Actorium
2910 Commercial Drive,
Vancouver V5N 4C9
Phone: 604-445-7751
Email: hello@actorium.ca
Summer Office Hours:
Mondays: Closed
Tuesdays: Closed
Wednesdays: 1pm-5pm
Thursdays: 1pm-5pm
Fridays: Closed
Saturdays: 10am-2pm
Sundays: 11am-3pm
Founder and Instructor – Michelle Meyrink
I wanted to act from a young age. Acting allowed me to express myself; it was an activity that truly engaged my feelings and gave an opening for self expression.
When I was 18 years old, I moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting in the film industry. I was lucky and enjoyed a successful career, but when I was 29 I decided to take six months off to ‘find myself’; I felt my acting career had taken over my love of acting and I didn’t feel the joy of it anymore. That six months off kept being extended incrementally and eventually I ended up on Bowen Island with a family.
Throughout those years on Bowen Island I spent a lot of time in active soul searching and once my kids were grown, I decided to return to my first love, acting.
I founded Actorium with the purpose of creating an environment where people can discover and immerse themselves in the art of acting; a place to grow and develop creatively through this beautiful, fun, interesting and life-changing art form.
I think of Actorium as a place for people to inspire and to get inspired and grow not only as an actor but personally – as I think the two go together. It is not only an actor’s training centre but also a community with a strong culture for daring authenticity, humour, warmth and openness.
What I have learned through teaching acting and have used as a core principle of Actorium is to never lose sight of the truthful basis of your art and the reason you started in the first place.
Assistant – Matthew Perry
I came into acting keen to perform but at the same time I was a fairly shy, anxious and self conscious person. Over the years, training as an actor has taught me to realize that the parts of myself I saw as total defects can in fact be my strongest traits. Over time I’ve learned to explore and embrace rather than to reject or hide all those parts of myself.
Acting has given me more than I had expected. By learning to be more present in my acting ,this has transferred to my own day to day life. I’m finding a certain kind of freedom both in my work as an actor and in my life on a day-to-day basis.
I am grateful to share the opportunity to truly practice all these complicated emotions in a creative space, and through this practice find the nuance and strength in them.
As I continue to train through leading classes at Actorium, I want to develop a stronger ability for connecting truthfully and authentically with people in both my work and in my personal life.
Voice Instructor – Cathy Wilmot
Cathy Wilmot holds a Masters of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre with an emphasis in Vocal Pedagogy from The Boston Conservatory and a Bachelors of Performing Arts from Capilano University.
Cathy is an experienced professional performing artist and voice and speech teacher. With extensive theatre training in all major dramatic forms, including voice work across speech, text analysis, vocal pedagogy, singing, movement, acting disciplines, and devised theatre, she is able to use her extensive toolbox to promote physical awareness, release tension, and free your voice. By applying systems of deep analysis to language structures, she leads actors, speakers, and singers to uncover riches of meaning within the text and the song.
With a solid grounding in speech anatomy and physiology, Cathy’s techniques are informed by principles of effective healthy breathing, alignment, vocal production, and projection.
Graphic Designer – Liz Wurzinger
Liz Wurzinger BA studied Graphic and Media Design in her homeland Austria before relocating to Vancouver in 2011. She enjoys the brain-wrecking concept and idea finding process of each project as much as the obsessive crafting of fine layouts. Liz has recently been helping to refine Actorium’s visual language.
Advisory Board Member – Fred Roos
Academy Award winning Producer Fred Roos IMDb has worked with some of Hollywood’s most gifted filmmakers and actors over the last four decades producing some of the most unique films of our time. Roos’ long-term collaboration with Francis Ford Coppola includes producing the Academy Award-winning Best Picture The Godfather Part II and the Academy Award-nominated Best Pictures Apocalypse Now, The Godfather, Part III, and The Conversation (winner of the Palm D’Or at Cannes).
Other films Roos has produced with Coppola include: One From the Heart, The Outsiders, Rumble Fish, The Cotton Club, Gardens of Stone, New York Stories, Tucker: The Man and His Dream, and as Executive Producer on Youth Without Youth, Tetro, and most recently, Twixt. Among Roos’s other producing credits are: Wim Wender’s Hammett, Jack Nicholson’s Drive, He Said, Barbet Schroeder’s Barfly, Peter Chelsom’s Town and Country, Agnieszka Holland’s The Secret Garden, and the documentary Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse (winner of Cable Ace Award, Best Documentary). He also produced The Black Stallion (Carroll Ballard) and the Walt Disney release in IMAX, The Young Black Stallion (Simon Wincer). Roos co-produced Sofia Coppola’s debut film The Virgin Suicides and served as Executive Producer on Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation, Marie Antoinette and Somewhere, winner of the Golden Lion (Best Picture) at Venice Film Festival, 2010.
Before he began producing films, Roos had a legendary career as a casting director on such films as: The Godfather, American Graffiti, Five Easy Pieces, The King of Marvin Gardens, Fat City, Petulia, and Zabriskie Point. He also served as casting consultant on Star Wars. …more on Mr Roos
Advisory Board Member – Martha Coolidge
Illuminating her films with inspired performances from actors is a hallmark of Martha Coolidge’s IMDb work – from her documentaries to her remarkable pioneering achievements in features, television and the internet.
