Clarence Garner
Website
I also wanted to personally thank you for [guiding] me to prep with Megan for my auditions. It was incredibly helpful and really gave me the confidence to approach the audition with a clear mind. I’m so appreciative of all the support.
Amanda Martinez
Website
I love working with Megan! She is so good at text analysis, and getting you out of your head and the text and into listening and reacting to your scene partner. I’ve loved every audition I’ve coached with her!
Jeffrey Adam Baxt
Website
I wanted to let you know how invaluable Mathia has been to me in coaching me about the business and working to re-build my brand as an actor. She renewed my energy in proactively seeking out work. […] I am fortunate to have found her through your agency and would recommend her to other actors without hesitation; she’s a keeper.
Kim Berrios Lin
Website
Thank you from the bottom of my heart. You bring out the best in everyone you connect with.
Paolo Montalban
Website
Heidi, I’m so thankful we prepped the different levels of the many qualities of King Charming as thoroughly as we did. We actually shot different takes of those different levels.
Emily Schultheis
Website
Megan we are officially iconic! [The reader] gave me some notes but she was super into it. She said it was really original and i did great work so thanks for figuring all that out with me last night!
Alisa, mother of Tessa Inez
Website
Thank you for all the work you did with [my daughter] yesterday. She had a great experience in her session with you and came out of it feeling confident and proud of her work. As her mom, I especially want to thank you for creating a safe space for her to explore this character and really tap into those deep emotions. Watching her perform with such authenticity gave me chills! Thank you for being so supportive and affirming with your coaching.
Justin Withers
Website
The tapes looked great and so glad to get a sense of how you coach. My reps loved them and are in awe that we accomplished that so quickly!
Brandi Porter
Website
Thank you for always encouraging me, supporting me and helping me grow as an artist!!
Adelina Santana
Website
Heidi, thank you so much for your help, my auditions and craft have grown and even my mom notices it.
Sevrin Mason
Website
I wanted to share that since coaching with Mathia, every single person I reached out to as part of my homework has responded with an opportunity. I take this as a sign that coaching was working.
Jim deProphetis
Website
I’ve always been scared to take the leap and self-produce. And now (anxiety or not!) I feel I’m on a forward path to getting my short off the ground 🙂
Rosie McDonald
Website
I LOVED this class!! Just the whole aspect of “just do it!” will stick with me. I feel so empowered to make my own work and Stephanie was a dream to learn from. The class was clear and gave a wonderful overview of how to produce and she also gave individual attention to our scripts and different processes which of course was so valuable. Stephanie really did go above and beyond and I am just HYPED.
The class really felt like a community and that I believe all came from Stephanie’s energy. We are all going to help out on each other’s projects and have been sharing contacts and connections and it ABSOLUTELY came at the right time for me. I jumped into this class sort of on a whim and it was such a valuable way to spend July. It has shifted what I believed myself capable of and I am so grateful!
Siobhan Carroll
Website
I just had to reach out with some news! I wrapped on my first project. I cannot believe it. It’s a 10 min short film that I collaboratively devised with another actor. We grabbed a cinematographer, one other actor, rented equipment and headed to a location upstate NYC for the weekend to shoot.
It would have been un-doable without your class!
We “set a date” after our second conversation, the calendar you shared was one of the most useful tools, we got some of our funding through an IndieGoGo campaign! I won’t waste time listing every other fantastic detail that I picked up from you here, but we have our three hard drives of footage and can’t wait to move on to editing!
2023:
Also – quick update – thanks to your producing class my creative collaborator and I are about a month to two months out from completing post-production on our first ever short film! We’re working on festival submissions now! Eternally grateful to you as always!
Lauren Leger
Website
This was an amazing class. I was thinking about making a short film for a year, and now because of this class, I have a date set for filming, and have cast all the roles. Stephanie taught me what I needed to know to finally get my short done. She gave so much great advice! I’m so happy to have received examples of contracts and other paper work. That area blocked me from getting started, but she explained all the paper work I needed. She also gave great advice on fundraising, and marketing. She taught how to think outside the box, and be just as creative with producing as acting or directing.
George Antonopoulos
Website
Amazing. Stephanie is a major asset to your overall product. Stephanie really inspired me.
