"I have been to several scene nights at the Mother of Invention Acting School, and have found that the actors finishing classes with Andrew exhibit a high level of passion and accomplishment in their work. They are fully committed, invested in their partners and responsive. It's clear that Andrew instills in them an ethic of professionalism and care for their work, and they seem to have a great time together while they are doing it. I recommend his acting classes highly."--Robert McGee, Casting Director, The Virgin Suicides
"Andrew Utter is one of the most direct and persuasive acting teachers I’ve ever experienced, and I can recommend him without reservation to anyone who wants a solid grounding in the technique and craftsmanship of acting. The core of the classes is in-depth scene study, using a question-and-answer style which is both rigorous and gentle: Andrew will never crush the actor into compliance, at the same time, he wants the actor to examine and understand what’s going on as he develops a character. The goal in the creation of character is that the actor will be fully conscious of his or her own process...[read more]" --Bill Haugse, Oscar-nominated editor of Hoop Dreams
An acting class with kick in Los Angeles
10
weeks. 3 hours weekly. $430. Learn the acting technique I encountered
as an MFA directing student at the Yale School of Drama.
The technique
is based on the work of the most influential acting teacher
of all time, Konstantin Stanislavsky. But it's Stanislavsky
with the kinks ironed out and the practical questions answered.
Want powerful,
practical tools for creating truthful performances that matter?
Contact me now at
actbetter@utteracting.com about a class cycle starting soon!
"Hi A, thanks a lot for last night. it was really great to work on the scene with you. just wanted to share with you a couple notes about the experience from my journal this morning:
when i stayed on the offensive i was vulnerable in a totally new way. i was putting it out there and seeing what i would get back in return. there was greater force, clearer direction, and a sense of truly fighting for what i wanted. i don't think i've ever acted that way before. instead i've always defaulted to reacting, which generally comes out as a 'mood' or 'emotional state.' in fact it?s a very neutered way of being.
through the rehearsal i also understood viscerally (and dramaturgically) how Ben is the protagonist in the play, even though everything seems to be happening to him. in the end he's nearly brought to his knees, until the last scene when he does finally win the fight to count & bring meaning into his life.
that's it. thanks again & see you tonight!"--Travis Shakespeare, actor and Emmy-nominated producer
Watch an interview with Travis where he discusses the value of the work he has done at Mother of Invention.
Mother of Invention Acting School students go on to
do great things! One student got a speaking part in Gus van Sant's Academy Award winner Milk. Read about it here. Also, actor Cris D'Annunzio recently appeared on the acclaimed shows The Office and Torchwood. Actor Travis Shakespeare appeared in the independent film "All That Remains", which was screened at festivals in Europe and the US.
The ever-growing
list of testimonials attests to the fact that students who wanted something more
from an acting studio are getting it.And here is a podcast produced about the class for the site NedPR, a Forum for Creativity.Read this
remarkable inquiry received
recently about the class from a Los Angeles actor.One longtime San Francisco student wrote a letter
to a friend about the class. Also, listen
to an interview with me about the class produced by the new
Internet Radio site coolashelltheatre.com by clicking here.
And speaking of testimonials, this from acclaimed playwright Liz
Duffy Adams, a member of New Dramatists in New York, whose
plays (Or, Dog Act, One Big Lie, The Train Play) have received fine
productions around the country in the last few years, has proffered
the following: "Andrew
is one of the sharpest, most inspiring and galvanizing people I
know. I trained as an actor in the experimental theater, so I tend
to be wary of Stanislavsky-based methods-- but Andrew brilliantly
mines that tradition to help actors bring characters to vivid,
theatrically compelling life. I highly recommend him."
Finally,
don't leave without checking the resources
page, to find out about email lists and other
resources invaluable to those interested in acting in Hollywood/Los Angeles
and the Bay Area.
“Life’s
splendor forever
lies in wait about each one of us in all its fullness, but veiled from
view, deep down, invisible, far off. It is there, though, not hostile,
not reluctant, not deaf. If you summon it by the right word, by its right
name, it will come.”
~Kafka
Click here to
view my acting class blog: find
out what current and former Mother of Invention students in Los Angeles/Hollywood and San Francisco are up to, and
find Hollywood/Los Angeles and Bay Area theater and film recommendations! Also check out the Acting Performances I Like page on my blog.
Become a Fan on Facebook of the Mother of Invention Acting School!