Shows
The Actor’s WishOh, So You’re a Reeeeeaaal Actor (drop that right now)Do you let the industry define the terms + conditions of whether or not you’re an actor? Of your artistic worth? Today’s episode is edgy, Rebel-Actor. I know you’re up to the challenge.
I’m meeting you in our creative laboratory, in radical honesty. Are you ready to hold up the mirror?
You’ll learn:
Why it’s so dangerous to put your artistic worth outside of yourself
Why external validation doesn’t hold the same weight as internal
How to stop creating and acting conditionally
2 events that shifted the lens o...2021-06-2227 minThe Actor’s WishActing is Acting with Lovena KureemunI have a serendipitous episode to share with you today, Rebel-Actor, with our special guest: Lovena Kureemun!
Lovena is the author of “Acting is Acting: Your Step by Step Acting Guidebook” and “18 Laws of Achievement.” Her work has been recently translated into Spanish. Lovena loves acting, writing and teaching.
Lovena completed a foundational year at The Queen Mary University of London and trained for two years at The Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in New York City. Lovena attended workshops and short courses at RADA and East 15 School of Acting in London. 2021-06-1551 minThe Actor’s Wish#TapIntoYourRebelActor: Use EFT/Tapping to Achieve Your Dreams (+ mini-tap!)I’m guessing that you’re open to ALL methods that can help you achieve your dreams... right, Rebel-Actor!?
Today, we’re diving deep into the incredible modality of Emotional Freedom Technique, commonly referred to as Tapping. EFT/Tapping is a blend of modern psychology and Chinese medicine (acupressure). By tapping on meridian power points, and tuning into emotions, memories, and perceptions, all parts of the Self (physical, mental, emotional) come in for healing all at once.
I’m a master practitioner in training and I am thrilled to be sharing this powerf...2021-06-0844 minThe Actor’s WishThe #1 thing holding you back from artistic successToday you will dispel any notions you have about success and how to achieve success that’s aligned with your artistic signature.
You're most likely doing all the "right" things on the yellow-brick-road to industry stardom... riiight?
And still, crickets.
Not to worry. Today we’re diving deep into rarely touched magical waters.
You’ll learn:
What exactly is holding you back from success (*hint* we each have our own unique ‘culprit’)
Why my classmates at the Ilkhom Theatre saw me as a kamikaze actre...2021-06-0131 minThe Actor’s WishDo You Brush Your Actor's Teeth Daily? (if not, here's how!)An email notification just popped up on your phone: please submit this self-tape in 1 hour or less.
Right now!? Your mind scrambles to rearrange your day so you can make this happen, seize the opportunity + create your dream #actorslife!
This could be the one.
You set up your lights, phone and style your hair just so, giving yourself one last pep talk in the mirror. You throw on the shirt that accentuates your eyes and hit record, and… you’re cold. Disconnected. Your body feels sluggish and your vo...2021-05-2527 minThe Actor’s WishWhy Your Next Breakthrough is on the Other Side of LogicRebel-Actor, are you searching for your next breakthrough? But… it’s not happening? At least the way you want it to?
Today, we discard the logic and return home to one of our fundamental Actor to Artist principles: Turn down your brain, trust your body, lead with the wish.
You will learn:
How to see roadblocks as opportunities
Why you are blocking yourself from your next breakthrough
To hold your vision, but surrender the stubborn how
To hear, heed and take action on your wish
Why creating the life of your drea...2021-05-1831 minThe Actor’s WishTasting Chocolate for the First Time With André VautheyRebel-Actor, today we have a very special guest, creator extraordinaire and all around inspiring human be-ing, André Vauthey! And we almost broke the internet. 3 times.
André Vauthey is a doctor-turned-actor/theater director, who was born and raised in Switzerland before moving to New York City, where he had his debut off-broadway as the lead in The Way We Get By, which then toured in Italy. As his most recent credits, he played among others the lead role of Treplev in The Nina Variations, the lead in a German adaptation of A Midsummernight’s Dream in Frankf...2021-05-111h 18The Actor’s WishDrop the Grind + Get AlignedRebel-Actor, do you yearn for a big break to catapult your career to success? Because if you do, this episode is your sign to drop that habit right now.
