Stage Whisper
Whisper in the Wings Episode 641
(upbeat music) - Hello everyone and welcome back to a fantastic new Whisper in the Wings from Stage Whisper. We've got a great show in store for you today. Today we are not talking about a theater production or any particular artist, but instead we are perusing or veering into the education front of the performing arts. And we've got a great, great guest on our show today. We've got the artistic director, acting coach and director, Matthew Corazine. He is here to talk to us about his studio, Matthew Corazine, acting studio and theater, also known as MCS. And if you like more information about this, you can go ahead and head over to their Instagram, which is @mcstheater. And that's theater, spelled the proper way with the RE. We're really excited to be bringing you not only Matthew himself, but this great studio. So let's not waste any more time. Let's go ahead and welcome on our guest. Matthew, welcome into Whisper in the Wings from Stage Whisper. - Thank you, Andrew. It was a pleasure to be here. Thanks for having me. - I'm so happy you're here. I'm so happy that we connected on the good old social media. We were able to make this happen. And I'm so interested to learn more about your acting studio, Matthew Corazine, acting studio and theater. Why don't we kick things off by having you tell our listeners a little bit about what the studio, what the school, if you will, is. - Yeah, sure. Yeah, I started it 24 years ago. It's based in the Ma Eisner technique, which we are really just big on, breaking some patterns and programs that used to run the show that protected you in life. I also wrote a book called If You Survive 7th Grade, You Can Be an Actor. 'Cause I always believe, thank you for that. Yes, I think it's really, when people laugh, I'm like, okay, they're my people. 'Cause it's really true. By the time you hit seventh grade, the wall really gets built in life and we've had to protect ourselves or our winning formula of what we know works starts to happen or, and yeah, so as an acting coach, I created a studio that helps. I meet people where they're at and I help them get out of their own way and break down some of the walls that hide their vulnerability and enact them to some truthful instincts and impulses that live in them. But I recondition them to work correctly as an actor. And then that's really what we do and we really took off and I'm so proud of what we have and here we are 24 years later. Wow, that is amazing. So you mentioned that you had written this book, this fabulous book, but besides that, what inspired you to create the studio? You know, I think it was my own anxiety, depression and shame. I really do. I think that inspired me. It was a way out of my own self. And just as a kid, I think I split like many people. I just split myself really young. I divided myself young. I wrote a story that there must be something wrong with me and I have my brain as it does, collected evidence to make that true. And then when I studied the miser work in a boutique New York acting studio, similar to what I do now, of course, doesn't exist anymore. In the Carnegie Hall studios when they used to have classes there, that was really transformational for me and it completely changed my life. As an actor, as an artist, as a human being, as a man. And I was like, I think I'm called to coach and teach. And it was so inspiring for me. And I just started with some of my students. I mean, I started with some of my friends from college. And, you know, people, I say the Wizard of Oz saved my life as a kid and I think Wicked built my career 'cause then one of my students built a book to the original cast of Wicked. And that original cast really rotated in my class and helped me build my studio. So that's really true. Wizard of Oz saved my life and Wicked built my acting studio. I love, love, I love hearing people, like, mention how Wicked had an impact in their life. Yeah, I mean, Wicked is so important to me as an acting coach and a teacher. Yeah, so awesome. You mentioned that you started this studio 24 years ago, which is so impressive. Thank you. Does it been like developing it and teaching over those 24 years? I mean, of course, you know, COVID time was, you know, the huge art interesting to reframe and re-establish a world of myself online. And then of course, my partner and I, we moved to Miami and I opened up MCS Miami. We had MCSDC running for a bit. So yeah, you know, I'll take risks. I'll try stuff. I'm still trying to get an LA class going. I have some former students who I train there and they want to run that. So, you know, I mean, you got to take risks. You want to be comfortable, but not too comfortable. And I'm always working on myself. And that's what I bring to my students. And I think self development is everything in your mindset. And listen, left your own devices. You know, we're in trouble. So you got to be coached. You got to work on yourself. You know, I'm, I will change what I, how, you know, how I've taught in the years that has shifted, of course, as the climate has shifted. And, you know, it's funny being an acting coach too, because you want, you want it to be a safe environment yet. You're asking people to do some pretty unsafe things, you know, really bear their souls and their guts and. And you won't really want to create a place where that's okay for them to let go. So it's a, it's a tricky. Andrew, it's a tricky little place and, you know, like you don't want it to be too comfortable that no one grows. And if it's like too scary and crazy, no one will take your class. You know what I mean? So you got to like walk that line. And I like being kind of a little, little old school New York acting class. It has the little, you know, you get the jitters. You get the jitters in your belly, but you know that your coach has your back. And I certainly teach from a place of love. And I always want to grow. And I believe we're all the same. Oh, I love that. And I actually want to snowball off of that last