Anyone study with Uta Hagen?

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 12/1/05 at 1:45pm

How was it?
I saw the videotapes of her acting classes--including one with QAF's Robert Gant doing an awful Petruchio--and they seemed...good, but not spectacular. But then, it is hard to capture genuine learning on film...especially in something like an acting class.
Did anyone study with her? Who is at HB that is good now?

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 12/1/05 at 2:36pm

I observed a masterclass that she led. She was, of course, a brilliant actor. And, I imagine that she was a brilliant teacher. However, her obsession with props is a lil annoying. People joke about knowing who her students are at auditions because they come loaded with bags of props (not that I have actually seen anyone do this). I like the idea of trusting one's imagination and not relying on props to get what you want in a scene. :)

[Gothampc]

Posted: 12/1/05 at 2:40pm

I attended her classes. The classes were hit or miss. Uta had a good technique and taught it well, but the problem she ran into is that it became predictable. The times I saw her perform, I was able to know everything she was going to do before she did it.

She also did not pick the most talented for her classes. There were some "star" hanger-on-ers that perpetually took her class, but never became better actors or worked professionally.

One thing I hated about Uta's class is that she never assigned scenes that were written after 1965.

I had also heard from some of the women that she treated men better than women, but I never saw any evidence of that.

Who is at HB that is good now?

Salem Ludwig, Arthur French, Austin Pendleton, Anne Jackson, Helen Gallagher

[PalJoey]

Posted: 12/1/05 at 3:01pm

I audited 4 or 5 of her classes in the late 70s and early 80s, while I was a directing student at NYU. I would have gone regularly but she didn't want me to keep coming back unless I was participating and she didn't want to admit me over an acting student.

There were 20-somethings working side-by-side with older performers who wanted to hone their acting skills. I remember the late Martha Schlamme and Lisa Kirk--two very different performers who came from very different musical backgrounds--working as hard as the kids.

I think I know what you mean about the use of props, jrby, but that was actually a very minor aspect of what she taught. The point was grounding the physical life of the character, and the props were less important that the psychological reality they freed up.

As far as teaching actors how to act moment-by-moment, I think she was extraordinary. I also audited one class taught by Stella Adler, and I remember far preferring Uta Hagen's.

[~FloweryFriend~]

Posted: 12/1/05 at 4:07pm

I never studied with her (I'm sure you figured that), but I've heard two stories from people who attended workshops she conducted.

One of them said that the only feedback she gave was quoted straight from her own book.

The other said that after performing 3 lines of a monologue, Hagen stopped her, said "This is not a monologue! You obviously have not read my book. Get out and do not waste my time".

[Garland Grrrl]

Posted: 12/1/05 at 4:09pm

i did not enjoy her class and i knew too much about her relationship with her daughter, letty, to trust her. the props are part of a specific exercise that was mostly done in the beginning stages of the class.
i didn't respond to her technique, i found it murky and i don't feel i left there with any tools. however, i benefited from work i did with those who loved uta (charles nelson reilly for one) and i loved sitting with helen gallagher (that laugh!)

stella and the other teachers at her school (namely mario & jimmy) were great influences on me and i think of things i learned from them everyday.
everyone is built differently and your way in is particular to you. you have to find the keys for yourself.

[MTVMANN]

Posted: 12/1/05 at 4:16pm

jrb_actor, it's funny that you mention her obsession with props because in my Performance 1 class, our instructor had us do an "endowment exercise" with a prop and he mentioned Uta Hagen's name when we did it several times.