Stellar Advice From Acting Coach Sande Shurin
By: Kelly Calabrese
“People always think that star power is something you’re born with or not, but I say it’s in all of us,” shares New York based acting coach Sande Shurin whose new book STAR POWER is already selling out of Barnes and Noble and The Drama Bookshop.
The concept of Sande’s latest book began with an inquiry into “what makes one actor get the job and one not.” Based on this question, Sande developed exercises that can help every actor stand out.
Sande believes “you are the star. Everything is within you.” She has over 29 years of teaching experience and whether she coaches new students or mainstream actors, such as Anthony Rapp and Matthew Modine, “people transform into a character, but they are always themselves at the core. It’s about being the best you can be and bringing your creativity forward.”
In order to transform, Sande cites these 5 main points that make up a star…
1. The authentic self: Who are you underneath the occupation, underneath the hair comb, underneath the personality? There is an essence to you and that is your authentic self.
2. Universal information: There is a knowingness deep within that bypasses the mind in mental gymnastics where the creative and spirit world are one. In this creative space, you are in the zone.
3. The creative and spirit world are one: Physics is the study of that world of unlimited potential. Exist in a realm of unlimited potential, creative and physical self.
4. Defining your individual signature: What makes you stand out? What makes a director look at you and say wow that’s an individual, not a common kind of person?
5. Star Power: It’s something you can bring forward. Reminding yourself to be the best you can be. Star power is your presence, your individual self, and what you do with it.
Through her book, Sande has a conversation with actors on how to “become more visible, to step out of the background and shine.” She also teaches STAR POWER workshops that enable actors to form into their own star and then “chart a new blueprint for their life and work.”
“It goes hand in hand,” Sande says. “You can’t just grow as an artist; you have to grow as a person. This is true for everyone whether you are an actor, painter, sculptor, or writer. To keep that light lit takes work. You’ve got to keep moving forward.”
[If you want to move forward on forming your own STAR POWER, visit sandeshurin.com for details on her classes, workshops, and book tour.]
