KC Clyde & Nawal Bengholam created this studio in 2017 to fill a gap they saw in actors’ training – a holistic approach that evolves with the industry.  As working actors themselves, they set out to curate a cutting-edge Audition Technique studio for the modern actor…for actors, by actors.

The importance of holistic/comprehensive training cannot be overstated within the framework of our constantly evolving industry. Today’s actors face a fast-paced, competitive landscape that demands:

• • • Talent.
    • Work ethic.
    • Versatility.
    • Adaptability.
    • A strong understanding of the business.
    • Solid craft as the indisputable foundation.

As working actors ourselves, we recognize the importance of a well-rounded education and bring first-hand experience and a unique, practical understanding of the realities of auditioning TODAY. We flow with the industry, we see the blind spots that so many actors have, and we are committed to empowering them with the skills needed to navigate this dynamic environment. We are also committed to facilitating industry relationships for our actors through multiple free industry panels as well as special classes with casting, writers, producers, reps, etc.

This empowerment begins with strong script analysis training, which has always been the cornerstone of all our classes since day 1. It is our belief that most acting studios lead you to depend on them, with directional teaching: “go up on the line here, turn there, emphasize this, make that the operative word, step in here.” That’s all fine and dandy, and your scene (THIS scene) will get better once they’ve coached you through it, and you will be amazing, and you will feel great…but none of that equips you to make informed choices the next time, with the next piece of material. Because they never told you WHY you should have made those choices, HOW *they* knew to make those choices…and you are left perpetually coaching-dependent, confused about what “they” want, looking for random ‘bold choices,’ and agonizing over the loss of casting director feedback from the bygone ‘in person’ days. Know this: the boldest choice you can make is to go deeper.

We teach you:

• • • How to glean everything you need from the text.
    • To become self-sufficient in your analysis and choices.
    • To go deeper than the majority of generic reads.
    • NOT to need us to do excellent work.
    • To feel empowered in your artistry.
    • To LOVE the process.

We also understand the importance of providing you with the essential tools and knowledge to excel in the digital audition landscape.  To that end, we have chosen to keep our classes on Zoom after the pandemic, in order to mirror your training to the medium you are auditioning in.  Our actors put themselves on tape each week for class, up-leveling both their acting work and their self-tape skills and confidence.

We want to dismantle the notion that you are ‘better in the room.’ You are not.  Your favorite film/TV performances, those that took your breath away, broke your heart, made you laugh out loud…did not happen in a room/your room. You watched them on a screen. The same way casting/producers watch your tapes.

You were never inherently more powerful in the room…you just had far more *practice* with in-person auditions than self-tapes, so you were more confident, more relaxed, more yourselves!  You didn’t face technology hurdles that left you insecure and stressed out. Our aim with the self-tape format of our classes is to give you regular practice (and best-practices) on tape, so they become as second-nature to you as the room was. As warm and fuzzy as in-person classes are (and we loved them too), they do not give you an edge. You MUST train in the same medium you audition in.

That said, it was very important to us to adapt to the new digital industry standard without losing the sense of community that made our studio so special! To that end, we integrate breakout rooms into our classes, for actors to connect on a personal level, we are VERY accessible to our students by email/phone if they need anything, our actors regularly read for each other’s class tapes and auditions, etc!

So…that’s us. We think we’re pretty cool. We think you’d love it here. But don’t take our word for it…join us for a free audit and come find out for yourself!