As artists we are in the business of empathy. It is our duty and our pleasure to recognize, process, and convey the experience of others by walking the path that they travel, by telling their stories. In order to create art for the stage, we must begin by practicing empathy in the rehearsal room, by understanding and respecting the actor’s task. Acting is vulnerable and requires great courage. As a director, it is crucial to honor this, so that everyone can approach the work with a growth mindset within a brave space. This workshop invites directors, actors, and educators to play the positive from both sides of the table. We will navigate practices that are meant to infuse the rehearsal room with courage, freedom, and celebration. We will examine the power of listening, laughter, and humility throughout the creative process, with the hope of cultivating cohesive collaboration.
Lindsay Rae Taylor is an actor, director, and Assistant Professor of Performance at the University of Mississippi. She earned her MFA in directing at the University of South Carolina and a BFA in acting from the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, where she studied at the Stella Adler Conservatory and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. NY theatre credits: New Victory Theater, Lincoln Center Institute, BPAC, and the Pearl Theatre. Regional theatre credits include: La Jolla Playhouse, Folger Theatre, the Denver Center Theatre Company, and the Shakespeare Center of LA. Lindsay is an actor for Kaufmann Forensic Actors, LLC and a proud member of AEA. Recent directing credits include: Eurydice, The Wolves, Sense and Sensibility, Top Girls, The Bald Soprano, Silent Sky, Romeo and Juliet, Into the Breeches, and HIR.