bit that you said, because I would love to know what can people who sign up for your studio and want to take class with you expect from these, these classes. Yeah, you know, I, it's an organic experience. But I think, you know, it's watching people have breakthroughs and some breakdowns. They tend to go together and watching people pop. And what I mean by watching somebody pop is you really see somebody give up an old story or this thing that they thought about the character or acting or this moment. Or I didn't think I could be a leading man and do that kind of earth. It's amazing our own self concept and our own judgments and Andrew watching people dismantle the conscious and the subconscious stories and beliefs and watching them change in the room. I'm an addict. So I've, you know, replaced some bad addictions with ones that actually, you know, create and move human beings forward on this planet. I just, I'm addicted to human behavior. So I'm, I'm in it for the long haul and I, and that's why, for me, I love the miser technique. And then I also developed that in my own way to reach a 2024 world of. Yeah, just creating transformation in people and, you know, helping people see themselves and let them be seen is really remarkable and really integrating, like I said, divided parts of us that we had to do to survive our childhood. You know, I really help integrate those parts that we thought are ugly or no one wants to see that or no one liked me when I was like that and I'm like, that's the stuff. Writers write about, you know, those moments, those things, those feelings and, and to get you to connect with yourself. I think it's a beautiful journey. Even if you never go work professionally, you know, I have all types of humans in my class from loyal lawyers to politicians to people that just want to be more self expressed to people going through life changes and they heard about my class. So I love all of that world. I think it's so important. It all informs it. Yes, I love that. Yes. And I do master classes. I'm trying to do them around the world, you know, really where I love getting non actors. Creating some transformation and what I really do is I get them out of their own story I get them to live in the moment and really be present and tell some truths and that really shifts things and they really, and I do a lot of mindset and how the mind works and how it protects them and just to give them that language and some exercises where they can, you know, get out of their own way and free themselves and create some new possibilities. I mean, I think that's universal. Yes, absolutely. We all want that. We all want to connect to our meaning, you know, we all want that. Yes. That's why we go to theater. Right. Exactly. Exactly. Now you mentioned before we started you basically got two studios one here in New York City and then one in Miami. So, can we, can you elaborate a little bit about that. Yeah, so I teach a Monday night advanced class in Miami we've been here for three years in Miami and then one of my associates from New York he also lives here and I have another associate. We run a beginners or intro class there's no formal training in Miami there's a lot of actors there's a lot of New York transplants there's a lot of former New York actors that did, you know, universities or studios like mine and now we're in Miami for whatever reason, I have people that also drive from Orlando to take my class because they wanted great technique or they wanted miser technique or they read my book or heard of me and so it's really taken off here. I'm so so grateful and then yeah, I have my home studio New York, where I teach three classes between Wednesday and Thursday I do three classes plus some private coaching and also do theater rentals and we do productions and yeah I run to other classes. We have a 45 seat black box right on 36 street right in the garment district which I'm so proud of and we have a little film in TV room where you can rent out and do classes and, you know, put yourself on tape and then we also have like a rehearsal space that I also share with a theater day that we also have so we have like three spaces right on 36 street. It's great. I'm so grateful, you know, so I love that I have both these worlds in my life and they're so different yet so the same and you know people are people like humans or humans artists are artists no matter where you live. Yeah so it's it's pretty incredible. That is incredible. I love that. So as we're wrapping up our first part here I'd love to know is there a message or a thought you're hoping that listeners of this episode take away from our conversation. Yeah I mean I think even yeah like our life is the conversations we have right you know so the conversations you know what are your conversations really who who are you in conversation with right who are the people. So I loved your Instagram and your podcast I'm like I want to be in that conversation like go talk to the people you want to be with and you vibe with and they're doing the stuff that you want to be doing and the conversation you're having with yourself in yourself. So what is really really important is to, you know start to listen to those thoughts. So you can start to shift them and change them and make them work for you rather than it working against you. So I think being aware of the conversation you're having. I think it's really important and the language we use all of it. It's all connected. I love that idea absolutely. And that brings us to my final question for this first part which is who are you hoping have access to your studio to your work. Yeah I mean I think people that are hungry I love hungry people like I love people that like they want something more than where they're at there's a little dissatisfaction going on somewhere, either they're conscious to or not. Or and maybe you've even kind of had it like you're like I tried this I tried this I tried, I'm at a place where I just feel stopped. I think those are great or I'm about to give