T. Schreiber Studio Play the leading role in your own discovery Terry Schreiber says that acting begins for many as an escape from their lives, but eventually it becomes a journey to truth. It requires the courage to stand emotionally naked, open and vulnerable. Acting, he concludes, demands dedication of mind, heart and will.nnThe halls of the T. Schreiber Studio are sprinkled with pensive, pacing actors getting into character, rehearsing their lines. The craft as taught and practiced here calls for the actor to clear out emotional baggage and explore new concepts of the Self. In ever corner of the studio, students and teachers attempt to shed old skins and let go of inhibitions. Classes start with mind-body exercises ranging from meditation and Pilates (a stretching and strengthening discipline that elongates and
opens the body) to bioenergetics (body-center exercises designed to remove emotional energy blocks). Relaxation and concentration of mind are established, and then the work (or play) moves toward activating imagination.nnOne teacher here described acting as a fantastic exploration of the body. At the T. Schreiber Studio, the body and the senses are considered portals to the creative life of the student. Passing through these doorways is a sacred journey.nnThe Studio’s classes and workshops invite both beginners and working professionals to surrender the ego so they can “exercise” their souls. There is no doubt – acting is a spiritual endeavor. It is a chance to be fully alive in the body and use personal history to generate a catharsis of character – to be so much yourself that you can become another.nnWhen acting is defined as this type of inquiry, we are struck by its potential for spiritual discovery. We have to reconsider weathered clichés about New York being a city of actors employed as waiters; in fact, this may be a city of courageous seekers waiting for their awakening.