We sat down with Maria Dizzia!! Maria is a Tony and Drama Desk nominated actor/Ryan’s acting teacher and mentor. Her film and TV work includes ‘Martha Mary May Marlene’, ‘While We’re Young’, ‘Christine’, and ’13 Reasons Why’.
We talk acting process in detail, feeling numb on stage and working through blocks, using imagination vs drawing from your own life, “giving it all up” in performances, and seeing Liev Schreiber in ‘View From the Bridge”
Also learning from Maria’s journey in acting and biggest lessons learned.
This is a good one. Enjoy 😘
Time Codes:
1:52
Ryan and Maria’s history and experience working together
7:00
Maria’s teaching process
9:12
Ryan reads an email from Maria about what he needs to work on in scenes
13:55
How Maria started teaching
18:15
Working through acting blocks
19:35
Using your blocks as information for your process and performance
22:18
When you feel “numb” on-stage. And using it as a springboard.
27:30
Liev Schreiber in ‘View From the Bridge’. Forcing audience to listen.
30:40
“The art stands in for the world”
34:00
Connection with audience. Creating boundaries to understand what’s yours and what isn’t.
38:00
“Giving it all up” so performances can be cathartic vs draining
41:15
Maria’s timelines. Lessons and training that have the greatest impact.
54:05
“You’re paying for an audience”
1:03:00
Archetype work, drawing from your own life, imagination and using whatever tools work.
1:13:00
“Submerging technique”
1:17:00
Maria’s transition to film/tv and working with Harold Guskin.
1:20:00
The trap of imitating your own truth.
1:23:00
Finding freedom in theater vs film/TV
1:28:20
Learning to enjoy work that you don’t immediately like/understand.
1:29:27
Watching Antonio Campos’ ‘Christine’ with Rebecca Hall and Maria. Maria on her performance.
1:31:35
Maria’s favorite TV/Film project she’s worked on.
1:33:25
How Maria started working with her agent/manager.
And addressing reality of building a team that actually represents you.
1:36:50
Ryan losing his manager.