Ensemble

Tag Archives

Seven Lessons From The MC² Actors Studio Masterclass

October 9, 2022by MC² Actors Studio in Uncategorized tagged , , , ,

1. “One of the biggest secrets the artist holds is all the hard work invested in creating something that appears so simple and easy.”

2. “The imagination gives us wings to take flight and journey into the many different colorful worlds that stretch beyond the limiting boundaries adopted by routine civilian everyday ‘normal’ life.”

3. “When you endow the givens so much so that they are deliciously carbonating within your entire being…all your focus-concentration-attention is held within that imaginary world…time and space stops…and you can authentically live in the sweet gap of the unknown of each and every moment.”

4. “True vulnerability is one’s willingness and commitment to really go after wants and needs despite the possible success or failure of those wants and needs being met. When you truly go after something with all your grit, glory, blood sweat and tears, that kind of vulnerability is as powerfully congruent to the most fierce lion in the jungle. That kind vulnerability is pure focused-concentrated strength and courage.”

5. “There is one language we can all understand that surpasses any and all language barriers…and that is the universal language energetically expressed through a broken heart.” 

6. “At the end of the day, it is not your technique or your expertise that makes the difference…it is your humanity. It’s the humanity that you bring to the work that is THE essential ingredient. It’s YOUR HUMANITY that is crucial and necessary in order to interpret the most profound ideas within a given text and then breathe walking authentic active life into them. All roads of our craft and technique lead to that destination. Pure, unapologetic, raw, authentic, messy, unfiltered human life revealed through story…and that kind of work is not for the faint of heart. It is for the full of heart.”

7. “It is not your job to dim your light just because it may be too bright for other people’s eyes. Tell ‘em to wear a pair of sunglasses. You just keep on living your truth and shining brightly. Know like you know like you know that you shine as bright as the most illuminating lighthouse in a storm and that big bright star way up high in the vast sky!”

~Mario A. Campanaro 
Master Teacher 
MC² Actors Studio 
Los Angeles | New York City | London

The Worthiness To Be Witnessed

September 27, 2022by MC² Actors Studio in Uncategorized tagged , , , ,

“One of the greatest tools an actor (or any artists/human for that matter) can possess is his or her compassion and empathy. 

The ability to have an open heart and a willingness to dive into the depths of the human condition is the very foundation for our work and the ability to live moment to unknown moment within extraordinary circumstances. 

We have to be willing to see, hear, feel, taste, understand and experience more than just our own small circle of experiences in order to live the vast highly complex life of characters in unimaginable pain, great struggle and overall high stake circumstances. 

This is ultimately the ‘in’ to every character we will ever play/reveal/live. 

Everyone has struggled.

Everyone has suffered.

Everyone has had trials and tribulations.

Everyone has a story.

Every story has a history that formulates who we are and how we move and function in life and what we strive to get, achieve, be and experience. 

We have to understand that at our very core, we function from survival love received and love unreceived. 

From there, our story unfolds based on what life throws at us. 

This is not just about our technique. 

This is about humanity. 

It is about our humanity  

And every human’s story has within it the worthiness to be witnessed simply because it is part of the essential fabric of this thing we all call ‘Life’.

And this pertains to your own personal story as well.

Sometimes, you may have to walk through your very own Hades in order to get to your very own Utopia.

You may endure a lot. 

You may even find yourself suffering at times. 

But if you keep persevering…

If you keep sight of what you want…

If you keep on believing in what you are doing…

If you simply do not give up…

You might very well find that all that hardship pays it forward by bringing something profoundly fulfilling into your Life. 

You may want to cry at times because it hurts so bad…

And then you may want to laugh until it hurts simply because you got through it when you never thought you would or could. 

And once you make it out of that fire, you will finally see all the beauty hidden within the ashes. 

Each of us has our very own story of strife and struggle. 

And each of us has the potential for our very own deserving and awe-inspiring victory. 

I truly believe that we are way more powerful than we have been led to believe. 

The only way to lose sight of the dream is by simply giving up on it. 

So…

No matter what obstacles show up at our door, all I can say is…

Do. Not. Give. Up!

What you crave is your calling…

What you miss is your mission…

And what you are tested by will inevitably be your greatest personal, artistic and creative testimony.” 

~Mario A. Campanaro 
Master Teacher 
MC² Actors Studio 
Los Angeles | New York City | London

The Resilience Of The Human Spirit

September 10, 2022by MC² Actors Studio in Uncategorized tagged , , , ,

“If there is one thing we must always be aware of as actors, it is the unquestionable resilience of the human spirit and the relentless pursuit toward improved personal circumstances. 

