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John helped me to understand and harness the fire that drives me as an actor. His ability to unlock your artistic motivation is a true gift. He's the best kept secret in New York City. There are a million frauds in this business: teachers who will take
our money, feed us some amateur psyco-babble, and leave us, in so many
ways, poorer.
John Dapolito is not one of these frauds.
In an industry of charlatans, John is a shaman.I've known John for many years and I've sought his counsul on more
than a few occasions. What he's given me has always been sustenance.
Long-lasting sustenance.
Yet to take his seminar is to be provoked. He challenges our basic
notions of what it is to act. One feels an urge to get up and leave.
Noisily.
Yet that is merely the sting of truth.
As in all truths, there are paradoxes here. Chief among them is the
notion that the widest liberation comes from the narrowest, most
specific choice.To sit in his seminar is, in the end, to be greatly rewarded. He
confirms for us that what we always wanted to be so, IS SO: we are
economically viable as actors, precisely because of who we are as
living, questing people.
Art and commerce can, in fact, happily co-exist. His approach is as practical as the choice of wardrobe we make for an
audition, yet as profound as a Zen meditation.
He tells us what the shaman have been telling us for millenia: we
operate at our best, we WORK, when we are in our bliss-states.
Go and be sustained. John Dapolito is a real true artistic thinker…deep, creative, incisive. He has the ability to articulate complex ideas and concepts, in a very simple down-to-earth way. Seemingly unorthodox, he is constantly exploring and searching to find the truth outside the box. I find just talking to John deeply inspiring, and I just love the way he thinks. I would love to be able to work with him in class some day…such a brilliant writer too, “Killer Midgets” is one of my favorite plays - a real jewel in the rough that has yet to be fully discovered and appreciated. One of the best seminars I've attended was John Dapolito’s, involving the actor's self-knowledge, and getting the guidance to "profile " oneself, in order to grease the creative wheels…it worked, I got inspired by him - his teachings are both clear, and original, and he listens and talks "to" the students, not “at” them. His philosophy of empowering the actor through self-knowledge, and supportive advice is spot-on. (This is something rare, and valuable) John has something to say, and he knows how to "reach an actor". Like Julia Cameron “The Artist’s Way”, John has clearly been to the front lines - he is a produced playwright, and a respected actor in his own right - and he came back with something to report to the actor…I came to John’s seminar looking for inspiration, and a fresh approach to my own work – and I respect the work he is doing, and I highly recommend working with him, at any point in your career…his words have weight, and gravity. The guy can help you look at your work in a new way. And John is clearly a sincere presence who has a calling to help others find their best “working” selves. I have always been someone who was actively auditioning. However, I was to a point where I was attending hundreds of auditions, getting very few call backs, and before I knew it, almost 2-years-passed and I hadn't done a show! I felt I hit a wall, and something was missing. John's seminar showed me simply what I'd been looking for --- a guide to what makes me different or unique from others. After working with John, I not only feel confident about my work, but I now know what to look for in audition material, and roles to focus on. I love John's class and can't wait to return, but I keep getting work! I feel like a door finally opened up for me, John gave me a key to future success in this crazy business of Acting! Thank you John! John helped me get clear on whom I am and what I have to offer as an actor, and as a human being. His work is so unique and powerful. His intuitiveness, knowledge and guidance has lead me to an International Tour of I Am My Own Wife, another one-man show, and playing John Merrick in The Elephant Man. Do yourself a favor and get focused with John's help! John….Jesus Christ! So this appointment that I fought for, for the show at NYTW that I mentioned, it was such a success to just get the appointment, and I auditioned at noon today, and got an offer FOUR HOURS LATER! I'm over the moon! I have to say that before your profiling (one-one-one), I might have looked at that type of role and thought, "Can I do this?" But today, I was like, "This is SO perfect for me," and apparently Michael Weller and Jo Bonney agreed! YAY!!!!!! Just wanted to let you know that I've accepted a role in the tour of "Annie". My rehearsals start very quickly after I return to NYC as I am replacing another actress therefore I will not be coming back to class. What I've learned from you thus far has benefited me tremendously as evidenced in the amount of work I've been receiving and I would love to continue working with you when I get back from my tour. Last year I