A consummate filmmaker, she is known as an “Actor’s Director”. From Robert Duvall, Halley Berry, Geena Davis to James Gandolfini, her actors give some of their best performances. Her cornerstone hit comedies Valley Girl and Real Genius put her on the map and launched the careers of Nicholas Cage and Val Kilmer. Coolidge also exceeds genre and is known for her powerful dramas: notably Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, which as nominated for 11 Emmy nominations, winning 5, including Halle Berry who also won a Golden Globe, the SAG Award, and two NAACP Awards; Rambling Rose, nominated for two Academy Awards, two Golden Globes and won three, out of 5; and the IFP Spirit Awards for Best Director and Best Picture.
Coolidge’s TV movies and episodic include CSI, Sex and the City, The Glades, and If These Walls Could Talk which earned her second DGA nomination for Best Director. Coolidge continues to serve on the boards of the DGA, the Academy of Motion Pictures, the AFI, and Women in Film, and was elected as the first woman President of the Director’s Guild of America in 2001.
Advisory Board Member – Horatio Kemeny
Mr. Kemeny IMDb is a Vancouver-based businessman who has worked as executive producer on several feature films. His credits include Saving Lincoln, Return to Byzantium: The Art and Life of Lilian Broca, and When Do We Eat? Earlier in his career, Horatio was a software development manager and entrepreneur. He is still involved in the industry, directing a number of technology companies. He brings his diverse and substantial business background as as well as a considerable interest and support of the arts to Actorium.
FAQs
Can I audit a class?
We do not offer auditing as it is too disruptive to our classes. However if you have questions or concerns please email us at admin@actorium.ca.
I am an experienced actor, which class should I register for?
If you have trained in Mesiner Technique acting email hello@actorium.ca and we will help fit you into the best class for you. If you have not studied in Meisner Technique Foundations Introduction is the best class for you.
I have studied Meisner Technique before, should I start in a more advanced class?
If you have studied Meisner Technique before, please let us know and we can discuss a suitable class for you. Email us at hello@actorium.ca
How old do I have to be to study at Actorium?
You must be at least 17 years old to study at Actorium.
I am interested in film and television acting? Are these classes for me?
Yes!
I am interested in working in theatre? Are these classes for me?
Yes!
Will these exercises be useful as an actor even before I start scene work?
You can apply the knowledge you gain from Meisner Technique into any scene or audition situation immediately. You will have gained an understanding in how to apply what you have learned at the Foundations I level.
I have never acted before. Can I join a class?
Yes. We welcome all levels. Some of our best actors have come from those that have never acted before. You must be over 17 to participate in our classes.
How many people are in each class?
There is a maximum of 12 people in each class.
The class is full. Do you have a waitlist?
Yes, you can be asked to be put on a waitlist by emailing admin@actorium.ca
Is there homework?
There is no homework until you go into into Scene Study.
All classes are held at the Actorium, at 2910 Commercial Drive in East Vancouver.
Testimonials
Thank you for your thoughts, observations and advice.
It is a surreal experience for me being in your acting classes. I have lived my life inside a sort of straight jacket and blindfolded. I have known something was very wrong but I did not know how to help myself.
I could not explain how this is working but over the last six months I have felt a loosening from what binds me, which is such an incredible relief, but with it I feel sadness also. I can not emphasize enough how
limited I have been due to my fears and my thought processes..
Michelle I am so deeply thankful for this painful and joyful process. I am sorry so much time has past in my life, but thankful there is some left.
– Actorium Student
When I signed in the Foundations I class, I had absolutely no idea about what Actorium was. I did not know what to expect, although I had been slightly familiar with the Meisner technique. All I wanted was to start an acting class as soon as possible after landing in Vancouver. Now, after finishing the class, I can say that I have found the place where I want to work on becoming an actor.
– Actorium Student
I have grown so much, not only as an actor but as a person. You have created such a safe and fun place to train in and I could not be more excited to continue training with you at Actorium. I really look forward to future classes together.
– Actorium Student
Just wanted to thank you and tell you how much I am enjoying your class! I come in usually tired and stressed from my days and feel empowered, enlightened and invigorated. I am very serious about excelling and being an amazing actor. Last class I was blown away with the meditation with the belly breathing and baby analogy. It hit me really deep especially when you said a baby doesn’t laugh or cry from its head! WOW!!! I mean it all seems common sense but with all my 46 years of emotional bandages and coping mechanisms it has been buried. I just wanted to tell you how much I appreciate your class and you giving back to the community and being so Awesome!! I feel very grateful to be in your class and know I will develop deeply under your guidance. I feel like I am growing daily from your classes. I am a Leader and will definitely keep challenging myself and classmates to be better. Isn’t that what life is about?
