“Whether we’re teaching a newcomer or an Academy-award winning actor, our approach is the same. It’s about choosing how you want to use yourself.”
JEAN-LOUIS RODRIGUE & KRISTOF KONRAD
Who is Alexander Techworks?
Jean-Louis Rodrigue and Kristof Konrad are the team that make up Alexander Techworks. They are internationally known as two of the most sought after acting & character movement coaches, collectively teaching the Alexander Technique and character movement in theater, film, television, and beyond.
They have worked with many top actors, directors, and writers, including Leonardo Dicaprio, Margot Robbie, Ang Lee, Christian Bale, Hilary Swank, Lawrence Kasdan, Josh Brolin, Rachel McAdams, Chris Pine, and many, many others.
JEAN-LOUIS RODRIGUE
Founder
Jean-Louis Rodrigue
Born in Casablanca, Morocco, Jean-Louis Rodrigue is an internationally recognized acting coach, movement director, and teacher of the Alexander Technique, and a pioneer in its application to theater, film, and television. He began his actor training in 1967 with Herbert Berghof at the HB Studio in New York. In 1970, William Ball awarded Jean-Louis a full scholarship to study in the Advanced Training Program at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. During his training and performing at ACT, Jean-Louis discovered the Alexander Technique. He spent three more years training as an Alexander Technique teacher with Frank Ottiwell and Giora Pinkas at the American Center for the Alexander Technique, San Francisco.
Jean-Louis Rodrigue
Jean-Louis has taught the Alexander Technique for the past thirty-seven years. His unique approach to movement education and to improving the levels of performance has brought international recognition.
In the music world, he was part of the faculty at the Verbier Festival and Academy (1998-2005), a music and theater festival in the Swiss Alps and he is currently part of the faculty at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music. He founded the Alexander program for the Los Angeles Philharmonic Institute and taught the young musicians and conductors for six years.
Jean-Louis has become renowned around the world in the film industry for his unique style of acting coaching and character movement choreography. He has most recently coached Margot Robbie in Mary Queen of Scots, Rachel McAdams in Disobedience, Matt Bomer in Larry Kramer’s The Normal Heart for HBO, Paul Dano in Okja and as Brian Wilson in Love and Mercy, and Tobey Maguire as Bobby Fischer in Pawn Sacrifice. Jean-Louis coached Leonardo DiCaprio with his acclaimed performance in J. Edgar and, collaborated with Ang Lee and screenwriter David Magee in the development of the tiger movement for the Academy Award winning Life of Pi. Jean-Louis coached Scott Speedman in the award winning Barney's Vision, Citizen Gangster and the ABC series Last Resort. Other films include W. with Josh Brolin, Human Nature with Patricia Arquette, Passion Fish with Mary MacDonnell, The Affair of the Necklace with Hilary Swank and cast, The Cat's Meow with Kirsten Dunst, The Time Machine with cast, Seabiscuit with Elizabeth Banks, and Bee Season with Juliette Binoche. He has worked with many actors and performers including Zoey Deutch, Sir Ian McKellen, Forest Whitaker, Paul Dano, Luke Kirby, Martha Argerich, Herb Alpert, Helena Bonham Carter, Keanu Reeves, Tate Donovan, Julia Sweeney, Jonathan Pryce, Simon Baker, Joely Richardson, Sally Kellerman, Courtney Thorne-Smith, and JoBeth Williams.
In theater, Jean-Louis has most recently worked with the cast of Long Day's Journey into Night starring Alfred Molina at the Geffen Playhouse. He was awarded a Fellowship grant from the Montalvo Arts Center to develop and direct a play adaptation of Bernhard Schlink’s best selling novel The Reader. He has coached Chris Pine in The Lieutenant of Inishmore at the Mark Taper Forum and with Rita Maffei and Larry Moss in an Italian production of Pamela Gien’s The Syringa Tree at the Teatro Stabile di Innovazione in Udine and at Il Piccolo Teatro di Milano, Italy. For her performance, Maffei won the Gold Medal from the President of the Italian Republic. Jean-Louis has also worked with Gulu Monteiro on The Bacchae at the Getty Villa, the circus artists of Cirque du Soleil’s Ka at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and he has collaborated with director Joanna Settle and Heather Raffo in her acclaimed play Nine Parts of Desire at the Geffen Playhouse. He has collaborated with Larry Moss on Daisy White’s Sugar, Pamela Gien’s Obie award winning play The Syringa Tree at Playhouse 91 in N.Y. and Bo Eason’s Runt of the Litter at the 37 Arts Theater, N.Y., in fall 2007. He has coached actors working at the Royal Shakespeare Company, Mark Taper Forum, the Geffen Playhouse, the Pasadena Playhouse, and on Broadway, as well as the artists of the Cirque du Soleil in La Nouvelle Experience on improving their performance and preventing injuries. He is currently a member of the faculties at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, Howard Fine Acting Studio in Hollywood, and teaches regularly for Larry Moss.