Today, you will learn to take the pressure off, release expectations and drop the grind. It’s time to get aligned.
You will learn:
What grinding + hustling really means
How your current creative habits are leading to burnout
Why cramming yourself into a box or type doesn’t guarantee success
Why your focus on getting is keeping you stuck
Why wanting a big b...2021-05-0436 minThe Actor’s WishThe Theatre is My Birthplace with Polina IoninaRebel-Actor, today we are moving through cultures, languages, and artistic mediums with my very special guest, dear friend and creative powerhouse: Polina Ionina!
Polina Ionina is an innovative movement theater maker, director, and actor from Almaty, Kazakhstan. Classically trained at Pace University BFA Acting program in lower Manhattan, Polina has also studied abroad in Kyrgyzstan and Poland.
Polina is a founder of The How, an international performance ensemble of movers, actors, and musicians from all over the world. Visceral, simple and theatrical, her work is characterized by the unique methodology she em...2021-04-271h 11The Actor’s WishCreate Your Own Work with Avital Asuleen + Jeff RaabRebel-Actor, if you have a lot of different passions and wear many creative hats - actor, dancer, director musician, choreographer, writer, etc… - and you have SO many ideas for making art but don’t know how or where to start, then this episode is for YOU.
Today’s marvelous guests are Avital Asuleen and Jeff Raab! Avital Asuleen is a Brooklyn-based director, choreographer, performer, and educator (I have taken her incredible tap classes at Mark Morris Dance Center, check it out!). Jeff Raab is a NYC-based theatre artist, musician, an educational theatre teaching artist, and a p...2021-04-201h 11The Actor’s WishOwn Your Artistic Discipline with PLAYsCIPLINEAs Rebel-Actors, we know how important it is to show up and work on ourselves each day.
So why do we struggle with discipline?
Why do we need accountability partners?
I love the partner, but my mission is to get you to a place where you only rely on yourself.
Today requires you to examine self-integrity and whether your actions are in alignment with your words. (*hint* if they aren’t, you’re out of integrity!)
I offer you the tools to get back into...2021-04-1335 minThe Actor’s WishHow to Dedicate Yourself to Your DREAM with Shanoza MajidovaRebel-Actor, do you have a big dream? Do you believe you have committed to that dream? Well, today’s guest is going to UPLEVEL the possibilities of your own dreams. I am so excited to introduce you to actress, singer and manifestor extraordinaire: Shanoza Majidova!
Shanoza Majidova was born in Termez City, Uzbekistan, grew up in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and now lives in Brooklyn, NY. Shanoza is also a singer and participated in the adult TV Singing Competition "Zarafshon'' in Uzbekistan. After graduating from university in Malaysia, she moved to the USA in 2015. After three years, she...2021-04-061h 00The Actor’s WishRebel-Actor MANIFESTOEvery Movement needs a Manifesto! And I need YOUR help creating it, Rebel-Actor. This is our first dazzling draft. AND I have a fun task for you at the end, so get ready to play!
We explore the essence of daily and lifelong artistic transformation: rabotay nad soboy or work on yourself (#workontheself)! This is a fundamental principle of us Rebel-Actors, as well as:
Integrating PLAYsCIPLINE (Playful Discipline)
Learning what turns us on and how to turn ourselves on
Saying yes to ourselves instead of waiting for a yes from the industry
Fee...2021-03-3022 minThe Actor’s WishACTOR vs. ARTISTAre you an actor or an artist?
When I say artist in the US or the West, a lot of folx think that I am referring to a fine artist (painter, sculpture, etc...) but actually, I am speaking of a dramatic artist.
I only learned this when I ventured across the world to the basement of the Ilkhom Theatre in Tashkent, Uzbekistan and gave myself over to becoming a dramatic artist.
