“Susanna’s methods are entirely different than anything I have experienced. The work we did understanding atmospheres and analyzing story structure provided clarity not only in my work as an acting student, but also as a young writer”
““Susanna is a patient and kind teacher who uses her passion for acting to inspire her students to do their best work. She is knowledgeable, professional, and brings her unique insights as both a writer and actor into her teaching. The combination of technical and artistic training that she imparts to her students have made me a better auditioner, actor and scene partner.””
On Camera Performance -
I am proud to be the Artistic Director of Armstrong Acting Studios where I teach on camera performance technique at the intermediate, advanced, and master level to children, teens, and adults. I also work with actors one on one in self-tape sessions, customized coaching, creating pitch packages and throughout pre-production phases. I focus on developing their abilities to consistently translate story into playable behaviour and compelling action within the frame. Through relatable body-centric and improvisational practices I’ve developed throughout my 10+ years educating actors, I help actors demystify industry terms like “presence” to reveal the physical, mental, and experiential elements that create dynamic on-screen performance. I work with where the actor is in their individual process, identifying habits and providing practical solutions to advance their work beyond their own blocks. I’ve had the pleasure of coaching actors through every stage of the casting process, in their materials for securing representation, as well as preparing for set. To book a session with me click here.
“Susanna helped me find freedom within my work by teaching me to trust my instincts. I gained knowledge on how to create multidimensional characters by using “targets” within a scene. She also offered her own wisdom as an actor and woman in this intense industry.”
“Susanna somehow finds a way to keep a calm and free flowing class while getting students to tap into deep emotional states. If she coaches you through a scene you’ll see performance results for sure. If you’re an actor that has had the training to be vulnerable but still unsure as to how to direct those thoughts/feelings/behaviours/emotions into performance, Susanna’s class is one to take. ”
Theatre Performance -
In a mash up of body-centric performance training inspired by systems like Anne Bogart’s Viewpoints and Grotowski’s Plastiques, I introduce actors to the body as a surface on which performance can be read. Developing a toolkit throught the experiencial exploration of things like: shape, amplification, tempo, repitition, change, sound, language, internalization, proximity, and resistance the actor begins to understand how these elements create - and can be applied to - any aspect of performance. With these physical and practical tools, the actor is freed from the burden of having to “psychologically” generate an emotional state, and a world of dynamic improvisational possibility opens up. Through the exploration of atmosphere - both internal and external - the actor learns how to take responsibility for the collective energy in live performance and experiencially understands how to radically alter, subvert, and detonate those atmopsheres to propel the live theatrical event. I have taught performance at Randolph College of Performing Arts, and through my own workshops.
For teaching or workshop inquiries please contact paradigmproductionstheatre@gmail.com
Auditioning for theatre school? I have coached actors through successful auditions into George Brown, York University, Ryerson, and TISCH School of Art at New York University. Book me here.
“Susanna always created space for impassioned dialogue about our work, in addition to giving us agency in creating the rules of the space in which we were working in, enabling us as young artists to continue to practice advocating for ourselves.”
“Wow! He got called back for the role. This was my son’s best zoom audition ever. It’s clear how much he benefits from working with you and how you’re able to bring out a great performance in him.”