Born in Casablanca, Morocco, Jean-Louis Rodrigue is an acting & character movement coach, expert in the Alexander Technique, and world-renowned speaker. For over 45 years he has worked professionally in Los Angeles and New York in theatre, film, television, and digital media.
Jean-Louis began his formal actor training in 1967 with Herbert Berghof at the HB Studio and with Sonia Moore at the American Center for Stanislavski Theater Art in New York.
In 1970, William Ball awarded Jean-Louis a full scholarship to study in the Advanced Training Program at the American Conservatory Theater (ACT) in San Francisco. During his training at ACT, he discovered the Alexander Technique. He spent three more years training as an Alexander teacher with Frank Ottiwell and Giora Pinkas at the American Center for the Alexander Technique, San Francisco.
After formal training, Jean-Louis studied extensively with master Alexander Technique teachers Marjorie Barstow, Walter Carrington, Patrick McDonald, and Dilys Carrington. He is also a certified teacher of Jessica Wolf’s The Art of Breathing.
Jean-Louis' unique style of character movement coaching can be seen in many films including Barbie (2023) with Margot Robbie, Babylon (2022) and I, Tonya (2017) also with Margot Robbie, Vice (2018) with Christian Bale, Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022) with Ke Huy Quan (Academy Award winner), Life of Pi (2012) collaborating with Ang Lee (Academy Award winner), The Power of Dog (2021), Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019), J. Edgar (2011) with Leonardo DiCaprio, The Time Machine (2002), Passion Fish (1992) with Mary McDonnell (Academy Award Nominee), and many others.
Some of his clients include Margot Robbie, Christian Bale, Rachel McAdams, Matt Bomer, Josh Brolin, Juliette Binoche, Leonardo DiCaprio, Scott Speedman, Patricia Arquette, Zoey Deutch, Paul Dano, Luke Kirby, Vanessa Kirby, Helena Bonham Carter, Jonathan Pryce, Simon Baker, Joely Richardson, Lynn Redgrave, JoBeth Williams, Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter, Tate Donovan, Julia Sweeney, Sir Ian McKellen, Kirsten Dunst, Mary McDonnell, Elizabeth Banks, and Jurnee Smollett.
For a list of some of his film credits, see his IMDB page here.
In theatre, Jean-Louis has most recently worked with Zoey Deutch in the Broadway production of Our Town and the cast of Long Day's Journey into Night, starring Alfred Molina at the Geffen Playhouse. He was awarded a Fellowship grant from the Montalvo Arts Center to develop and direct a play adaptation of Bernhard Schlink's best-selling novel The Reader. He coached Chris Pine in The Lieutenant of Inishmore at the Mark Taper Forum and collaborated with Rita Maffei, Pamela Gien, and Larry Moss in an Italian production of Gien's The Syringa Tree at the Teatro Stabile di Innovazione in Udine and at Il Piccolo Teatro di Milano, Italy. For her performance, Maffei won the Gold Medal from the President of the Italian Republic.
Jean-Louis has also worked with Gulu Monteiro on The Bacchae at the Getty Villa and the circus artists of Cirque du Soleil's Ka at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. He has collaborated with director Joanna Settle and Heather Raffo in her acclaimed play Nine Parts of Desire at the Geffen Playhouse. He has collaborated with Larry Moss on Pamela Gien's Obie award-winning play The Syringa Tree at Playhouse 91 in N.Y., April Daisy White's Sugar, and Bo Eason's Runt of the Litter at the 37 Arts Theater, N.Y. in 2007.
He has coached actors working at the Royal Shakespeare Company, Mark Taper Forum, Geffen Playhouse, Pasadena Playhouse, and on Broadway, as well as the artists of Cirque du Soleil's La Nouvelle Experience on improving their performance and preventing injuries.
