“My aim as a teacher is to aid in the development of practical, dynamic, and confident performers whose work is a reflection of their creativity and willingness. I believe that people want to be challenged in order to grow and expand. I also believe that in order to achieve the goals that creative people set for themselves, they need to be mentored and encouraged. And I feel that everyone is a creative being, whether you’re an actor, painter, writer, singer, dancer, salesperson, computer programmer, proofreader, whatever. In everyone’s heart is a connection to the desire to communicate something meaningful to the world.”
- Van Brooks
Please see the calendar for current and upcoming classes.
Van Brooks has
been an actor/ teacher/ director/ writer/ photographer for the past 36
years. Formally the General Manager of the Actors Institute in New
York, he trained with Dan Fauci, founder of the Institute and the
creator of The MASTERY. He also worked as Artistic Director of the Seattle Actor’s Lab and has taught classes and led workshops in New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, Boston, Chicago, Toronto, Dallas, Houston, and Austin. He has worked with some of the top people in the business, including Academy Award winners Joel and Ethan Coen, Frances McDormand, and Marissa Tomei; Golden Globe, Emmy, Tony, and Obie winner Mary-Louise Parker, as well as such diverse talent as Rip Torn, Kelly Lynch, Alan Rudolph, Willie Nelson, Lou Diamond Phillips, Christopher Durang, and many more.
Karina Dominguez Karina is an Austin-trained actor who came across the craft while following a career-path in journalism. After realizing that there's more honesty in acting than in journalism, she jumped headfirst into the Austin community. With the guidance of several of Austin's giving and talented coaches, she developed her own style to effectively communicate with other actors to bring out their own truth in performance.
A graduate of The MASTERY workshop, she worked with Dan Fauci in his Five Day Intensive this past December, and has been helping Van teach his Advanced Monday Night Class for the last six weeks.