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Student
Testimonials
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"The
class and Susan's wonderful, freeing, positive teaching style, enabled
me to shed my usual inhibitions and fInd out I was more creative than
I ever thought possible. The class was a tremendous source of
fun and a great way to connect with people." -- Valerie Frankfeldt Psychotherapist
"Susan makes me feel comfortable being me...and that's no easy task. I learned it's OK to be spontaneous, make incoherent sounds and to freely express myself. Not only is she an excellent teacher, she cares. She comes prepared for each class. Do the right thing and take this class!" -- Gamal Dillard, Comedian and Actor "Susan's teaching combines an extraordinary blend of support and direction. Her innate kindness gives the least courageous student the courage to take risks -- 'To dare to suck.' But she's not a passive spectator to a drowning; if necessary, she will gracefully reach through the muck and mire to perform a much needed rescue, 'rewinding' the action to a safe, dry place back on the shore. Her intervention is never critical, but always instructive." -- Debra Blau, Illustrator/Designer and organizer of Barefoot Boogie (www.barefootboogie.org) "Susan's passion for improv, warm personality, and supportive teaching style make this an immensely enjoyable experience. In her workshops I have had a chance to tap inner creativity, lower inhibition and gain a level of comfort in perfomring that extends beyond the classroom walls into many aspects of daily living. Let's face it, all the world's a stage and we are merely scriptless players. I recommend her workshops to everone and anyone; the actor and non-actor alike." --Aubrey Canecchia, Cosmic Observer (and Physical Therapist) Susan's Improv classes are the antidote to bland thinking. I took her class several times and learned how to enjoy myself while leaving behind any judgmental thoughts about what I was going to say. The best part of her class is learning how to trust your own powers of creativity. One big surprise for me from Improv was learning to have the courage to sing in front of an entire class while creating rhymed songs...all without preparation. The musical experiences in Susan's class eventually led to my taking singing lessons....and now, I'm actually singing opera! Take this class to find the hidden layers of creativity and talent that lie within you. --Linda Tagliaferro, Artist & Writer (www.lindatagliaferro.com) There are two types of instructors in this world: those who teach and those who become mentors. Susan is the latter of the two. She showed me and many people like me that we could get out of our doubtful, self critical mode of thinking that tends to paralyze us. She brought us into the here and now through a series of challenging exercises that are as much about psychological exploration as they are about improvisational comedy. Susan's class taught me skills that I will use beyond the stage and helped me realize that I had a lot to give to myself and to others. The journey is not easy for some, but Susan helped me every step of the way. I cannot recommend this class enough to people who want to break through their shells as much as they want to generate laughter and applause." --Adam Throne, English Teacher, Screenplay Writer "Within the first couple of weeks of taking Susan's class I became keenly aware of how those two hours a week set a positive tone for the rest of my endeavors, both personal and professional. I was somehow "lighter on my feet" in everything from writing and music to dealing with clients. More relaxed and spontaneous, I found it remarkably easy to take risks in communcations of all kinds and to have more fun doing so. Friends and family noticed the difference immediately and have suddenly become avid suporters of my creative aspirations! Susan can coax the little kid out of the most timid adult while providing astute and gentle coaching. She is a treasure of a teacher. Quick! Take the class before the rest of the world finds her and starts digging!" --Cheryl Frocz, Writer and Singer "Susan Kaessinger has the unusual ability to combine wild, spontaneous humor, thoughtfulness and composure. Her classes are well-prepared, jam-packed, lively and creative. Her high spirits are contagious and the class I took with her gelled right from the start." --Roger Karapin, Associate Professor, Dept. of Political Science, Hunter College |
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"Learning improv techniques
with Susan and the various members of our group has given me the confidence
to let go of my inhibitions and let my creative side take over. In
fact I wasn't even aware of my creative side until I started improv! This
gives me an incredible sense of freedom. It also is a reminder
of how important it is to play and have fun -- something I feel too
many 'adults' do not have enough of. After class I feel refreshed
because for those two hours I have focused my attention on something
other than my problems, I have laughed with my friends and learned
to do something FUN! Hopefully, learning and practicing improv will
be a part of my life for along time to come."
-- Carol Poje, Accountant
"Mrs.
Strict and Uptight Camilla comes to class after a hard day's work,
all tensed up and stressed out. Sometimes it's hard to get to
class, but once I'm there I have so much fun and feel excellent afterwards. I
am greeted with open arms by Susan -- a caring, loving, considerate,
but firm teacher who wants my commitment and focused attention.
