Join Reed Birney, Tony Award-winning actor of stage (The Humans) and screen (Blue Film, Mass, The Menu, Silo, House of Cards), for HB Studio's inaugural Premier Masterclass. This two-day masterclass is a unique opportunity for actors at all stages of their career to receive hands-on direction and critique on material of your choice. Bring in a piece you would like to explore – whether it's a monologue, scene, audition piece, song, original work, etc. Mr. Birney will work with you to bring immediacy, truth, specificity, circumstance, and clarity to your performance, leaving you with greater confidence and inspiration to bring your acting career to the next level. 

• Learn more about the instructor
• Please bring: 
  • A short monologue, scene, song you would like to work on
  • Water and a snack
• Prerequisite: Open to all
• Refunds will be issued only through Sept 11, one week prior to the class start date. Applicable fees will apply.

Experience HB Studio’s inaugural Premier Masterclass with Reed Birney, Tony Award-winning actor of stage (The Humans) and screen (Blue Film, Mass, The Menu, Silo, House of Cards), from the audience of the HB Playwrights Theatre.

Observer Access offers the opportunity to attend both days of this intensive masterclass and learn through close observation of Birney’s work with participating actors. Watch as he offers direction, insight, and critique on monologues, scenes, audition pieces, songs, and original work, illuminating both the actor’s process and the choices that shape a performance. For actors interested in deepening their craft, sharpening their eye, and gaining insight into how an accomplished artist approaches performance, this is a rare opportunity to observe the work unfold in HB Studio’s intimate theatrical setting.

• Learn more about the instructor
• Please note: Observer Access is for observation only and does not include the opportunity to present or work on material
• Please bring: Water and a snack
• Prerequisite: Open to all
• Refunds will be issued only through Sept 11, one week prior to the class start date. Fees will apply.

The Fundamentals of an HB acting technique: Here, you develop the ability to respond truthfully, dynamically, and vividly with fellow actors and the ability to access sensory elements. You tap into the power of imagination and the reservoir of memory. You gain a working understanding of the terms: previous circumstances, destination, inner and outer objects, intentions, obstacles, and conflicts. You develop an awareness of the power, function, and dynamics of “place”, and learn to be in a state of discovery, which leads to actions. You develop tools of research and observation and you get comfortable improvising. You begin to measure yourself against professional standards and develop habits of discipline and a strong work ethic. Do understand that these practices take time to master. It takes about a year (20-30 weeks) at this level to really own the skills addressed. Further scene study or performance work will then take root in this fertile ground. 

• Learn more about the instructor
• Required reading: Respect for Acting by Uta Hagen; Feldenkrais Illustrated: The Art of Learning; and Actions: The Actors’ Thesaurus by Marina Caldarone & Maggie Lloyd-Williams
• Recommended viewing: Uta Hagen's Acting Class documentary
• Prerequisite: Open to all

Held online via Zoom: The Fundamentals of an HB acting technique: Here, you develop the ability to respond truthfully, dynamically, and vividly with fellow actors and the ability to access sensory elements. You tap into the power of imagination and the reservoir of memory. You gain a working understanding of the terms: previous circumstances, destination, inner and outer objects, intentions, obstacles, and conflicts. You develop an awareness of the power, function, and dynamics of “place”, and learn to be in a state of discovery, which leads to actions. You develop tools of research and observation and you get comfortable improvising. You begin to measure yourself against professional standards and develop habits of discipline and a strong work ethic. Do understand that these practices take time to master. It takes about a year (20-30 weeks) at this level to really own the skills addressed. Further scene study or performance work will then take root in this fertile ground. 

• Learn more about the instructor
• Required reading: A Challenge for the Actor by Uta Hagen
• Recommended viewing: Uta Hagen's Acting Class documentary 
• Prerequisite: Open to all

The Fundamentals of an HB acting technique: Here, you develop the ability to respond truthfully, dynamically, and vividly with fellow actors and the ability to access sensory elements. You tap into the power of imagination and the reservoir of memory. You gain a working understanding of the terms: previous circumstances, destination, inner and outer objects, intentions, obstacles, and conflicts. You develop an awareness of the power, function, and dynamics of “place”, and learn to be in a state of discovery, which leads to actions. You develop tools of research and observation and you get comfortable improvising. You begin to measure yourself against professional standards and develop habits of discipline and a strong work ethic. Do understand that these practices take time to master. It takes about a year (20-30 weeks) at this level to really own the skills addressed. Further scene study or performance work will then take root in this fertile ground. 

• Learn more about the instructor
• Required reading: A Challenge for the Actor by Uta Hagen
• Recommended viewing: Uta Hagen's Acting Class documentary
• Prerequisite: Open to all

The Fundamentals of an HB acting technique: Here, you develop the ability to respond truthfully, dynamically, and vividly with fellow actors and the ability to access sensory elements. You tap into the power of imagination and the reservoir of memory. You gain a working understanding of the terms: previous circumstances, destination, inner and outer objects, intentions, obstacles, and conflicts. You develop an awareness of the power, function, and dynamics of “place”, and learn to be in a state of discovery, which leads to actions. You develop tools of research and observation and you get comfortable improvising. You begin to measure yourself against professional standards and develop habits of discipline and a strong work ethic. Do understand that these practices take time to master. It takes about a year (20-30 weeks) at this level to really own the skills addressed. Further scene study or performance work will then take root in this fertile ground. 

• Learn more about the instructor
• Required reading: A Challenge for the Actor by Uta Hagen
• Recommended viewing: Uta Hagen's Acting Class documentary
• Prerequisite: Open to all

This class offers actors the opportunity to use the full range of their craft while exploring how scenes of conflict are shaped through both dialogue and physical action. We will break down and rehearse scenes that require physical engagement with a partner, including fight choreography, staged intimacy, or moments of heightened physical tension, always in service of character, objective, and story. You will receive professional guidance and coaching in how to build complex physical and emotional scenes in a way that is clear, responsible, and repeatable. Emphasis is placed on communication, consent, and sustainable practices that protect both the actor and their partner physically and emotionally, while meeting the demands of professional rehearsal and performance. The goal of the class is for you to leave with a fluid, practical understanding of how to navigate challenging material involving physical conflict or intimacy. You will develop the ability to make specific, empowered choices and to clearly articulate and maintain agency and boundaries throughout the rehearsal and performance process. You will be offered a range of scenes to choose from, including Shakespeare, as well as classical and contemporary material from Broadway, film, and television. You are also encouraged to bring in scenes you would like to explore, including original work.

• Learn more about the instructor
• Registration Prerequisite: Open to all

A five-session monologue workshop for actors led by Richard Hoehler. His extensive experience creating, performing, and coaching monologues centers on an effective method of breaking through defenses to mine an actor’s unique qualities, and meld those with the character. In this workshop, you will learn and rehearse monologues that are ready for professional auditions as well as MFA auditions. FRONT ROW CENTER wrote of Hoehler’s monologue work: “There is nothing limited about it, not its timeliness, not the depth to which it touches us.”

• Learn more about the instructor
• Prerequisite: Open to all