IMAGINE IT; SEE IT; BE IT…
The PraXis Acting Studio, Los Angeles is a welcoming, inclusive artistic home for actors in the heart of Hollywood.
The Mission:
The mission of the PraXis Acting Studio Los Angeles is to empower actors who:
Release their fullest artistic potential and creative individuality
Create vivid, imaginative, truthful, organic, and dynamic performances
Develop a lifelong practice in the art of acting
Methodologies:
No one technique or school of acting is adhered to blindly. The primary goal is to help actors discover, develop, and release their creative individuality, allowing them to realize deeply human performances under the highest professional pressure.
Training techniques employed include, but are not limited to, Konstantin Stanislavski’s Active Analysis; the imaginative and transformational work of Stanislavski’s “greatest student” Michael Chekhov; David Zinder body, voice, and image work, and a variety of mental and psychophysical approaches from Warren Robertson and the arenas of Performance Theory and Sports Psychology.
“Hugh is a serious and committed professional and I wholeheartedly believe in his work as an educator and artist. I admire and respect his thoughtful and intelligent insight and highly recommend him as a teacher.”
Philosophy
The philosophy of the PraXis Acting Studio Los Angeles centers on the following tenets:
All acting is psychophysical
Technique sets you free
Imagination fuels your work
Everything you need you already have inside
How you talk about your work is how your work happens
Performance = Potential - Interference
Confidence = (technique + Preparation) x (experience)
Competition releases excellence
It is impossible to make a mistake in class
There is no such thing as failure in acting
Testimonials
“Hugh was the one who first introduced me to the Chekhov technique. And I have been obsessed with it ever since! Hugh is a brilliant teacher who meets each actor exactly where they are. It doesn’t matter their level of experience. He has a way of opening your imagination (in a way I didn’t think was possible) thus creating spontaneous work. I look forward to his classes- not only are they fun, but we learn lots of exercises to add to what I like to call my actors “tool belt”.”
“Hugh’s approach to teaching is from the actor’s point of view. He understands completely what the struggle, the joy, the fear, and the ultimate pay off means, because he still practices. He’s an actor passing on his undying passion and his wealth of knowledge with an ease and command I’ve seldom experienced. Hugh doesn’t just teach Michael Chekhov, he lives it.”
“Hugh is a master acting teacher and if you get the chance to train with him, you’ll never want to stop. What sets him apart from other acting teachers is his ability to create a safe space to take risks, fail big and learn how to get comfortable with the uncomfortable. His holistic approach to the work feels more like a spiritual experience than an acting class. Hugh’s incorporation of insight meditation and the Michael Chekhov Technique is truly unique. His class will elevate your work to uncover your authentic self which you’ll not only bring to your work, but your life.”
“Hugh O’Gorman is the perfect hybrid of artist and instructor. He has a sharp eye for truth in performance and did not allow me to settle for anything other than my absolute best. He gets to know his students and finds just the right words to use to ensure that we comprehend and, most importantly, can apply what we’ve learned. If you’re looking to inject honesty and truth into your performance, you need to train with Hugh O’Gorman.”
Finding the Right Teacher
From my book, Acting Action: A Primer for Actors:
If you take your work and your career seriously, then you need an artistic home in which to train and grow. Like in any professional discipline, you need not only a place to work out regularly—ideally, daily—to stay in game shape but also a trusted coach, a guide, an experienced and skilled facilitator to provide you with the objective outside eye necessary to stay in a relationship of inquiry with your craft.
Any learning environment must be organized around a certain set of beliefs, methodologies, and desired outcomes. An acting studio is no different. Those beliefs and tools when articulated by the teacher will eventually graft themselves to names and labels, which will then be called a certain technique. This technique will be articulated and conveyed through a means of instruction. It is not merely the technique per se that is the criteria by which you should examine and choose a training studio but, perhaps more importantly, how that methodology is conveyed and transmitted to the students by the teacher.
“Hugh has had a profound impact on my own acting process, career, and teaching but, my God, in a brief testimonial, I find it hard to do him justice! In a town awash in self-proclaimed gurus, he is the real deal. His humanity, passion for the craft, love of actors, and encyclopedic knowledge of how actors do what they do is truly inspiring. The Michael Chekhov work was a particular revelation and I continue to use it to this day in my own classes and work in the profession. Should you have the opportunity to study with Hugh, grab it!”
Audition Request Form
Enrollment in PraXis Acting Studio is by audition only. Please fill out the following form and I will be in contact with you to schedule an audition.