For a brief description of British training, see details below. The British emphasis is on text, words, and line delivery so that your role is fascinating. Before an audition for a film, I once told the director I thought the character could go almost two opposite ways  and then asked him which way he preferred. His answer? "Surprise me." "Surprise me" often makes the difference in being a good contender and being the one cast. 
To sounding real, British training adds the notion of "surprise me" reading (text) and then teaches the methods necessary to create the vocal variety (technique) that makes "surprise me" possible.   

MY QUALIFICATIONS for COACHING
1.  AEA, AFTRA, SAG -- also NATS (National Assoc. of Teachers of Singing)
2. 18 years acting experience: stage, film, TV, commercials, print, animation, voice-over, directing
    For resume see http://www.LSW-NYC.com/12ruth.html 
3. 74 reviews (Stage and Film) including 4 in The New York Times. See condensed reviews at 
    http://LSW-NYC.com/12ruth.html Scroll on down!
4. Eight years coaching experience. See "You've Got Fan Mail"  below
5. Theatre / Film training in England and USA (British coaches). Stage, TV,  & film work  from Utah to    
    Amsterdam, from Maine to Florida
    PICTURES / RESUME / REVIEWS: http://www.LSW-NYC.com/12ruth.html 
6. Ph.D. English Lit. (Good background for teaching text work!) 20 years teaching literature in college.
7. Eight years as assistant to Personal Manager. Learned "the business of the business" from the inside:  
    Resume formatting, how to self-promote, audition techniques, mock audition sessions, interviewing  
    techniques, how to take over the audition,  the strong winning attitude, how to dress, everything 
    necessary to do an A+  audition. Can answer every professional question ever thought of.
8. MY PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY ABOUT AUDITIONING? 
    I walk in saying to myself (silently addressing the audition committee) all the time smiling nicely: "I am
    as good as the best and better than most." And then  I make sure  that the statement is true! How?
    Preparation and Presentation. These I emphasize in my coaching: PREPARATION  is text, technique,
    imagination, practice. PRESENTATION  is confidence that comes from knowing what you are  doing, why
    you are doing it, and having the guts to do it!
9. Wrote 40 popular weekly articles for an actor’s e-zine with 40,000 circulation. These have been copied
    and blogged all over the Internet. Just google my name and scroll down for titles and links to the articles.

                           BRITISH TECHNIQUE
                                                  In miniature and over-simplified

Here --- better than I could explain---is part of an email from a student who has been studying for five months. She describes a recent audition: 

       The reading went well.  I completely had their attention.  You could see on their faces that they were not expecting me to read like that AT ALL!!!  I truly believe they are expecting lots ranting and raving about the room.  Arms flying about.  Emotional breakdowns.  They sort of sat there in slight shock, so I don’t know if they “liked” or “hated” it, but I certainly had their attention.  Most importantly, I TOOK A CHANCE!!  They have to give me credit for that. The most valuable part of today was that we went in there and gave them something to think about other than the norm.  The stillness exploding inside me, the voice, the delivery, them coming to me instead me going to them, everything was different.  I walked out of there giving them an “option.” That’s a huge breakthrough for me.  And I thank you for all the time, advice, investment, and swift kicks in the rear. Now I’m excited to do more...

That, in brief, is not  the technique. It is what happened because of the technique.

