Here in episode two, I talk with Don Williams, the Managing Artistic Director of the Art of Acting Studio in LA. We talk what he looks for in a potential student or actor for the shows he directs, as well as theater vs. film and TV.
Since 2002 Don has worked as Head of Acting, Managing Artistic Director and Chief Academic Officer for the Art of Acting Studio, Los Angeles and the Stella Adler Studio NYC. Don holds an MFA from the National Theatre Conservatory and BA from California State University Fresno.
As director, Don Williams off- Broadway: Lebensraum, Turn of the Screw, Look Back in Anger, Libidoff.
Regional: Waiting For Lefty, Marisol (LA premiere), Long Way Go Down (LA Premiere), Muckrakers (LA Premiere) Macbeth, Speed The Plow, Midsummer Night's Dream, the Laramie Project, Carrying, All in the Timing, Prelude to a Kiss, The Dining Room.
At New York University: The Shape of Things, Dancing at Lughnasa, North Shore Fish, , That Championship Season, Twelve Angry Jurors, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, the Rimers of Eldritch.
As actor stage: the Neighborhood Playhouse, 78th Street Theatre Lab, the Harold Clurman Lab Theater, New York University, The Producers Club, the Denver Center Theater Company, the Marin Theatre Company, the San Jose Stage Company, the California Shakespeare Festival, Theatre 1050 and the Hot Ink Play Series to name a few.
When I thought about creating First Breath Speech - the website, blogs, videos and podcasts -- I knew I wanted to explore the voice and how we speak, and also how that integrates into other aspects of our lives. I’m interested in how our voices are affected by the way we live and what we think and how we see ourselves. I want to offer ideas as well as practical solutions for actors and public speakers so each person can feel prepared and well-spoken -- though what you say is entirely up to you…
In this, our nascent episode, I talk with my friend, Jessica Mariglio who is a yoga practitioner and teacher. We talk about pieces of yoga you can do in your car or a small room to help warm up the breathing mechanism, and the head, neck and shoulders. We also touch on strength and balance.
Jessica Mariglio has been practicing yoga and meditation for over 10 years. She received her 200hr certification from the Sivananda Yoga Ashram in Dalat Vietnam, and has a MS in Conflict analysis and Resolution from George Mason University in Virginia. Jessica currently resides in Los Angeles where she teaches meditation and classical hatha yoga, reads lots of books, and plays with her neighbors' dogs.