booked my first Broadway show! I don't sing. I don't dance. But, I managed to make it to Broadway in one of the few "straight plays" in production, “August: Osage County”, the Tony and Pulitzer Prize winning play of 2008. I had no agent and no manager, but I was armed with the conviction of knowing the characters in my wheelhouse, which gave me the confidence to go directly to the casting director for the role. I give sole credit to the AWG program for arming me with the skills to pursue the worlds I need to be acting in. I give thanks to my friend and mentor John Dapolito for opening those worlds to me. Working with John has been a real eye opener. The way he reaches an actor is unique and personally tailored. He really pours himself into his students --- investing in their growth and challenging them when needed. I have had many breakthroughs in my own acting since beginning to study with him in October 2008. I've become much more rooted in, more trusting of my own internal compass, and more aware of what roles are bang-on for me. Studying with John has had an affect on the business side of acting as well. I am much more confident and I've finally stopped trying to get the folks on the other side of the table to "like" me. I now walk into the room, show them what I can do and then leave it there. I'm not consumed with the guessing game of being liked. I book more jobs now than ever before. John has helped me to get out of my own way. I am forever grateful. What does it mean to be a great artist? How can I realize my unique artistic potential and manifest it into a professional acting career? If you've ever contemplated these questions, you need to study with John Dapolito. John provides a challenging and creative work environment that focuses on the growth of the artist. His honest, insightful and heartfelt approach will awaken anyone who is open to realizing his or her fullest potential. I will be forever grateful for his work. I graduated from an outstanding conservatory, yet the most crucial piece of information for my acting career came from Actors! Where Are You Going? After taking advantage of the full program, I have a refined focus on what work to go after and what to present to show myself in the strongest light, and I’ve enjoyed results from casting directors. Before meeting John, I was a lost soul. I have been pursuing acting my entire life and had just graduated from The American Academy of Dramatic Arts, so the last thing I wanted was another acting class or another teacher. When John approached me and asked me to take his class, I declined the offer. Months later he extended the offer again, and once more I refused. Finally, I accepted; and my entire world shifted. First I took his Fall Intensive, where he demonstrates his ideas and his mission about Script Analysis, he dissects the piece like I have never seen before. The way he tackles the script is absolutely mind blowing. He gets to the root, no, past the root, he gets to the tiny vein that becomes the root of the story, of the characters, and of the intentions of the writer. Out of the Script Analysis, comes “The Actable Phrase”, which is just another level of genius entirely. It's funny, because everyone just skims the surface of finding out who the characters are, their journey (if they have one) etc., however, no one wants to dive in. John takes you and throws you into the writers-waters, and then you're in the pool swimming laps and doing strokes you never thought you could do before. After that Intensive class, I was hooked. I have taken his seminar, and then did the most important thing that I have done for my acting career up to date: I took the one-on-one. The best 5 hours of my life, the amount of truth, consciousness, and awareness that came out it was unbelievable. There isn't one day that goes by that I don't think of that “private session”. It has made me a self-aware person and better yet, it gave me my soul back, and for that I will be forever grateful to John. He is my mentor and, no contest, one of the best teachers I have ever encountered. His teachings are priceless. If you feel like you are struggling to find yourself again amidst all this hustle and bustle, John Dapolito is your man. John I’m still spreading the word on the AWG Program; cannot tell you what a great foundation you have given me…every script is so black white now (not just literally)! I studied at a prestigious acting school but never really understood the craft of acting until I studied with John. John is an original thinker in life and in his approach to the art of acting. His unique approach takes the anxiety out of acting and puts the clarity and the fun back in, as it should be. It has been my privilege to study with this supremely gifted, insightful, and dedicated teacher. The Script Secrets class really taught me how much I didn't know. You see a lot of script analysis classes are real heady, intellectual, academic, and light years away from any choices an actor can ACTUALLY use on set. John's class cuts past the unnecessary PhD stuff, and goes straight for the gut - the visceral choices an actor can relate to in order to make the