TEACHING
Nathanael currently serves as assistant professor of practice in directing and acting at Northern Arizona University. Other teaching credits include serving on the faculty of Riverside City College, Fullerton College, AMDA College of the Performing Arts, and St. Edward’s University as well as guest artist residencies at the Joffrey Ballet Summer Intensive, Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KC/ACTF), PCPA Conservatory, Willamette University, and Lamar University. He is a member of the National Alliance of Acting Teachers. |
PHILOSOPHY
My acting classroom operates under two central principles: to release the actor and ignite the imagination. My goal is to develop actors who are perceptive, bold, and who use their entire instrument to fight for the needs of the character. The result – from the audience’s perspective – is that the actor is the character and that everything they are doing is happening right here, right now, for the very first time. From the actor’s perspective, they are in a highly imaginative state and are continually surprising themselves moment-to-moment; they have not predetermined what they’re going to do and say. Rather, they are focusing their attention on what must be done (as opposed to what they are doing), they are really listening and really responding to their scene partner’s every word, thought, and move, and they are really pursuing a specific, hot, and personal objective. I teach them to think non-literally about the text as well as non-linearly moment-to-moment and to avoid falling into the trap of making judgments or preconceived decisions about what a character “would” or “wouldn’t do.” Rather, I encourage them to let go of trying to craft a ‘good’ performance and instead encourage them to put everything on their scene partner and simply fight for the needs of the character. Once the students have advanced in their craft and have a solid technique under their belt, I then encourage them to embrace their identity and unique point-of-view and bring that to the circumstances and the role they're playing I emphasize that there is no character to play but rather to find within themselves. Hopefully they will discover that there is no right way to play Hedda or Hamlet or Hedvig and that their way – if from a place of honesty and truth – is the way.
COURSES TAUGHT
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NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY
TH 101: Introduction To The Theatre TH 112-412: Performance Workshops I – IV TH 125: Introduction To Acting TH 130: Script Analysis TH 135: Fundamentals Of Acting TH 332: Contemporary Acting Techniques TH 352: Directing TH 432: Acting Styles TH 452: Directing II TH 460: Topics In Theatre Performance: Devised Theatre TH 460: Topics In Theatre Performance: Audition Techniques TH 472: Advanced Contemporary Acting TH 490C: Senior Capstone Experience |
AMDA COLLEGE OF THE PERFORMING ARTS
AC 116: Acting Fundamentals AC 120: Acting I AC 121: Acting II AC 124: Play Reading AC 125: Acting Techniques AC 220: Intro to Shakespeare AC 222: Acting Styles AC 227: Acting III AC 244: Conservatory Acting Showcase AC 320: Scene Study in Shakespeare AC 321: Classic Repertoire AC 325: Directing AC 329: Advanced Shakespeare AC 336: New Perspectives AC 400: One Acts in Performance AC 409: The Powerful Actor AC 415: Acting Senior Showcase |
ST. EDWARD'S UNIVERSITY
THAR 1351: Performance IA THAR 1352: Performance IB THAR 3322: Acting For The Camera I THAR 3330: Performance II THAR 4332: Acting For The Camera II THAR 4355: Performance V THAR 4357: Professional Preparation |