TEACHING
ARTIST
Reflecting on my experiences so far in the world of theatre arts, as an actor and in my teaching practice, it is incredibly obvious how important it was for me to take workshops, to have mentors, to have a fresh eye review my work, to have a touchstone, and to have someone encourage me when I have felt uninspired or unmotivated. It is also clear to me how much I wish to give that back to the arts community— to create the space and facilitate these experiences for developing artists!
I am so pleased to offer individual and group workshops aiming to guide actors in their own unique process, helping them to develop their own method of approach. My focus is to work on the connection of mind, body and voice; to highlight the importance of presence, awareness, listening, and compassion whether we are working through Shakespeare or contemporary works, by exploring physical relationships to our immediate environment and examining how we hold space in the world.
One aspect that I have become keenly aware of in my journey is that all artists have different ways of learning and expression. I have made it my earnest intent to meet each individual where they are so that we may work together to build up! Ultimately, I hope to challenge my students to be open to their experiences and to embrace vulnerability.
"I decided to turn to Jillian when I realized I’d lost confidence with my performance. Even though I didn’t know what I wanted or what I was trying to even do with my monologue, Jillian asked all the right questions and challenged me with different perceptions of the piece. In the end, I felt more confident in myself and in my abilities. I’ll definitely be returning to Jillian for more 1:1 sessions!"
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Michaela
Actor, Writer, Model, Comedian
TEStimonials
"I worked with Jillian on private monologue coaching. She excelled at meeting my needs and questions. She was receptive and helpful in guiding me through the process. We worked through the piece, touching on the acting elements (scansion, voice, body), as well as discussed audition and self tape technique in regards to Shakespeare material. Her way of working is cohesive and intuitive, and I’m very thankful for her feedback and her direction. "
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Jamie
Actor, Performing Artist
"I truly feel that my work with Jillian gave me permission to follow the development of this character by initializing with a greater sense of understanding...
I recognized that discussing the character’s relationship with vulnerability, power, and sense of self were all concepts I could easily find a semblance of personal attachment to if I reframed the circumstance...
I believe that there was an underlying fear on my behalf that fueled my hesitance in approaching Shakespeare’s language… With Jillian’s aid, I was capable of asking any and every question that provided me a “toolbox” of knowledge that I could practice and utilize when approaching this form of work. I felt as if I were no longer starting from “nowhere.”
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Emma
Actor, Theatre Artist