Vocal Liberation:
Unleashing YOU in New Musicals
Vocal De-armoring™ + Somatic Acting Training IntensivE
Vocal De-armoring™ + Somatic Acting Training
The musical theater performers we most love watching take the stage like it’s their birthright. They exude freedom. But MT training often teaches the opposite. It focuses on "how to do it right” instead of “how to do it like YOU!”
This body-based intensive offers the tools to do just that... Uncover your most powerful, authentic, released actor/singer self.
You will learn the foundations of Vocal De-armoring™ with Margo Seibert and a combination somatic acting techniques with Ellie Heyman to liberate your impulses, use your instrument authentically, and find your unique perspective on a role. (This is often what makes the difference in getting cast.)
Then you’ll directly apply the tools to scenes and songs from new work by some of America's most exciting MT writers including: Adam Gwon, Benjamin Velez and Zoe Sarnak. (Writers might stop by to chat. TBD)
INTENSIVE INCLUDES:
1 private Vocal De-armoring Voice Lesson with Margo over zoom (1 hour)
1 private Acting Diagnostic Coaching with Ellie over zoom (30 minutes)
3 days of group training with a minimum if 2 individual work sessions in front of the group.
“As a performer, so much of the vocal (training) I’ve experienced in this field is from the outside-in aka “how do I execute the perfect vocal gymnastics routine?” By the end of my show I’m exhausted and I couldn’t feel further from why I started singing in the first place.
Vocal De-armoring™ is a deeply inside-out approach to sounding, developed by Margo’s teacher Marisa Michelson.
Tapping into that innate ease and joy of singing that you possessed from the very beginning. We focus on the felt sense of singing, moving away from a constant feedback loop of analyzing and “correcting” as you go, and instead playfully and creatively uncovering with how it feels to essentially be sung BY THE SONG. Let’s get you, my dear, out of the way.
-MARGO SEIBERT
*Margo w/ Heidi Blickenstaff in Next to Normal at Weston Playhouse
Margo Seibert…
is Drama Desk winner & Drama League nominated actress who originated roles on and off-Broadway for Alex Timbers, Dave Malloy, Rachel Chavkin, and Ahrens & Flaherty.
After years in the city mimicking her favorite singers and finding little success, she began her work with Marisa Michelson and discovered tools to unleash her authentic voice. She now uses her decades of experience as a performer to help others do the same.
For MT actors who want to:
sound like you
restore confidence
Deepen Artistry
book More Work
Ellie Heyman
“As a director, I LOVE it when an actor has a strong POV or makes a huge choice.
As a teacher, I’m obsessed with giving actors the tools they need to uncover and refine their unique artistry… and the confidence to go for it when the pressure is on.
Somatic acting training invites actors into their bodies.
Meisner demands honesty. It brings actors into themselves. Chekhov invites transformation. It offers a roadmap into given circumstances and expands the actor beyond the self. (But it’s not the crazy mean Meisner!)
These techniques give actors what they need to do really brave work .”
Register.
Classes are small so if you are interested, sign up as soon as possible.
$595
Some internships and sliding scale options are available. Reach out if needed.
Details:
This is an EMBODIED MT Experience designed to strip away BS and release your full potential.
Before the WORKSHOP:
Private Voice Lesson w/Margo: In this 1-hour zoom, you will learn the basics of Vocal De-armoring™, begin to tackle your tension, expand your vocal flexibility, and tap into your authentic sound. This step gives you and Margo a shared vocabulary, prepares you to make the most out of the intensive and to take ownership in your process.
Private Acting Diagnostic Session w/ Ellie: In this 30-minute zoom, you will perform a monologue or side, and engage in a dialogue about your goals, current relationship to your craft, and anything else they want to share. In a supportive environment, Ellie will feedback what she observes in your work, and the two of you will craft a plan to address your challenges and goals.
Memorize Material: Ellie and Margo will assign you a short scene/song from a new musical by Adam Gwon, Benjamin Velez, Zoe Sarnak and more that addresses your specific needs for growth.
THE WORKSHOP:*
Mornings
Margo leads a full group practice of Vocal De-armoring™ and one-on-one coaching with your song. Everyone will get a chance to practice in front of the group, and to observe others’ coaching sessions. The balance of watching and doing propels the greatest growth.
Afternoons
DAY 1 & 2: TOOLS & APPLICATION. Ellie teaches Somatic Acting tools drawn from Michael Chekhov and Meisner techniques, and then guides you through a specific process of application to your scene/song. Everyone will work their material in front of the group at least once.
DAY 3: CULMINATING SCENE/SONG WORK. Everyone performs their material using the tools they’ve learned. Ellie and Margo give constructive coaching so that you break inhibiting habits and create new pathways into exploring and owning the role.
*This basic structure may be revised to suit the needs of the group.
Logistics:
LOCATION: The Drama League: 32 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY
START: 9:40am: Space opens. Cold brew provided. Show up early to meet, greet and get settled in.
LUNCH: Both days we will take a 30 minute lunch. Bringing lunch and snacks is recommended. Lunch is short and there aren’t a ton of places nearby. You will probably be hungry and want this time to sit. Your future self will thank you.
have a question?
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