up, or I lost the joy in acting or myself or my journey. I used to be so free and I was so great and now life and or maybe some other classes and things are well meaning people shut me down. So yeah maybe I lost something that I didn't have or, or do I even have something like I love all of that. [MUSIC] Well for the second part of our interviews we love giving our listeners a chance to get to know our guests a little bit better pick your brain if you will. And I would love to know what are who inspires you what playwrights composers or shows have inspired you in the past, or are just some of your favorites. Yeah I mean of course you know I got to start with Arthur Miller of course I mean that's just a given I think August Wilson's work is how he writes for the African American experience is just every decade is just incredible work. I mean Edward Albee is one of my favorite playwrights, of course Tony Kushner Larry Kramer normal heart is just, you know, my favorite play and I got to star in it last December we did it for World AIDS Day and that's so meaningful to me that play. Gosh my favorite playwrights yeah I mean that's just endless. I mean I loved appropriate on Broadway that I just saw last season with Sarah Paulson I forgot his name but he won the time I mean that play was just like, great. August so such county Tracy let's so that kind of world of appropriate of August as county Edward Albee the goat. I love groups and playground injuries I love that play yeah I like these plays that are a little, you know, daring, slightly redemptive or not the shit hits the fan, human condition, vulnerability, you got to be in conflict. That's the stuff I love that stuff I feel is in everybody, somewhere, and some of us are called to act that out which I think is incredible. Yeah that that that world and I love musical theater I came from musical theater and musical theater is my first love for sure and I think it was I wanted to hide and I wanted to play. Other lands like I said I wanted to live in Oz I wanted to live in Narnia. I wanted to live in the goonies I did not want to live in Westchester County where I grew up or in my body or house or self you know what I mean I just. It's such a disconnection to a lot of things so fantasy was a place to live, you know, and then you got to be in a reality as an actor and be in truth and be in the moment and bring yourself to the work I knew nothing of those things. I just wanted to hide and be performative and you know, you know sticky sticky you know I came from that world of, you know, performance that had performance habits you know I had them all you know so for me, I really needed training and to be the rest of Matt that never got to be or never got praised or never got were allowed or they weren't. I like Andrew like we're either things are either taught or it's caught. You know as kids you either your taught things or you caught some things of how to not to be or how to be and, and yeah having certain feelings and certain on some level I guess it was healthy but like I didn't know how to navigate my feelings and I had a lot of feelings really sensitive and I thought there was something wrong with me and dealing with my sexuality and being a Christian and I had a lot of things in me that made me split and divide myself and hide myself and pretend I was fine and I really grew up in that kind of world and that's what was displayed for me and then I denied a lot I pushed a lot down and we all know what happens there and you got to deal with your stuff and thank God I'm an artist and an actor and I get to teach this and I learned how to put it in my work and that was valuable, even if the world told me it was not valuable. So I believe in that and I love that I think that probably answered another question but I don't know if it answered this one but here you have it Andrew you're like okay great and thanks Matt I'm going to answer some wonderful names so wonderful shows on that list I love that I would love to know I mean you mentioned you know you came from from musical theater now you're a teacher of that you still act. What is your favorite part about working in the theater. That's a great question my fit. I mean I think it's community rights community and relationships and that feeling like you're doing this thing together and during that time or that rehearsal period or that class that you're in like this is the most important people in her life at this moment and you're just so in the moment and it is a little life or death fee like everything is on the line when you, and you, you gobbled together this whole family for a period of time and it doesn't last and you kind of know that it will close the show will close and so will this friendship on most levels right and but then it kind of reunites or rekindles and I mean I think it's, I think it's that family thing I think it's that belonging thing I think it's the community thing but specifically I mean I've directed for many many years acted of course and coach that maybe coaching is my favorite. Yeah, I think coaching is my favorite. Yeah, I think so I mean I love acting I mean I'll act once you're an actor you're always an actor Andrew you're still an actor you know you just whether you choose to do it or not we're still actors you know. Yeah I love. Yeah I mean I have more control as a coach you know for career and also in the work of doing it you know acting you have to really let go of control and go on the ride and you don't have control a lot of your career you know what I mean so yeah I mean those are different tangents and umbrellas but like yeah so I think coaching is more fulfilling in all the areas of my life if I were to hit Google view you know like yeah I think coaching is my favorite. I love that. That is a fantastic answer. So now we've arrived at my favorite question to ask guests and that of course is what is your favorite theater memory. I performed in the normal heart on World AIDS Day last December with some of my students, which was incredible to