had an actor not work every week.  I do no lecture.  In fact, I speak very little in the workshop - I do no believe that you can learn anything from hearing me talk.

All notes are given privately.  No one will hear the notes I give you - that's how it works in professional situations and I believe it is the best way to helpful.  I will sometimes give you notes during scenes by taking you aside briefly.  I believe the sooner you can try what I suggest the sooner you can find out if it works for you.  I don't see how giving you a bunch of notes after a scene is over when you won't have a chance to try what I'm suggesting for an entire week could possibly be very helpful.

I encourage every actor to question me and get help from me anytime during a scene.  

If I have something to say that requires more than 30 seconds during the workshop, I write it up in the form of an essay.  These essays are posted on this web site under the title: WHAT'S YOUR STORY.  I believe that every actor (person) life is the pursuit of their own story - the unfolding of their fate or whatever you want to call this trip.  Actors use acting to pursue their story.

I also have written close to 1500 pages of scenes and monologs for the workshop.  At times I will write for specific actors but I do not guarantee that.  These are for you to work on freely if you wish.  But I also encourage you to work on whatever material you wish - be it a favorite play or screenplay, an upcoming audition piece, or from a script you have been cast in.

I have two workshops presently: Monday night from 7pm to 10pm and Wednesday afternoon from 4pm to 7pm.  The Monday class is where I start all actors.  If you find the work valuable and want to pursue it further, I will move you into the Wednesday class where the actors work toward doing performances at my theater where I teach.  Again, this performance step is where I believe the real learning takes place - in front of an audience.  I write all the material for the acting workshop performances.  

In addition, I teach a screenwriting workshop where all the actors from my acting workshops are invited every Tuesday night to read the scenes created by the screenwriters.

I will re-institute my directing workshop (taught the last two years at Columbia University) in the Winter of 2002 which will also involve the actors and writers with the intention of creating films and plays as part of the Paradise Theater Company and Genre Pictures.

HOW TO BECOME A MEMBER OF THE WORKSHOP:

Each workshop is limited to 12 actors. If you are interested in participating, please send a picture, resume and letter of introduction by either:

EMAIL - tom@tomnoonan.com, OR CALL - 212-473-7375 to schedule a phone meeting with me.

After our phone meeting I will will ask you to come to my theater to audition.  I will read a scene with you and give you notes so you will know what it feels like to be in my workshop.

The workshops are ongoing.  Each 4 class 'cycle' costs $200. Since I continue to act in films there is the possibility that I may leave periodically to work but hopefully (for all of us) these interruptions have been infrequent and usually short-lived.

For more information, go to my 'WHY' and 'HOW' web pages where I provide a good deal of information on the development of my own work and my feelings about movie making.

For a more detailed view into the workshop you can take a look at a series of  PASSWORD PROTECTED material I have generated for the workshop over my four years of teaching - you will receive a user name and password once the process of application is underway:

1) WHAT'S YOUR STORY # 1 (1998-2000)

2)  WHAT'S YOUR STORY #2  (2001)

3)  Scenes and acting exercises