When we begin to understand that, we begin to understand the origin of the true nature of personal wants and needs…

And when we begin to understand the origin of the true nature of personal wants and needs, we also begin to understand the profound weight obstacles hold as they stand in the way of those wants and needs…

And once we begin to understand the profound weight obstacles hold standing in the way of wants and needs, we then begin to understand the motivation behind the true nature of actions taken to overcome all of the obstacles standing in the way of wants and needs…

And once we begin to truly understand how all actions hold the intention to overcome obstacles standing in the way of wants and needs, we then begin to understand the true nature of human listening and how it is always being filtered in mind, body and spirit, by if we are or are not fulfilling our wants and needs by the actions taken to overcome all the obstacles standing in the way of our wants and needs… 

And when we begin to understand all this about human nature, we begin to understand the true nature of authentic moment to moment impulse, reaction, response and emotion (MC²=Energy In Motion) that naturally occurs from the equal endowment of objective and obstacle and the success or failure of our wants and needs being met or not.

At the end of the day, the human spirit is driven by love received, love unreceived and survival…

Everything else branches off from those three roots.

When all this is put into words, it seems very equational…

So, as always, look for it in Life…

Life is the actor’s infinite masterclass…

To put it all a bit more simply…

Look at Life…You will begin to understand the Craft of Acting.”

~Mario A. Campanaro 
Master Teacher 
MC² Actors Studio 
Los Angeles | New York City | London

Impatient-Patience & Sweet Surrender

August 23, 2022by MC² Actors Studio in Uncategorized tagged , , , , ,

“Your greatest successes will inevitably come when your active intention marries your sweet surrender all the while maintaining your overall peace without clutching onto what an end result looks like. 

When you plant the seed of your heart’s intention, and you nurture that intention with passion, joy, active dedication, tenacity, hard-work, accountability, responsibility, skill, impatient-patience, a healthy amount of sweat-equity, trust, perseverance, faith, more joy and that sweet surrender, the universe unfailingly pays it forward by rewarding you with the fruits of your purposeful mission popping up all around you. 

There may be struggles along the way…

But the artist warrior in you knows not to give up.

The master craftsperson in you knows never to give up.

Admit the struggle.

Confront the struggle.

Don’t walk/run away, around, over or under the struggle.

Walk through it.

The actor warrior in you knows deep down that on the other side of the struggle is something well worth its weight in gold.

And for that, we persevere.

We work…

We work hard with the intention of getting the dream out of the dream-state…

And making it our own personal fulfilling reality.”

~Mario A. Campanaro 
Master Teacher 
MC² Actors Studio 
Los Angeles | New York City | London

That’s What Craft Does!

July 30, 2022by MC² Actors Studio in Uncategorized tagged , , , , ,

“When we truly begin to understand the craft of acting in a visceral, practical, tangible, executable, HUMAN way…

And how it mirrors the way we humans live in this beautifully complex thing we can LIFE…

We begin to experience the delicious breath of freedom it provides. 

Craft is meant to free the actor so he, she, they can truly live moment to unknown moment circumstantially. 

The craft of acting provides the ability to be CONSISTENT in the work.

That consistency supports the actor’s ability to truly listen through the filter of the character’s wants and needs and therefore have stimulatedjustifiedcircumstantial, responses, reactions, instincts, impulses and spontaneity within the gap of the moment.

Craft allows for the actor’s talent to be married to skill.

The actor’s skill makes it possible for his, her, their instrument to experience the freedom of living the character’s life as it unfolds moment to unknown moment…

As oppose to their hope white knuckling onto luck that it will all go well and the magic might happen.

The craft of acting provides the backbone of confidence for the actor to know like they know like they know that it will go well each and every night or each and every take…

Because the actor’s endowed skill fully supports the work and provides the security that the actor can truly live moment unknown moment as a given story and its circumstances unfold.

When we really experience that kind of freedom in the work…

That initial passion, love, inner joy and smile that attracted all of us to this glorious art form…

The Craft Of Acting…

 Inevitably grows stronger and brighter.

That’s what craft does.

But it is a craft.

It is a skill. 

It is a profession.

One that demands constant learning, exploration, discovery, experience, growth and evolution…

Just as this beautifully complex thing we call LIFE does.” 

~Mario Campanaro
Master Teacher
MC² Actors Studio
Los Angeles | New York City | London

The Foundation Of Story(living)telling

July 23, 2022by MC² Actors Studio in Uncategorized tagged , , , ,

“The ability to have an open heart and a willingness to dive into the depths of the human condition is the very foundation for our work and our ability to live moment to unknown moment within extraordinary circumstances.

We have to be willing to see, hear, feel, taste, understand and experience more than just our own small circle of experiences in order to live the vast highly complex life of characters in unimaginable pain, great struggle and overall high stake circumstances.