act with some of my students so that was like, that that is one of my great theater memories that and doing that it was pretty high profile and it was just really cool like that was amazing. Gosh that's that's so I mean I've had students star in Broadway shows and sit center stage and watch them and go backstage with them as such a gift. I'm reminded. I think my first sometimes our first or the most in us right, but like seeing and I know gypsies coming back with Audrey McDonald but seeing time daily do it when I was in high school was 1989 I was a junior in high school and watching her or do gypsy. I was like, I was like this is like real acting and she wasn't a great singer and it was like I didn't air and I was like, I saw it like five times in those days you could sneak in for act two. We called it act two in it or something like yes second acting yet we'd second act those shows I think before 9/11 you can do it up till then and I don't think now you can do it but yeah I would second act gypsy like all the time. I don't like OD on time deli's gypsy which is great it's just great I mean that was just for I was high school I was a high school musical theater kid and you know it was like we didn't have like bootlegs of you know there was no YouTube or anything you know like you just have to go see the real thing and like that you get the cast album and like you are obsessed with it if you're not into sports you know what I mean like that's just was your thing you know what I mean. So yeah that that's a big memory for me and that was a formative the acting of that show of course in the music and everything yeah that was just embedded in. I love those I love those thank you so much for sharing those. Well as we wrap things up I would love to know do you have any other projects or productions coming out of the pipeline we might be able to plug for you. Yeah you know I think there's always things brewing with my students where we want to co-produce with them and do stuff with them of course it depends on getting the rights and stuff like that so there's nothing that I can mention at this time. But right now we do right now we're focused on ongoing classes which thank God. We're often sold out which I'm so grateful for. Now yeah there's no productions happening I wanted to do the normal hard to get in this fall but the rights because I think next year is the 40th anniversary so I think the rights are not happening this year. That's okay yeah what's it supposed to be supposed to be but right now I'm focused on you know hey being the best acting coach so that I can be working with the right people that I need to work with and and yeah getting on other projects and working with other creatives like yourself and like other like minded people that I want to collaborate with yeah I want to collaborate and not necessarily create everything right now you know what I mean. I'm going to work with other people that are hey I have this idea can you help me with this thing or help direct this or I want to be in that a little bit more. Yeah and I just taught in Germany so that was really cool. You sold out master classes in Frankfurt so I want to teach more internationally I love that stuff like that. That's incredible. Oh well then I can't wait to see where you're going next and and what you do next and it's a great lead into my final question, which is if our listeners would like more information about the Matthew cortisine acting studio and theater or MCS. What about you maybe they'd like to reach out to you how can they do so. Yeah I think Instagram is the best I'm Matt dot acting dot coach, Instagram handle and then of course the one you mentioned at MCS theater spelled RE the correct way, or our website of course Matthew coursing studio. Wonderful. Well, Matthew, thank you so so much for taking the time to speak with me and for sharing this incredible studio that you've got going I hope this is the first of many conversations. We get to have because it sounds like you do an amazing work all up and down the eastern seaboard, as well as around the globe so this is so exciting thank you so much for your time today. Thank you Andrew you're awesome I love your excitement and your joy and you have so a lot of love, I really appreciate you. Thank you so much for that. My guest today has been an amazing artistic director acting coach and director Matthew core zine who sat down to speak with us about his acting studio and theater the Matthew core zine acting studio theater, which is also known as MCS. You can get more information about this on Instagram at MCS theater and that's of course theater spout the right way with the RE. We also have some contact information for our guests which will be posted on our episode description, as well as on our social media posts but head on over to MCS theater on Instagram. Get your information about this wonderful studio sign up for a class whether you work in the theater or not, it will definitely benefit your life so check it out again it's the Matthew core zine acting studio and theater. And we want to remind our American listeners that election day is November 5, make sure you are registered to vote, have a plan to cast your ballot and do your democratic duty. You can find out how and where you can register to vote by visiting vote.gov the future demands that we fight for it now. So until next time I'm Andrew Cortez reminding you to turn off your cell phones, unwrap your candies and keep talking about the theater in a stage whisper. Thank you. If you like what you hear, please leave a five star review, like and subscribe. And feel free to reach out to us with your comments and personal stories at stagewhisperpod@gmail.com. And be sure to check out our website for all things stage whisper and theater. You'll be able to find merchandise, tours, tickets and more. Simply visit stagewhisperpod.com. Our theme song is Maniac by Jazzar. Other music on this episode provided by Jazzar and Billy Murray. 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