TEACHING PORTFOLIO
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, and St. Edward’s University as well as guest artist residencies at the Joffrey Ballet School, 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
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AMDA: COLLEGE OF THE PERFORMING ARTS
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ST. EDWARD'S UNIVERSITY
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