We begin our class by standing in a circle and engaging in different exercises. This is a good way of warming up and getting to know each other. Susan makes everybody feel welcome, secure and good about themselves. Susan is a very committed teacher who loves what she is doing, and that rubs off on us, the students. She can hardly sit still herself. I'm not surprised to find my teacher becoming a cat or a table in a scene. During the class we have so much fun. It is a true relief to laugh so much; I forget about msyelf, I stop thinking and Mrs. Relaxed and Playful Camilla leaves class with a jaw ache from laughing so much" -- Camilla Falck-Schaper, Clown & Mother of 2 Boys "For years I have had improv-phobia because I thought I had to come up with smart, funny stuff to do improv. Well it turned out to be a false belief. I think one of the secrets of having fun doing improv is to get the rules in your body so that you won't stop and catch yourself thinking 'Am I doing it right?' Susan is my first improv teacher I've ever had, and I feel very lucky about it. There's always such a great sense of harmony and support in her classes. It makes a big difference. Having a good teacher is a fundamental factor in deciding whether or not you want to keep taking the classes. Susan is a very open, understanding person who knows what she is doing, and also what you need as an actor to get to the next level. She pays a lot of attention to each student, which is not an easy thing to do. Her classes are definitely great ones for beginners to build a solid foundation of improv techniques." -- Miho Inoue, Theater Student "I sincerely thank you for improv! Not in so many years have I involved myself in such a wonderful and completely open 'adventure' with such genuinely open and sharing people. I was completely brought back to the joys of childhood when instant expression was honest, enjoyable and without judgement. Improvisation let me freely express my natural reactions for my 'playmates' to interpert or re-interpret as they pleased. In particular, I was comfortably disinvested in the outcome. Thank you!" -- Michael V. Frett, Deputy District Attorney KIngs County District Attorney's Office As a teacher and performer myself, I highly recommend Susan's imrpovisation class. She provides a safe, nurturing, learning environment which gives you the freedom to explore, she packs the class with fun exercises which will teach you many new skills and she's a generous performer whose goal is to make you look good. I think anyone would benefit from this class." -- Annie Scavo, Pantomime & Communications Teacher, Wagner College "IMPROV - it's not only for the professional actor. For me the class has been a way of IMPROV-ing upon myself. To learn to listen, be supportive and take initiatives are things which are useful in everyday life. Still what has been the most important and refreshing aspect of this class has been to be able to, after a typical stressful day, relax, play and have fun." -- Karin Karlander, Interior Decorator |
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"Susan is a very talented teacher and performer who has the ability and patience to allow her students to relax as they learn the principles of improv in a safe, non-competetive environment. And the best part is that this all happens while you're having loads of fun just being yourself." --Chris Tsakos, Social Worker "Improv -- it's fun! Susan's Improv workshops have helped me gain more confidence in myself both personally and professionally. As a professional dancer, her classes have given me more freedom to work on a stage; whether it's big or small, I feel more comfortable with the usage of the space. As an actor, many of her improv exercises help me work on building characters for my monologues or plays, and of course, I feel more comfortable improvising when I forget my lines. Susan as a teacher is great!! She's very patient and she makes you feel at home. No matter what level you are, she makes sure that you understand all the exercises before she goes on to the next step. She's very encouragning and she doesn't take 'no' for an answer, she always says 'Yes, you can do it!'. Thanks, Susan, for being so professional and such a beautiful person." --Angel Garcia, Tango Dancer, Actor, Choreographer and Teacher "My daughter Susan's improv workshops are a delight. I can't remember having so much fun since I was a child. I have learned many improv skills in the workshop. Susan encourages us to express ourselves and take risks. She is an excellent motivator and a keen critic who does not offend. I have gained many skills that helped me in my drama workshop as well." -- Joyce Kaessinger, Co-Owner of "Beyond the Rainbow" at www.rainbowcrystal.com "At first I was rather apprehensive
because I have heard some wild stories about acting and improvisation
classes. I had this vision of myself trying to 'work out the inner
emotinoal problems of being a brass doorknob' in front of twenty strangers
and wanting to die of severe embarrassment. But, from the minute the
first class started, it was a stress-free, enjoyable journey. It was
fun, it was games, it was a lot of laughing and, ultimately, it was
a great experience.
"Susan knows exactly how to make all of her students comfortable, whether they are old acting pros just trying to brush up their skills or people who have never done any kind of acting who are just curious. She is a wonderful teacher, who knows how to keep the group on track, but also knows when to let them go on a tangent to help the lesson she is trying to teach sink in a little deeper. "Students often surpirse themselves with just how quick and creative they are when put into dialogues and situations that Susan uses to teach the fine art of improvisation. It is really entertaining to watch people go to great lengths to resolve the problems that come up when we are trying to stay within the parameters of the exercises. For example, it is not unsual for someone to throw themselves on the floor and act like a fish on a hook. But what is even more interesting is that the students will congratulate that person for his ingenuity after they do it. This kind of thing does not happen anywhere else! (At least not in the day to day world of normal people). "The greatest thing is finally to realize what Susan is trying to teach us at the end of every class. These lessons are not simply to learn how to do improvisational acting, but most of the lessons can be applied to many situations that we have to deal with in our own personal lives, and Susan is very passionate about relaying that. "As a director and a film maker, this kind of experience is invaluable. Because of the technical nature of the medium, dramatic film acting can be very inflexible. But having a basic knowledge of improvisational acting does teach me to roll with something if the actors feel like they want to try something different. Often, the spark of an unplanned moment can make the difference between a good take and a great one. Finally, Susan's class is the most fun someone can have while learning the finer points of improvisational acting. YES is the key word here!!" -- Joseph C. Giannico, Director and Film Maker "Empowering, enjoyable and creative. It opened up my mind and made me feel I could accomplish anything. Each class was a learning experience and one for which I am eternally grateful. All I can say is 'MORE PLEASE!'" -- Nathalie Bekin, Writer |