Jean-Louis has taught at UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television and UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music for thirty-four years.
Jean-Louis coaches world-renowned musicians and works with leading orchestras and music conservatories:
2017-2022 | UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music
1998-2017 | UCLA Department of Music
1998-2007 | Verbier Festival and Academy, UBS Verbier Orchestra (Verbier, Switzerland) | Martin T:son Engstrom and Miguel Esteban, Founders and Artistic Directors
1989-1997 | USC Thornton School of Music
Summer 1988 | New World Symphony | Michael Tilson Thomas, Music Director
Summer 1986 | Great Woods Center for the Performing Arts, Wheaton College | Michael Tilson Thomas, Music Director
1985-1988 | American Center for Music Theater Training, Opera Intensive, Los Angeles Music Center | Paul Gleason, Director
1983-1989 | Los Angeles Philharmonic Institute, Orchestral Training Program | Jeffrey Babcock, Program Director
1980-1983 | San Francisco Symphony | Michael Steinberg, Artistic Advisor
OPERA
Jean-Louis coaches individual singers with physical and vocal preparation:
La Boheme | Julia Migenes | L.A. Opera | Dir. Ross Hunter
Nixon in China | Kaitlin Hopkins | L.A. Opera | Dir. Peter Sellars
The Abduction from the Seraglio | Catherine Naglestad | Hamburg Opera
La Clemenza di Tito | Catherine Naglestad | Stuttgart Opera
Cosi Fan Tutte | Richard Bernstein | L.A. Opera | Jennifer Foster-Smith
A Midsummer Night's Dream | Jonathan Mack | L.A. Opera
Reuters Foundation | Maria Rey-Joly Castellanos | Verbier Festival | 1999 Scholarship Winner
Lucia di Lammermoor | Noelle Richardson | San Francisco Opera
Alcina | Catherine Naglestad | San Francisco Opera
Alcina | Alice Coote | San Francisco Opera
Jean-Louis has spoken at leading festivals and institutions around the world, including the Berlin International Film Festival, Generation Campus in Moscow, Verbier Festival in Switzerland, Universidad de Comunicacion in Mexico City, Berlinale Talents in Guadalajara, USC School of Music, Manhattan School of Music, National Institute of Dramatic Arts in Sydney, and DLD Women Conference in Munich.
KRISTOF KONRAD
Partner
Kristof Konrad
Kristof Konrad
Kristof Konrad has taught for the Berlin International Film Festival, Verbier Festival & Academy in Switzerland, and the UBS Verbier Youth Orchestra. He is teaching Intensive Acting in Film and Alexander Technique Workshops in New York, Los Angeles, Milan, Berlin, Toronto, and Vancouver. In the U.S., he is collaborating with Jean-Louis Rodrigue at the Larry Moss Studio, Howard Fine Acting Studio, teaching for the UCLA Extension Entertainment Studies, Theatricum Botanicum, and Media Access. He worked with the cast of “KING LEAR” and “THE SEAGULL” of The Royal Shakespeare Company; helped Sharon Lawrence to create Vivien Leigh in “ORSON’S SHADOW” at the Pasadena Playhouse; worked with the cast of“ELECRICIDAD” at the Mark Taper Forum; and worked with the artists of Cirque du Soleil’s “KA” on improving performance and preventing injuries.
In FILM, he helped Lymari Nadal to embody EVA, the love interest of Denzel Washington in AMERICAN GANGSTER.
Past and current students include: Kenneth Branagh, Cobie Smulders, JoBeth Williams, Eric Dane, and Sharon Lawrence.
Mr. Konrad earned his M.F.A. in Theatre in the field of Dramatic Acting from the Alexander Zelwerowicz National Dramatic Academy in Warsaw, Poland. He maintains a private practice in Santa Monica, CA and West Los Angeles. He is an active member of the American Society for the Alexander Technique (AmSAT).
Born in Poland, Kristof Konrad is an actor, acting coach, breath and voice coach, character movement coach, teacher of the Alexander Technique, and co-director of Alexander Techworks with Jean-Louis Rodrigue. For over 24 years, he has successfully worked as an actor in both the United States and Europe, giving him the unique opportunity to better understand and serve his students as both a teacher and fellow actor.