Suddenly, my whole world changed: I no longer waited for someone to give me permission, I was...2021-03-2326 minThe Actor’s WishShakespeare is a Passport for My Life with Rodrigo BeilfussRebel-Actor, are you ready to dive into the sexy dirt of Shakespeare, soccer and life !?! Join me and today’s very special guest, Rodrigo Beilfuss! Grab a pen + paper and get ready to jot down an abundance of aha’s!
Rodrigo Beilfuss spent four years in Ontario with the Stratford Festival, and then relocated back to Winnipeg to be the new Artistic Director of Shakespeare in the Ruins (SIR) in the Fall of 2019. Born and raised in Brazil, Rodrigo moved to Winnipeg in 2001 as an exchange student, discovering Hamlet in high-school. Mr Gord McLeod is to be...2021-03-161h 06The Actor’s WishPlaying on Purpose with Nicole Kontolefa (Part II)“Every person is a Universe unto themselves” - Alexandra Chichkanova
*If you haven’t listened to Part I, we suggest doing so first!*
Today we dive into the grit of Nicole bringing I AM ME - an international 1-woman mobile show - to life, performing it all over the globe and winning grande prizes at theatre festivals! We swerve into her incredible work on The Journey Theatre Project that harnesses forum theatre to initiate social justice, inclusion and equity. We soon land on her pilates mat teary eyed, ready to live our wishe...2021-03-0954 minThe Actor’s WishPlaying on Purpose with Nicole Kontolefa (Part I)We have an incredible guest for you today, a collaborator, friend and artist I admire: Nicole Kontolefa!!
Nicole is a native New Yorker, Russian trained actor and applied theatre practitioner. Her theatre work has taken her from Moscow to Montreal to Ekaterinburg and even Moldova. She always lands back in NYC where she believes that the means of theatre production should be given to the people (thank you, Augusto Boal!) as a way to celebrate communities, share wisdom and imagine a brighter future. Nicole is a Graduate of The Moscow Art Theatre School, CUNY SPS Ap...2021-03-0253 minThe Actor’s WishBEAUTIFUL, POWERFUL, GORGEOUS with Lanise Antoine ShelleyWe have an incredible guest for you today: Lanise Antoine Shelley!! I had the privilege of watching Lanise perform at Stratford Festival in Ontario, Canada years ago and have admired her work and journey ever since.
Lanise Antoine Shelley is a multi-passionate Haitian actress, director, playwright, podcast host and visual artist. You may know her from Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, Empire, Discovery World, and Stratford Shakespeare Festival's Macbeth HD.
She has had the immense pleasure of studying abroad six times while achieving a BFA from Cornish College of the Arts, MFA from...2021-02-231h 06The Actor’s WishUnlock the Key To Energy“Once you unlock the key to energy, you never lose it” - Marina Romanovna Turpisheva
Today, it’s just you and I, and we dive deep into the Essence of the Actor’s Art: Energy.
And HOW to harness energetic expansion for yourself onstage, onscreen and in life.
This. Very. Moment.
You’ll learn:
Why energy is so important yet often overlooked
Why the Ilkhom Theatre’s training puts such heavy focus on the energy of the actor (and the benefits that affords its artists, ensemble and performances)
...2021-02-1625 minThe Actor’s WishIn Pursuit of Divine Truth with Tyler Polumsky (Part II)"Existing is a constant state of overcoming if you want to grow” - Tyler Polumsky
Before we jump in, take stock: where do you find feelings of freedom onstage or onscreen?
*If you haven’t listened to Part I, we suggest doing so first!*
Part II gets even juicier as Tyler and I explore the tendencies, techniques, energies and ethos between Eastern and Western acting. The way artists are raised and the ways they’re expected to create in the world.
You’ll learn about...2021-02-0954 minThe Actor’s WishIn Pursuit of Divine Truth with Tyler Polumsky (Part I)We have a wonderful guest for you today: my previous teacher, translator and actor of The Ilkhom Theatre (among many other theatres) in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Tyler Polumsky! Our conversation went way longer than expected so we have two parts to this episode!