Marilise Tronto
Website
The course was very exciting. The assignments were fascinating and I was filled with energy by engaging with new materials and ideas. Stephanie is so generous both in spirit and with the content she shares. I was amazed how comprehensively she taught us the steps of producing.
Stephanie’s openness to all members of this class (we were all at different levels of experience, with different goals) was most encouraging. She is honest about her own experiences – the wins, the challenges, and lessons she’s learned. I will recommend this course any time I have the opportunity to do so.
Dennis Hull
Website
It clarified a lot of elements that I had awareness of but didn’t know how to plan for or execute on. Particularly related to crew relationships and IP. And as an actor, Stephanie gave me significant insights as to what I should reasonably expect in negotiation and on set, particularly as it relates to safety. Immensely valuable!
Michaela Lind
Website
Stephanie is so knowledgeable, passionate and a rockstar in the way she passes on her knowledge to you and supports you. She went above and beyond for all of us!!
Natasha Murray
Website
Athena, I’m sitting at my desk, holding back tears, just thinking about all the work and auditions we put in…
Russell, I’m convinced it was your statement that made the tape: “How would you react if you felt this person really saw you?”
Heidi, thanks for a great team! It takes a village!
June Ballinger
Website
You are a wonderful coach and your insights are so spot on and delivered with such kindness and encouragement. Thank you.
Just by observing class, I learned things—and honestly, it was better than therapy.
Nabil Vinas
Website
I really appreciate how well you understood what I offer.
I’m so grateful and glad I chose to do this with you.
Regina Schneider
Website
Thank you for all your help last week on the FBI audition. Your guidance was so appreciated- I seriously could not have navigated through that scene without you!
On another note, I wanted share a story… I applied your “Would you like to see anything else” tip after another audition I had last week, and I was surprised how helpful it was. She replied, “No, do it again just like you did…” and then proceeded to give me a bit more info on my relationship to the other character in the scene- which was extremely helpful because I didn’t get much from the breakdown. So me putting myself out there actually opened her up to give me more info. I don’t know that she would have shared that had I not asked. I ended up getting a callback and am going to producers on Tuesday. So THANK YOU!
Paolo Montalban
Website
It always feels like it’s an artistic expanding moment with you, Heidi!
Darren Tkacs
Website
Hi Athena, thank you for your wonderful supportive energy. I simply wanted to let you know I applied for a role on actor’s access, got an audition, and got the role. The audition was via eco-cast self-tape on actors-access and I remembered the framing you taught me.
Jenny Piersol
Website
Seeing actual pre-production calendars, pitch documents, mood boards gave me ideas for next steps.
… I feel so much more momentum (and I finished my screenplay!) because of the class.
Paco Tolson
Website
I just wanted to thank you for all your insights in our coaching session. I feel flexible and ready for whatever they need me to do on the day.
Amanda Martinez
Website
I just wanted to say thank you so much for the coaching this week! I was so pleased with my submission!!!
Ashley Romans, Y: The Last Man
Website
I finally just got back to my home base in LA and you came across my mind. I just want to say thank you so much for these few months in supporting me in the filming process and being so available to me as a coach.
Sam Xu
Website
I just want to say that I am so, so thankful for you for helping me through the first big shoot of my career. 🙂 It’s been a week now I am back in my tiny, lovely Brooklyn apartment that I could fathom… It. Actually. Happened. It was unreal and exciting, and an amazing experience that I will remember for a very very long time.
I am so grateful for the sessions that we had and all the preparations, clarifying the relationships, and even the sessions of just going through the lines. Because when we were on set, all of this became a sort of muscle memory that I had no time to contemplate on. Because we were shooting at a restricted-access open air seaport, with hundreds of crews, and it was SO COLD. Between getting the blockings right for the camera, the stunt car, the cranes lifting shipping containers, and the lead actors, I had to spit out lines faster than my brain could process. All the preparation we did was put to use, nothing was spared!
Dawn Vicknair
Website
I had my taping today. I played and stayed loose enough to make different choices on each take. It was the most fun I ever had doing a self-tape! You really got me fired up in our coaching; when I got home last night, I couldn’t stop digging and playing. It felt so good.