Kristof trained as an actor at the National Dramatic Academy in Warsaw, Poland (M.F.A. in Theatre) and the Alexander Fersen Academy in Rome, Italy. While in Poland, he studied and worked with theatre and film masters Jerzy Grotowski and Andrzej Wajda. Kristof discovered the Alexander Technique while working in the USA. He was fascinated by its effectiveness in improving the level of acting and coping with the stress associated with performing and everyday life. He spent three years training as an Alexander Technique teacher with Jean-Louis Rodrigue and many others at Alexander Training Institute of Los Angeles, where he also received his certification in 2021. He also completed his postgraduate training with Jessica Wolf in the Art of Breathing and was certified in 2014.
Kristof's work as an acting and character movement coach can be seen in many films and TV productions, including Abandons, Diarra from Detroit, Dopesick, Mayor of Kingstown, American Gangster, Underworld: Blood Wars, Tatami, The Time Traveler's Wife, Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey, and many others. Past and current students include: Kenneth Branagh, Forest Whitaker, Pierce Brosnan, Evan Peters, Cobie Smulders, Eric Dane, Jaime Ray Newman, Justin Chatwin, Diplo, Michael Welch, Jennifer Siebel-Newsom, JoBeth Williams, Sharon Lawrence, and many more.
Kristof worked with the cast of King Lear and The Seagull of The Royal Shakespeare Company; helped Sharon Lawrence create Vivien Leigh in Orson's Shadow at the Pasadena Playhouse; worked with the cast of Electricidad at the Mark Taper Forum; and worked with the artists of Cirque du Soleil’s Ka on improving performance and preventing injuries.
Kristof has taught as a guest teacher at the Verbier Festival & Academy in Switzerland, the UBS Verbier Youth Orchestra, and the UCLA Herb Alpert Music School.
Kristof has spoken and taught at leading festivals and institutions around the world, including the Berlin International Film Festival; Verbier Festival & Academy in Switzerland; UBS Verbier Youth Orchestra; UCLA Herb Alpert Music School; UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television; Generation Campus in Moscow; Universidad de Comunicacion in Mexico City; the DLD (Digital-Life-Design) Women's Conference in Munich; and Howard Fine Acting Studios in L.A. and Melbourne. At Berg Studios in Los Angeles, he teaches Alexander Technique in Acting and Embodying the Character in Theatre, Film and Television.
For over 30 years, Kristof has successfully worked as an actor in film and television in the United States and Europe. Some of his TV credits include: Chicago Med, FBI: Most Wanted, House of Cards, Homecoming, Nikita, Scandal, Scorpion, Zoo, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Undercovers, E-Ring, Alias, The Unit, The Agency, JAG, Gilmore Girls, and many others. His film credits include: Red Sparrow, Angels and Demons, Independence Day, I Am The Night, Hotel California, Chernobyl Diaries, and Operation Samum. In the U.S., Kristof has worked with directors Kenneth Branagh, Francis Lawrence, Ron Howard, and Roland Emmerich. For a complete list of credits, visit his IMDB page or personal website: www.kristofkonrad.com.
Jean-Louis Rodrigue’s awareness of how to apply the Alexander Technique principles to any of the performing arts is something that few teachers possess. At the opera training workshop at the Verbier Festival, I remember distinctly how he could help unleash a free and resplendent voice from the throat of a soprano who was doing everything to imprison it, and all this just by speaking to her and applying his hands at the right moment. Although the Alexander Technique principles are seemingly straightforward, it takes a special individual to not only master them, but to fully inhabit them as Jean-Louis does.
Jean-Louis Rodrigue and Kristof Konrad immediately create a level of trust and comfort in teaching the Alexander Technique which allowed all of us in the class to open up to the learning experience. I continue to work privately with them because I believe so strongly in their skill in teaching this technique, and its positive effect on my well-being. The Alexander Technique is invaluable to actors of all ages. It helps us find new depth in exploring the physical and emotional life of a character. And it has helped me correct physical issues which affect my daily life.
One of the most important things an actor can posses is a relationship to their own body and breath. Jean-Louis Rodrigue and Kristof Konrad work with actors in such a way that they immediately understand from deep within themselves their true impulses. Jean-Louis and Kristof are more than teachers; they each have their own spirit that enters the actor’s instrument and teaches them the truth of the character they are going to portray. Their work is invaluable and I cannot imagine doing a project without them.