This is ultimately the ‘in’ to every character we will ever play/reveal/live.

Everyone has struggled.

Everyone has suffered.

Everyone has had trials and tribulations.

Everyone has a story.

Every story has a history that formulates who we are and how we move and function in life and what we strive to get, achieve, be and experience.

We have to understand that at our very core, we function from survival, love received, and love unreceived.

From there our story unfolds based on what life throws at us.

This is not just about our technique.

This is about humanity.

It is about our humanity.

And every human’s story has within it the worthiness to be witnessed simply because it is part of the essential fabric of this thing we all call ‘Life’.”

~Mario Campanaro
Master Teacher
MC² Actors Studio
Los Angeles | New York City | London

Upholding The Professional Standard

July 22, 2022by MC² Actors Studio in MC² Actors Studio tagged , , , ,

“When we enter a professionalactingstudio, we must always hold the intention of training, studying, exercising and doing the work with the same accountability, commitment, work-ethic, investment, responsibility, respect, professionalism, standard, skill, consistency and demand that the professional world expects and demands.

There is no point in training, studying, exercising and doing the work unless what is being learned, exercised and cultivated is applicable for the professional actor to do professional work for when professional opportunities arise. 

We cannot train, study and exercise for the sake of the studio itself. 

We have to endow the studio and use it to train, study and cultivate a craft for the professional world.

For the job!

For the profession!

In other words…

If the actor is studying and training as a professional, but there is no work or preparation involved, something is amiss.

That is when the work becomes a hobby, not a profession.

There are not many professional acting jobs that I know of where the actor is not expected to come in well-prepared to do the work they were hired and getting paid to do.

So why in the world would a professional actor ever train without the intent of those same professional demands? 

Talent is a very precious gift that can take you only as far as you are willing to cultivate it, nurture it, invest in it, and put it to good use. 

Your talent can only take you as far as the professional accountability you maintain to do something with it. 

Remain accountable. Remain responsible.

Remain dependable. Remain open.

Remain mindful. Remain creative.

Remain as strong as a gladiator.

Remain as vulnerable as a child. 

Remain hungry for your craft. Remain driven for your work.

Remain a student of Life. Remain on-purpose.

Remain focused. Remain conscious.

Remain questioning. Remain aware.

Remain on time (early). Remain present.

Remain hard-working. Remain free of unnecessary tension. 

Remain business savvy. Remain an artist.

Remain professional. Remain respectful.

Remain compassionate. Remain understanding.

Remain empathic. Remain self-nurturing. 

Remain perseverant. Remain patiently impatient.

Stay on the path toward all the dreams that your heart and soul intend to experience.”

~Mario A. Campanaro
Master Teacher
MC² Actors Studio
Los Angeles | New York City | London

THE CREATIVE TRIBE (The Meaning Of Ensemble)

June 11, 2022by MC² Actors Studio in Acting, Uncategorized tagged , , , ,

“You will always ‘know’ your creative tribe…
When you can live your most authentic genuine Self in each other’s presence.
You will never feel alone.
And never walk away feeling lonely.
There will always be a willing generosity of Spirit.
There will always be an undeniable human to human connection. 
There will always be a wanting to share something deep and real.
There are many factors that magnetize us to that creative tribe:

There is THE LOVE OF ART. 
There is THE GIFT AND BLESSING OF TALENT.
There is THE JOY OF CREATION.
There is THE HUNGER FOR EXPLORATION.
There is THE FEARLESSNESS OF STRUGGLE.
There is THE EXCITEMENT OF DISCOVERY.
There is THE PASSION FOR REVEALING.
There is THE OPENNESS FOR EXPRESSION.
There is THE DESIRE FOR INVESTIGATION THAT STIMULATES UNDERSTANDING, EMPATHY AND COMPASSION.
There is THE UNQUENCHED THIRST OF  UNCEASING CURIOSITY.
And there is THE DELICIOUS APPETITE FOR TRANSFORMATIONAL STORY(living)TELLING.
And we have to understand…
It is sometimes through the darkest of moments…
And most inexplicable of circumstances…
That guide us…
Or lead us…
To that creative tribe.
Those same circumstances…
That we may think are causing us to crumble…
And break our heart and Spirit…
Are the same circumstances…
That actually break our heart open…
And allow our Spirit…
To be In-Spirited (inspired)…
Opening our Mind, Body & Soul…
And awakening us to something greater than we could have ever imagined.
Those same circumstances very often pave the path to our greatest purpose…
Our greatest potential…
All human beings at some point…
Will own some story of hardship.
That is part of the human experience.
But within hardship also lives an individual story…
A universal story…
Of how hardship paved an unexpected path to perseverance, growth, inner-strength, compassion, insight, understanding, creative inspiration and connection with others who can gather with each other and say:
‘Yes, I know. Me as well. I see you. I understand. Let’s not let it be in vain. Let’s do something remarkable with it all!‘.
And so we find our tribe.
Or our tribe finds us.
A tribe that meets through the most unlikely…
And yet, likely, of circumstances.
A tribe that is generous in knowledge, creativity, heart, compassion, passion, love, support, kinship, responsibility, accountability, creativity, talent & Spirit.
And because of those circumstances…
We RECOGNIZE each other.
We SEE each other.
We UNDERSTAND each other.
We CARE about each other.
We SUPPORT each other.
And, yes…
We LOVE each other…
From one artist to another…
From one actor to another…
From one human to another.
That is the magic of an ENSEMBLE!
Together we LEARN.
Together we EXPLORE.
Together we DISCOVER.
Together we GROW.
Together we EXPAND.
Together we STRUGGLE.
Together we BREAK-THROUGH.
Together we SUCCEED.
Together we SHARE.
Together we GIVE.
Together we MAKE ART.
Together we TELL & LIVE STORIES.
Together we REVEAL THE HUMAN CONDITION.
And TOGETHER we hold onto the fact…
That once we make it out of the fire…
There will be…
And is…
BEAUTY WITHIN THE ASHES…
That result in our life’s greatest contributions!” 
~Mario A. Campanaro 
Master Teacher 
MC² Actors Studio
Los Angeles | New York City | London 

THAT SPECIAL GIFT

June 2, 2022by MC² Actors Studio in Acting, Actor tagged , , , , ,

“Children always get so excited about that special gift they’re given during holidays or birthdays. It’s that special gift that they ask for over and over to anyone who would listen. And usually they see that special gift on TV which makes it even more exciting. Or they see that others have that gift, and so they want it too! They see how special it is! It looks exhilarating, easy and fun to play with. And they think if only they could get that special gift, it would make all the difference in the world for their life and they would never ever stop playing with it. Then one day, someone actually makes their dream come true and they finally get it! They get that special gift that they’ve always wanted! And it comes all wrapped up in a nice box with perfect wrapping paper and a big ole bow. And they tear open that special gift! And they are mind-blown! Someone actually listened and they got it! And they love it love it love it! But then they realize they don’t know how to use that special gift. So with some help, through some trial and error, some struggles, some mistakes, a lot of creativity, and of course, the instructions, they finally figure out how to use that special gift. And now they can play with it. And they enjoy playing with it! It’s the most awesome thing ever! They love it! It’s everything they said they always wanted! And they tell everyone “Look at what I just got!” And then others say, “Ah cool! Me too! Look what I just got!“. And so they all get together and their imaginations go wild with the endless possibility of circumstances that manifest from all those special gifts. It brings a tribe together and many worlds are created! However, as is so often the case, once that gift no longer becomes so special to them and they stop using it or playing with it, it ends up just sitting home on a shelf somewhere taking up space. And then all of the sudden, that special gift disappears because it is put in a box and donated or handed down to someone else who will use it, enjoy it and appreciate it for how special it is. And some time goes by but they don’t even realize it’s gone. And then one day, they see it somewhere and then they remember it and they ask, “Wait, what ever happened to that gift?! I loved that gift! That gift was mine! Where did it go?! I want it back!”. But it’s no longer home. It’s no longer there. It’s no longer accessible. Now that special gift is going to take a lot of pursuing and work to get back. The same goes for your gifts as actors. They need to be loved, appreciated, enjoyed, learned about, cultivated and used. Your gifts are not meant to just sit at home doing nothing. If they are, they mysteriously just slip away and you start asking “Wait, what ever happened to that gift?! I loved that gift! That gift was mine! Where did it go?! I want it back!”. Stay focused! Be proactive! Appreciate the gifts you have and work hard toward doing something remarkable with them. No one is going to come knocking on your door to remind you to stay on track. And if you need a little reminder or a little push, let this be it! You have to be the CEO of your dreams or they slowly disappear. You have something so inexplicably special in you! Do not take that for granted! Dream big! But get the dream out of the dream state and go for making it a reality!”
~Mario A. Campanaro
Master Teacher 
MC² Actors Studio
Los Angeles | New York City | London

Wait! What?! That’s Just Absurd!!!

May 30, 2021by MC² Actors Studio in Uncategorized tagged , , ,

What can possibly happen when MC² Actors Studio jumps into the world of…

Theatre Of The Absurd?

Let’s just say circumstances get a bit whacky.

Click Here to find out what the buzz is all about!

Page 1 of 212