Private Coaching
As acting and character movement coaches, Jean-Louis Rodrigue and Kristof Konrad specialize in working with actors (of all levels) when preparing for the audition, callback, rehearsal, and/or first day on set or on stage.
Available in-person or online.
As an actor, your body is your instrument and must be “in tune.” In order to deliver an unforgettable performance, you must by fully present and embodied.
Private coaching sessions may include any and all of the following:
- creating body awareness, balance, and ease via the Alexander Technique
- examining the character’s archetype, family system, and socio-political, cultural, religious, and educational background
- exploring the piece’s genre, period, rhythms, and themes
- integrating special physical requirements, such as disabilities, military training, or genre-specific elements (i.e. science fiction, special effects, etc.)
- interpreting the character’s movement, physicality, emotional and psychological qualities
- discovering how to stay grounded in embodying the character’s emotional and physical tensions (without carrying your own habits)
- navigating the character’s emotional and physical demands with greater resilience and precision
I could not and would not take on any serious role without working with Jean-Louis Rodrigue first. He effortlessly takes me to places I did not know or believe I could go. He blasts past my fears and self-consciousness with great love and enthusiasm and somehow gets to the heart of the thing -- the thing I was searching to find but didn't know how to get there on my own. If you want to take that next step as an artist, wherever you're at, I can't recommend working with Jean-Louis more.
I've been working with Kristof for years and I must say working with him has become an essential part of my preparation for filming. He's an excellent Alexander Technique teacher, yes, but his work is multi-dimensional and it simply brings you closer to the truth. You will feel more confident and more at ease.
Jean-Louis’ studio continues to be one of the most rewarding places in my life -- personally, professionally, and spiritually. By exploring animals and natural elements, Jean-Louis guides me into the purity of a character through the body. It’s not simply the arched neck, razorback haircut, or greasy mastication of food for a dinner scene that reflects a hyena in Kingdom; it’s also what comes from putting that animal into my body that allows a character like Jay Kulina to reveal himself fully through text and circumstance. In Justified, the bushy-tailed feline with gentle front paws and an extended, swaying rear was the physical basis for Boon, the final season villain. In American Gods, Jean-Louis and I explored a badger for Low-Key Lyesmith, giving him superlative hearing but poor eyesight. In Westworld, I followed horizon lines with my upper body while playing the hawkish Major Craddock. Incorporating animals into my work invites me to live in a scene instinctually; it’s freedom from ego and thought.
The second I land any gig -- TV, film, or theater -- my first call is to Kristof Konrad. I know he will load me with so many ideas and inspirations, not to mention an arsenal of animal imagery to conjure, that going to work will be a playground where I can run around and play freely. I have sent gifted actor friends worlwide to Kristof and Jean-Louis, who all agree that their work is invaluable to us as artists.