Ashley McCormack
Website
I am typically always confident in my vocals, but I left that room feeling extremely confident in my work as an actor. THANK YOU!
Guy Lockard
Today on set was magic. Thanks for helping a brotha out.
Marcus Jordan
Wow the change take to take is STARTLING!!! Thank you. I’m so excited to get working in this way!
Farah Bala
Website
I got to know how terrific a coach Athena is when she helped me work on a pilot audition. She partners with you to find the truth and nuances of the scene and character, while also making sure the best of you is captured. Her work is rich and nuanced and fully supports the individual process.
Chris Russell
Website
I walked out of my audition feeling whole and happy and confident that I brought my best! Thank you for your coaching! It was SO valuable. In one short hour, you were able to break down the scene and help me fortify a strong emotional prep for a major audition.
Maria Diez
Website
Athena was brilliant at helping break down the moments in the scene and bring in more sides in the character along with the circumstances and reality of the world of the film. I felt confident and ready to work in the room, and trusted the work we’d done. The audition went great and I was able to do my best work.
Reece Vernier Santos
It is so important to walk into a room feeling so prepared that you can deliver in any situation. Athena gets to the bottom of a text quickly. She recognizes your strengths to bring out a variety of colors and tactics to tell the story. I felt free working with her and really allowed myself to take risks in the audition room.
Alexandra Turshen, Amazon’s series RED OAKS
Website
“Heidi is the lady to go to!! I use her convenient skype sessions to make sure I’m super ready for auditions and I went to her AFTER I booked Red Oaks to make sure I would show up on set guns-a-blazin.
New York Times Review, Fantasia as Celie in Broadway’s THE COLOR PURPLE
Website
[American Idol Winner] Fantasia unleashes with a feeling of connection to the dramatic moment.
Victor Albaum
Website
For someone who has never written their own series before, the Creator’s Circle was super helpful. I’ve LOVED that you gave us deadlines, and that you always pushed against taking on more than you can chew. I felt like I learned something from every single person in our circle. I often found that the challenges that they were facing were similar to the ones I was facing. You give ample time to each creator to hash out their project and figure out what will work best to get to the next level with our projects.
Christina Catechis
Website
Without a doubt, I gained the confidence to call myself a creator. The Creators Circle began to be something I looked forward, to share my progress, my failures, and be in solidarity with my fellow creators as we stumbled and grew. Most importantly, I have a project in motion as opposed to a concept dormant in my mind.
Morissa Trunzo
Website
Thank you so much for today, it helped me so much, not just in regards to the audition. Feeling very powerful today regardless of what happens! So thank you thank you thank you.
Kayhan Irani
Website
It was such a good decision for me, and a great investment in my creative work to be part of the circle. While everyone uses words like “amazing” and “OMFG” these days, I have to say being part of this process has been a subtle but profound shift in me truly owning my creative vision and in affirming that I can build my own dreams. Thank you, Johnny.
Cody Schreger
Website
Opening up and sharing my story, and really my self and experience, would have stayed stuck in the land of unrealized ideas without the Creators Circle. I was so afraid and paralyzed by perfection. But your encouragement, and the support of the group, were paramount in allowing me to start exploring… the things you were able to see in what I was doing/dreaming about allowed me the confidence to keep going!!
Esco Jouléy
Website
Creators Circle has given me more confidence in my own work, community, foundation(and whenever I feel lost I can always go back to it). It was a great place to have my ideas get out of my own head. It also helped me to stay on schedule and not let it get lost.
Drew Valins
Website
Johnny, you’ve been really helping me keep the ball in the air, pushing myself forward. You got my back, man. I so appreciate the time you take to think about [my project] and join me in the world of the film.
Bobbie Esposito
Website
Thank you so much for your help and support. It really means the world to me and helps me keep going when I’m feeling discouraged.
Kat Griffin
Website
I will be interested to see how they end up casting the role- there is was a vast spectrum of very masculine, fully physically transitioned F-M trans people there. Thank you for all your help yesterday I felt very confident about what I presented! Lindsey Bliven
You’re awesome.Dan Truman
You were extremely helpful as well as fun to work with, both as always, and I think I incorporated most of what we did, they gave me additional takes when I screwed up, and I took the adjustment "throw it all away" without I hope, throwing *everything* away. Josh Rivera
The coaching that you gave me made me feel like a rockstar when I got in the room so thank you so much for that.