– Actorium Student
Not only has the program allowed me to tap into my childhood bliss that I chose to let go of, but it also helped me look at places I blocked out within myself. I am becoming more whole and my relationships are becoming more authentic and honest. I am finding the program is helping me stay present and be more honest with everyone in my daily interactions. Rather than my habit of keeping my thoughts to myself, I’m able to share those feelings with people I trust and they make room for me. I have richer relationships because I’m able to recognize what I’m feeling and sense what others are feeling.
I think the instructors have done a phenomenal job thus far. They do a great job of being inclusive to everyone that is there. I trust they know exactly who needs to work on which area and will tailor each class accordingly. I find they manage to tailor our classes specifically to each person’s unique needs. We all have different areas of strengths and weaknesses and our instructors recognize what exercises will benefit us most to make a breakthrough.
– Actorium Student
I wanted to extend my thanks for facilitating my learning/growing over the past few months. I’ve discovered so many things that have eluded me in my acting process for years. My audition yesterday was kind of like the culmination of what I’ve gone through in your class up to this point. It was nice to go into a very intimidating audition with solid tools and the confidence to know that I can “go there” if I bring in my commitment and focus. I felt so free! As I was moving through the audition I was keenly aware of the other person and kept my focus on them – it was like I was doing a Meisner exercise right there in the room – it was so cool.
– Actorium Student
I am really liking what I am learning in Intro and want to continue with Foundation.
In fact, I went to an open audition and used the grounding and connection with my partner in the cold read scenes I did. Yeah! And I just found out that I got the part 🙂
– Actorium Student
Thank you for keeping us on our toes. I really have been learning a lot coming to these classes about myself and (not just) acting. It really feels so much better being in the actual moment rather than acting it out in a way we think it should be.
– Actorium Student
You are a great teacher and I love the classes! It’s exactly what I was looking for!
– Actorium Student
I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed the class tonight. I feel very… ‘alive’ now! It’s so rare but so good, to detach from everything and just be focusing on that absolute moment. I’m looking forward to the next class!
– Actorium Student
I want to express my deep gratitude to you for working with me for such a long period, not letting me off the hook and forcing me to open up. I feel better than I have in years, free to change now. So, THANK YOU.
– Actorium Student
Acting classes are paying off. I’m getting more assertive and witty! ha ha! Just wanted you to know.
– Actorium Student
I have been taking acting classes now for a couple of months and it is changing me. At first when I was up on the stage, I felt rigid and self-conscious.. unwilling to share my heart and emotions. Maybe I was willing but afraid.
I find now that sharing is coming easier and that everything I share is reflected around me in the other participants. I am finding that the act of getting on stage is so opening and so freeing.. I want to go deeper into it. It is just what I need to keep the juice of life going… face fear… face myself and share. Thank you to our instructors for embarking on this with your whole heart and taking us with you!!
– Actorium Student
Wow, what an exciting class for me last night. I was mesmerized with the work everyone was doing!
– Actorium Student
I have always been terrified of public speaking and have never even in my dreams wished to be in the limelight on any stage. The thought of taking acting lessons would have never occurred to me. But my instructor introduced this idea in such an intriguing way. She said this class was a safe place for those who wanted a chance to tiptoe out into the spotlight and thus to explore hidden facets of their essence and personality. I’ve always been rather inhibited and not-quite-the-real-me in my range of expression in social settings so I thought this would be a potentially fun and cheap way to expand my range, as compared to say, sitting weekly on a therapist’s couch for months on end. Well it’s only been four classes so far but holy moly! I could not have guessed how eye-opening and personally rewarding this experience would be for my inner development and self-knowledge. The instructor is guiding us starting from scratch using the Meisner training technique. Not only do I feel I have a better window to my authentic self (and what could possibly be more precious than that) but I also feel like I really have an inner eye and empathetic understanding of my fellow classmates which in so few hours with strangers is really incredible. I would urge anyone who resonates with me to try this course. Very highly recommended.
– Actorium Student
Again, I apologize for my lack of communication skills. For some reason email is especially challenging. BUT, I am participating in this awesome class that is changing my life, so that should get cleared up pretty soon 🙂
– Actorium Student
I want to express my appreciation for the opportunity to join the Meisner Intro Class. The attention, understanding and encouragement you give is communicated with such compassion and depth that makes one want to incorporate and excel.
Even from the first workshop there has been a shift in my interaction with others and awareness of how and what I communicate. I learn something new with each class and the experience stays alive within me until the next class.
The activities/exercises feel like a return to our more natural selves before being told how to be, what to say, how to say it. I am reminded to check in with myself for authentic expression of my experience in the moment.
Thank you for your brilliance in presenting this opportunity.
– Actorium Student
My coach outside of class noted a very grounded and open difference in my performance. My advice to anyone who works at Actorium is to listen closely to what is asked, let the ego go, allow the walls to fall and be willing to grow.
– Meisner Workshop Participant
She inspires us to leap fully into a given exercise or character by encouraging us to overcome the personal barriers and inhibitions that hold us back. She reaches for real emotions in her students, and encourages us to find most authentic performances we can. She strips away the mystique of acting, and provides a great working environment in which we can learn about ourselves, and about the craft of acting.
– Meisner Workshop Participant