Our instructors – All professional, working
actors, directors and eduators:
|
Babs George who founded the
School of Acting has been the director since its
inception. She is a professional actress and a
member of Actors Equity Association and Screen
Actors Guild for the past 18 years. She graduated
Magna Cum Laude with a BFA in Performance in
Theatre. Ms. George is a member of the acting
company at Live Oak Theatre and also pursues
film, commercial work and does corporate
training. Babs has been teaching acting since
moving to Austin from Los Angeles nine years ago.
As a teacher she endeavors to lead each student
to the most inspired state of being — "the
creative, instinctual part of all of us that has
often atrophied in our left brain world."
"Teaching acting is an individual discovery
process," she says. "It really is a
journey which keeps me constantly suprised, both
as a teacher and as a performer and thus,
dedicated to its artistry. It is sometimes work,
it is often frustrating, but it always gives
back."
|
|
Gabriel Folse began acting
in 1980 and began teaching in 1984. He continues
to act professionally and also is a writer,
photographer, director, and a pastel artist. His
philosophy of acting can be seen in the
atmosphere he creates for his students. To
inspire, nurure, and foster an environment where
the student can gain self confidence and believe
in themselves, grow and have fun are the
objectives of his approach. Limiting beliefs are
identified and hopefully discarded. Gabriel
also has a wealth of technical knowledge about
film. The student with a desire to pursue a
career behind, as well as in fromt of the camera
will find his classes beneficial. He believes
life offers a variety of opportunities to create,
learn and grow. The pursuit of one desire will
benefit the pursuit of others. The ultimate aim
is to find joy.
|
|
Ann Ciccolella is executive
director of the Austin Circle of Theaters. In
Austin, she has won Iden B. Payne awards for the
Austin Shakespeare Festival (Midsummer Nights
Dream) and Zilker Summer Musical (Into
the Woods). A graduate of New York
University in Dramatic Literature, History of
Theatre and Cinema, Ciccolella directed Off-Off
Broadway and on the East Coast for 12 years. In
New York, she was resident director at Michael
Schulman’s British-american Theatre Institue. Now
a working playwright, Ciccolella brings a
facility of dramatic construction to her classes. Ann
believes that theatre is a working art, and the
actor is an interpretive artist. Like a dancer,
or musician, an actor needs to explore his craft
not just once or twice a year in production, but
weekly in the studio. In Ciccolella’s classes,
every actor is challenged to stretch beyond
comfortable limits. Beginners and professional
actors work side by side in the combined joy and
struggle of creating a life onstage.
|
|
Janelle Buchanan is a member
of the Live Oak Theatre Acting company, with
numerous stage, film and commercial credits. She
holds an M.F.A. degree in children’s theater and
creative drama from the University of Texas, and
has taught theater and creative drama in public
and private schools in Austin for 20 years. Ms.
Buchanan’s approach to creative drama in her
classes of 5-7 year olds emphasizes process
over product. Rather than attempt to
teach acting to these very young children, or
present a finished play as the final goal of her
classes, she hopes to give these young students
some of their earliest experiences in
cooperative, structured imaginative play and an
inkling of what what goes into making theater.
And of course, her kids always leave the studio
saying "that was fun!"
|
|