Orange Is The New Black, Guest Star
You made that performance possible, quite frankly. I was really intimidated and riddled with doubt. As embarrassed as I was to be lost when I entered your space, you did a terrific job of being compassionate, specific and clear.
Brittney Morello
I think that was my best audition for a Broadway show. There’s no question that I was in control of my own audition. I knew from CD’s response that she had received what I shared. I’m excited to work a little differently and more healthfully in future audition situations.
Susan Shea
Your blogs are always so perfectly in tune what one wants and needs to hear. (You are the actor/all beings empowerment whisperer!)
Comfort Clinton
Website
I wanted to say thank you again for taking the time to meet with me on Sunday! I just had my audition and I really genuinely felt like it went very well. I employed all of your tips (including getting a blow out before!) and it made me so confident going in to the audition.
Stephanie McBee, A.C.T. MFA
Website
You are an amazing teacher and I’ve learned and gained so much about myself as an actor as well as a business. I know this is truly the beginning for me. I have so much more to do and so much further to go but for once I feel excited and equipped for the journey [when I graduate]. There’s a sense of feeling more grounded and in anticipation of exploring ME in this journey rather than living for the outcome. Thank you for that!!!
Nina Covalesky
Website
Coaching ’twas very helpful and all went well. Even when I half-forgot my second line, I was able to just breathe and roll with it since we prepped so nicely!
Katie Dixon
Website
I genuinely feel I learned so many tips and techniques from just working with you in that one session. I felt like I had a mini acting crash course. It’s so important to stay fresh, and I can’t thank you enough! You’ve definitely changed the way I will look at sides from now on, as well as cold reading.
Ingrid Vollset
Website
Thank you for making auditioning fun and not terrifying!
Carmen Gill
Website
Thanks SO much for your help with this audition. I’m really happy with my takes.
Bruce Fuller
I wanted to thank you for everything you taught me. So much clicked in with this audition that I just booked. I can't really put into words what clicked, but it sure did.
David Siciliano
Website
Audition went incredibly well. It was a very necessary and joyous win for me. I left the room swimming in tears of joy and relief; I felt like I had finally returned to that creative lovely place I was in during school and had missed since graduating.
David Martin
You gave me the shot of adrenaline I needed, now to stay on Cloud 9.Gabrielle Sterbenz
Website
And, may I say, thank you so much!!! I can’t tell you how grateful I am for you helping me get through that block that I have had for years. I really communicated with my singing today – and it was such a huge breakthrough for me. I look forward to carrying that connection with me into all of my auditions. So, thank you a million times.
Melle Powers
“I wanted to let you know that I felt really great about my audition today. I was more relaxed than I've been in a long time, and really focused on the characters. Funnily enough, my reader was mouthing my lines along with me, but I focused on using that annoyance as part of my character's annoyance. I even made the casting director laugh. It was great to be able to separate the audition from the result with the realization that even if I don't get the part, I had fun in the room.Wendy Allegeart
A heart-felt thanks for your wonder-full bedside manner in yesterday’s coaching. I left renewed in my commitment to be part of the solution, etc. Took some bold actions today as a direct result of our talk/coaching.
Vince Vincent
Website
Once again in a short hour you inspired and change my life for the better! You rock! Being motivated to finally be the artist I’ve dreamed of is amazing!
Samantha Massell
Website
Guess who booked the movie!? ME!! All thanks to YOU!!! Best coach ever! I’m a lucky gal!
Arlene Chico-Lugo
Website
I don’t think I have ever auditioned so well. Thank you for all of your help! There really is nothing better than feeling prepared. Then your nervousness has the chance to turn into excitement (which makes this fun- and that’s why we do it, right?!) instead of morphing into worry
Ellyn Long Marshall, Orpheus Group Casting
Heidi embraces each entity of the audition process with careful directness, providing an atmosphere which encourages the Actor, Writer, Camera and, yes, even Casting Director, to 'do their own thing' to the max!