So to be specific, what is the focus of the technique?
BRIEFLY: British acting greatly emphasizes words (meaning and sound and feelings carried by the words) and delivery of a line so that it is utterly believable AND interesting. It is text, text, text. Not me, me, me. The British trained actors aim for fascination not merely through their own unique personality but also from their language delivery. The British trained actors whom you admire all sound "real" but not one of them is dull. You learn how to sound as if you are feeling something even if you, the actor, do not feel it. British coaching emphasizes variety and vitality even in the quietest of scenes. It is the actor’s job to deliver that word/phrase/ sentence so that the audience experiences the feelings inherent in the language. The actor doesn’t cry. The audience must. Or laugh or be horrified. To the Brits, acting classes are not a substitute for psychoanalysis. There is, instead, an emphasis on learning to read a text and learning how to deliver that text believably while staying within the setting of the play/film. I, as a coach, may say to an actor, "Find a different sound for the end of that sentence or for the rhythm of that sentence. It does not sound real." Or, "That sounds actory. Take the ending up, not down." There is a great emphasis on stillness rather than the arm / hand waving and head wagging which run rampant in American theatre classes. What the actor "feels" is always important, but it is secondary to what the text calls for. First the words, then the sound of the words, and then the actor's feelings. Hamlet’s advice to the Players is true today: "Hold the mirror up to NATURE." Acting is an imitation of nature. That is, it must ring real whether it is Lear, Tennessee Williams, 24, or Harry Potter. And to be real, it must SOUND real. Hence the emphasis on line delivery. If you can imitate the pattern of hands clapping a rhythm, if you can hear when a singing note goes up or down or remains the same, if you know which word in a sentence carries the emotional content, then British training might be the thing that makes an adequate actor good and a good actor great. 

The greatest security in acting is "I know what I am doing." That is what the British approach to acting gives you.


"Talent" Requirements? A good ear, energy, intelligence, imagination, intuition. 
"Personal" Attributes? The drive to succeed. The skin of an alligator and the soul of
   an angel. A love for acting, a passion for acting that hurtles you past any inhibitions, past any self-doubts,
   past any fear. A focus on the goal and the willingness to work hourly to achieve  that goal. And LOTS of 
   Kleenex for the inevitable tears and rejection. 

GOOD NEWS: 2007
Two students, to whom I have been their only coach/teacher since each returned to acting after many years' absence, were just accepted (against huge international competition) at RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, London) and at The Old Vic Theatre School (Bristol), the two most prestigious acting schools in England. Students and coach are thrilled!
GOOD NEWS: 2008 
First: Two films and an Off-Broadway play this late spring and summer as my return to performing after 4 years absence due to family illness. 
Second: A former student has lead in a film that is walking off with honors at international film festivals (Venice, Italy, for one). Great reviews from major critics including Roger Ebert. Student? Right person, professionally and emotionally ready when the right time and right place happened.

British technique may not be for everyone but it works for everyone, if you allow it to.