Tyler Polumsky has worked professionally as an actor, director, producer, musician, scenic designer, and teacher. He found his true creative voice and artistic aesthetic studying acting and directing with the late Mark Weil at the Ilkhom Theatre in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. During his nearly 10 years in Tashkent, he became the first and only American to...2021-02-021h 04The Actor’s WishI AM ENOUGH with N'Tasha AndersWe have an aaamazing guest for you today: N’Tasha Anders! N’Tasha is an actress, artist and my fellow Teen Council partner from our time teaching comprehensive sex-Ed in high school via Planned Parenthood.
N’Tasha received her BFA from Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, Washington. Upon graduation, she completed a nine month Artistic Ensemble Program at the Milwaukee Repertory in Wisconsin. She traveled for years with Seattle's Book-It Repertory Theatre. Through Book-It Repertory Theatre, she gained her love for Childrens' Theatre and learned the importance of the Comprehensive workshop classes that they faci...2021-01-261h 16The Actor’s WishABUNDANCE Mindset for ACTORS with Gaby MirandaWe have a super special guest today: my dear friend, mentor and coach, Gaby Miranda of Joy Pursuit!!
Growing up in Venezuela during the rise of communism, Gaby had nearly every obstacle stacked against her, times 10. She has worked and traveled all over the world, manifested her dream life with her love in Switzerland, and has cultivated the business of her dreams. Gaby is the living embodiment of what it means to create your life from possibility, the power of your thoughts and taking ambition to the next level: with a conscience!
...2021-01-1959 minThe Actor’s WishFEELING of the PARTNER in Life with Akmal Rakhimov (Part II)Welcome back to Part II of Episode 5 (gooo check it out if you haven’t yet, it lays the foundation)!
“I learned Akmal the actor at the same time I learned Akmal the human, and I fell in love with both.”
Buckle up Rebel-Artists because today we are diving into an intimate Q&A. We answer all the scintillating questions folx have asked me/us for years!
Is it hard to live together and work together?
What happens if you have a creative disagreement?
Is it even possible for two artists...2021-01-1233 minThe Actor’s WishHow the MAGIC IF Can Change Your LifeThe MAGIC IF has the potential to change your life (and the trajectory of your 2021): onstage, onscreen, and everywhere in between.
How are you using conscious tools as the gateway to your creative subconscious? Perhaps you’ve stumbled across one of Stanislavski’s token tools and used it in your own training, methods, and work:
If my character was in these circumstances, what would my character do?
But the Russian method takes it a step further:
If I were in these circumstances, what would I...2021-01-0526 minThe Actor’s WishFrom Tashkent with Love: Diary of a Young Woman in a Russian Theatre School (Part III)“The only thing that motivates my spirit to tumble out of bed in the morning is the work.”
On a romantic December night, we close out this armchair travel adventure: FTWL!!
Get ready for leaps and bounds of joy and deep, despondent pits of sorrow all in a quick swerve of that thing we call life. Emotions. Impulse. Join me as we close the curtain on this mini-series and head into a time of hibernation. Note: I will be taking an interlude (seeds cannot blossom all year long) and return reenergized for th...2020-12-0827 minThe Actor’s WishFrom Tashkent with Love: Diary of a Young Woman in a Russian Theatre School (Part II)Your imagination is so much more rich than you can ever imagine!
In this full moon + eclipse anointed episode, let’s dive into part II of this armchair travel miniseries!
Mold your plastical limbs, carve an invisible pumpkin and become the Point & the Universe alongside me. Are you inspired to return to your old journals/emails/photos? As always, reach out, I am SO curious to hear how the episode resonated with you.
#speechforthestage
M → N
N → M
a e i o u
may-mee-ma...2020-12-0123 minThe Actor’s WishFrom Tashkent With Love: Diary of a Young Woman in a Russian Theatre School (Part I)Welcome to this mini-series!
We’ve made it to a new point in our relationship: nighttime episodes! How romantic.
Because improvisation is intrinsic to our craft, we can pivot quickly. Today we are taking a trip, some armchair travel to… Tashkent, Uzbekistan circa 2009.
Let’s dive into our experiences of where we’ve been, how it moved us and what we dream of experiencing in the future. Flip on your imagination creative rebels!
