(photo of me teaching Acting for the Camera in the past. Note the vintage Sony camcorder)

“Law is theatre,” one of my clients—a lawyer—told me as we were taping his promo videos. He’d actually told me that before. He even asked me a few times if taking an acting class would be helpful to him.

Yes, I said. It would help him very much to go deeper. To be able to understand intentionality and motivation. And how he can express thoughts and feelings behind his words using his voice and body. Such training can result in almost magical transformations.

Except an acting class takes a lot of time and commitment. I knew he didn’t have any to spare.

The third time he asked I had a lightbulb moment. I could offer one-on-one acting coaching sessions!

We used curricula I had developed previously for an Adult Ed class, Acting I. It was so much fun we continued with Acting II. We read acting texts, did exercises, and worked on monologues.

So now I coach lawyers in acting!

As you may know, I’ve worked with many groups on public speaking/presentation skills, including attorneys. I’ve used actor training methods to help all my clients become more focused, dynamic speakers, tap into their authentic presence, and overcome nerves by teaching techniques to combat stage fright.

I’ve done 1:1 coaching using these techniques for many, many years. But individual acting class? That was something new.

It was so very worthwhile. Sharing an understanding of the art and craft of acting gave my client the tools to make better videos and have more dynamic “presence” in all professional settings.

And he enjoyed it! So much that he and his wife took a couples’ class, working on comic and dramatic scenes.

They liked the comic one better!

Want a creative approach to polishing up your speaking? Get in touch and we can find a way to bring acting magic to your next speech event!