YOU'VE GOT FAN MAIL: Some Students' Response to British Training:  
(1) With infinite patience you are getting me out of my "actory" ways and teaching me the virtues of
     stillness and that the road to hell is paved with arm waving, hand gestures, too many facial expressions,
     twitching, fidgeting, and pregnant pauses. Like I said, "This lady knows what it's all about." 
(2) I've realized (and not for the first time) how lucky I am to have found you for an instructor.
(3) I got the role that I wanted. Thank you so much for your help.
(4) You are indeed a great coach.
(5) It is a pleasure and an honor to have you lead me in my acting quest. I have never had a teacher
     who I have so much complete trust in.
(6) Wow, this is wonderful insight and direction. Thank you so much again. I booked that job.
(7) I am amazed at the progress I make with you on a weekly basis. I think I learn more from you in 
     one hour than I did with all the other classes I ever took together combined.
(8) My audition was dramatically different, thanks to you of course. I felt very confident. I can't thank
     you enough, I feel ready to take on the world!
(9) I for the first time felt prepared and competitive through prepping with you.
(10) I had one small speech where I was able to explore all the things we've worked on: pitch, 
       rhythm,  volume and vowel elongation...it's made the world of difference to my acting, it really 
       has.
(11) You are such a great coach. 
(12) Booked____Have a callback [booked it also] In both these auditions I took your advice. Thanks.
(13) Thank you for all of your support and teaching. You are amazing.
(14) Thank you, dear Ruth, for as always going a million miles beyond the bounds of all other coaches. 
       You're the best.
(15) I have learned more from you than you could imagine. It has been worth any MFA earned. 
(16) Thank you for being a great coach and a great person with a personality bigger than this world.
(17) You continue to amaze me. I am so grateful that I'm learning from you. It is an honor to be
       communicating and working with a woman who is so professional and REAL. I have made more
       progress in one week toward pursuing this dream than I have in 46 years. A lot of this progress
       is due to your encouragement.
(18) First, thank you, thank you for all your insight and coaching these last few days. It has meant the 
       world to me and I have gain so much. Today, I walked into _______ Theater with confidence--knowing 
       that, yes indeed, I've had the best coaching/training in America!
(19) [I see] the lack of emotion in my eyes. It's been slowly improving and I've been spending a lot of time 
       in front of a mirror. My acting has improved greatly since I worked with you and I really  must thank
       you again; it's incredibly gratifying to see how differently I approach acting now, in terms of how lines 
       sound. I know I didn't achieve the breakthrough you were looking for but I still learned an incredible 
       amount and I am so grateful for it!
(20) I want to thank you for all the energy you gave me and all you taught me about singing, acting and  
       being. It took awhile for it all to sink in, but I'm happy to say I'm working quite a bit both as a singer 
       and an actress here in California. You have remained an inspiration and a touchstone for me through 
       the years... want you to know there is at least one person in California who thinks of you fondly and 
       often. I am sure there are many.
(21) The audition went very, very well, and it would not have if I had not seen you. As I sat there. I listened
       over and over to the same shrill, naturalistic deliveries, flat, high-pitched, and I thought, Ruth was right!!
       Since they were pressed for time, I was warned I would just get to read the first scene. I nailed the first
       line, like you said, kept my voice down in my chest and played with the material. So instead, I read
       three scenes and also improvised with the director and lead actor. I have no idea what the outcome will
       be, callback or no, but they were so enthusiastic and took a lot of time with me even though there were
       many waiting...I thank you again. You're wonderful.
(22) New student (acting & standard American accent). After first lesson: "I am very happy to study with 
       you!"
(23) From a "mature" actor" asking my permission to add to his blog: "... to post your website information as I
      think that this is a great opportunity for aspiring actors to learn.  Lady,  this is the first acting site that I have
      had confidence in. You have a lot to offer!!  You should charge more..."

WHO IS OUT THERE? WHAT DO THEY CLAIM?
Before you choose an acting coach/teacher, check their credentials, ask to see their acting resume AND talk to them about your goals and needs. Listen carefully to their answers. Select someone who is personally familiar with today's auditioning world, someone who has recently been out there successfully auditioning and booking, someone who is actively and successfully applying the techniques they teach, and someone who knows how to teach. Not every good actor can be a good coach but EVERY GOOD COACH SHOULD BE A GOOD ACTOR AND HAVE PROOF OF THAT CLAIM.

RECENT GRADS: 
Several graduates with degrees in acting have spoken and written to say they really don't know where or how to begin a career and that they also do not feel prepared to audition competitively in the professional pool. They feel they need more one-on-one training. My response? (1) No one can help you more with the "business of the business." (2) No approach can help your craft more than the British emphasis on text/words. Please look at my own resume and reviews. They are the strongest proof of numbers 1 and 2 above.

THE FEE?
 $35 an hour. $50 for an hour and a half. 
 There are no required courses where you sign up and pay in advance. These are all  private one-on-one
 lessons. You may take one lesson once for a special audition or a lesson every week for on-going training in
 the British technique. The choice is yours. I will accommodate your schedule. I do, however, require a 24 hour
 cancellation  notice once a student  has reserved an hour. 

 If this sounds interesting to you, email me. Include a cell number and I will call you. If you do not  hear from me  the same day, re-send your email.

PICTURES / RESUME / REVIEWS (just keep scrolling) at http://www.LSW-NYC.com/12ruth.html