Cozy up, grab a warm drink, maybe even close your eyes as I transport you across the globe into vivid...2020-11-2421 minThe Actor’s WishYou Give Your Best Performances When You're TiredThe wish is wiggly today.
We dive into two controversial topics:
You give your best performances when you’re tired. (Do you agree?)
I learned this over my three years at the Ilkhom Theatre in Tashkent, UZ. Our teachers would spend all day with us in school and then perform at night. Marathon days were standard. Somehow, in exhaustion, all the frills and falsities fall away and we hone in razor-like focus for the task at hand. Exhaustion offers us extreme presence.
You do not have the right to be s...2020-11-1722 minThe Actor’s WishWhat type of actor do you want to be?It’s our job as artists to create from possibility.
I have 3 questions for you. Grab your pen and paper and let’s get doodling (voice recording, dancing, writing, painting, however you let the wish move through you…)
What type of actor do you want to be? (Are you like me and do the things that scare you?)
What are you giving back to the craft? So much of our focus surrounds getting: an agent, a role, a certain something… but what we put out comes back to us.
How do you show up for the work? Yes...2020-11-1031 minThe Actor’s WishPower of REST (your value is not tied to productivity)Normally, I show up with more of an outline, but today I come in raw and real with a wish (seriously, I am hearing voices!).
I am getting the message from all over: R E S T.
Oh, and add a spoonful of Fun.
Just because.
Because we all need a collective hug right now, today, I am inviting you into the space of Rest.
Raw
Resonant
REST.
We go deep into why we seek what we...2020-11-0225 minThe Actor’s WishFEELING of the PARTNER Onstage with Akmal Rakhimov (Part I)This week, we’re zooming in on the mechanics of what gives an ensemble its essence: feeling of the partner! Attention on the partner, love of the partner, existing onstage for the partner.
Join my first guest - my partner in life and onstage - Akmal Rakhimov and I as we dive deep into how to build relationships offstage to create room for magic onstage. Akmal offers insight into his own unique artistic journey and the ways one can turn the craft of making breakfast into a daily creative process.
We explo...2020-10-2656 minThe Actor’s WishFor the Love of ENSEMBLE (time to break the rules)Ensemble.
Why do we need it?
I believe the ensemble is the missing piece of the puzzle, to our own individual process, the collective process and our culture as a whole.
So how do we create the im-possible? (for reference, 99% of folx in the West have told me it’s not possible).
We break the rules.
And here’s a secret *hint hint*: by tuning in and planting the possibility into our imaginations, we’re already at work!
We cover a lot today, from how yo...2020-10-1931 minThe Actor’s WishFeed Your Artist (in a Pandemic + Beyond)Over the last six months, our lives have been turned on their heads. So how do we continue to create? I offer some tips on how to establish a creative routine so we can continue to grow. The silver lining to these intense times is that the focus is turned inward. Even though we are socially distanced, there are many practices we can do to feed our inner artist. We are constantly in the process of #workontheself. Let’s keep our actor-selves in motion!
#speechforthestage.
a e i o u
F
2020-10-0620 minThe Actor’s WishMy Artistic JourneyMy artistic journey has been far from ordinary. From moving across the continent and borders as a young girl to going to my last choice university to finding myself in a Russian theatre school in Uzbekistan to falling into a multicultural love to performing a self-devised solo show on 42nd street, I have navigated life by my impulses. The wish. By sharing my own journey, my hope is that we can all embrace where we are in our own unique experience. There is no “right” path to becoming an actor. But everyday, we can choose to be an artist. Let’...2020-09-3047 minThe Actor’s Wishthe Why the Wish the Welcome [Pilot]Welcome to the ensemble!
Today, we are exploring our wishes. What is a wish? As actors, we know what an objective is, what we need to accomplish in a scene or play. But the term objective stifles a key element: desire. Stimulating the spirit. We are creatures of want. And that’s where the wish comes in.
In a Russian theatre school in Uzbekistan, I learned not only to lead myself by my wishes onstage, but also in life. Let’s turn our “objectives” into WISHES and make the daily commitment to living an artisti...2020-09-3021 min