character their own.” John's ability to help me see the gold in the script inspires confidence in my process, make the choices, and book the role…the difference between meandering years in process and booking the role is John Dapolito. Your script analysis/acting techniques have given me the fool-proof tools that simultaneously breaks down the script as well as builds the character that's right in front of my eyes- you've helped me understand how to find it all right there in the text- thanks for showing me a simple way to work smarter! I met these filmmakers in March (total kindred spirits) and felt like I knew exactly who I am, what I play, etc, all with no question or sensor. We hung out for hours then met again the following week --- they are writing for me! Thanks for that, John. If you are ready for honest and constructive appraisal of your work as an artist John Dapolito is your teacher. Working with John has been, and continues to be, an inspiring and transforming experience. At first, I really hated my “theme”. In time, however, I realized that the theme showed me a lot about my capabilities, and freed me up to go for roles I never would have thought I could have done, and ones I could connect to on a deeper level. The day that happened was a gift. I love my theme now, and I enjoy exploring more and more aspects of it with each scene I tackle. Every class I am struck by something that rings true, whether I see it and experience it in myself, or witness it illustrated in a fellow actor. John has ability to intuit where an actor is, and what notes an actor is capable of best receiving. He also has a very low bullshit detector--he will not let you get away with the bad habits we all get into. If you want to become a better actor, John's class will whip you into shape. You will quickly learn to analyze scripts, and bring them to life in a way that serves the play, serves the character, and ultimately serves you. John's experience as a director and writer is invaluable as he really digs into the core of the story, the characters and what the play is really about. He cuts through the BS, creates a professional working environment in his class and has made me look at plays in an entirely new way. John doesn't talk the talk he walks that walk. His classes are process based and action oriented. He has the instincts of a chetah, the clarity of a wolverine and the cunning of a fox. Come ready to be inspired and work for real. Come ready to remember where you truly belong in the craft of your art. No matter what level you are at as an actor, if you love the craft of acting, the art of storytelling and exploring the human psyche, run to John's seminar and get into his Master Class. I assure you, your level of commitment, performance and appreciation will be escalated, without doubt. I've worked with several great teachers in the past but it wasn't until I started working with John Dapolito that my work rose to a level that I thought would take me much longer to get to. He's passionate, encouraging and has created a very supportive environment in his classes. I'm very grateful to John for helping me to become the artist I am today. We all dream of moving beyond our limitations, to touch what we believe we can do as actors, John Dapolito operates on that level at all times. To hell with the usual crap we pile in our way, Mr. Dapolito expects us to achieve our own truth and than perform at that level consistently, week after week --- I can imagine no better way to become a great actor. Besides, he is remarkably entertaining and informative as a teacher, so even when you're not performing, you're learning. John gets right to the heart of the matter regarding the essential principles of acting. His expedient navigation of you as an individual breaks through the “business”. John's Master Class is the first acting class I've taken that's about getting up out of class and working as a professional actor. Ever since I’ve started working with John, I’ve found a trust in myself as an Actor. John's coaching, and all round love for the craft, inspires me to be better and to have fun. Because if we are not enjoying ourselves up there then what is the point? Thank you John" After hearing John's theory at his Actors! Where Are You Going? seminar, I was hooked. I met with John, worked out my "theme”, what a breath of fresh air. I now have a solid direction to follow in my life and art. It is my hope that John renames his seminar "HUMANS! Where Are You Going?" thereby saving the planet! The best thing about the AWG Program is the specificity; I now know how to market myself because I know exactly what I'm selling…everything is so much easier. John Dapolito is one of the most engaging people you are ever going to meet. That’s why I’ve taken his AWG workshop a half dozen times—and I’m not even an actor, I’m an entrepreneur. I’ve also done the “private session” with John and all I can say is that they are mind blowing. I learned more about myself, and what drives me, in my 3 hours with John than I did in 3 years of therapy. This is a new way of looking at your career and for many, like me, a new perspective on your life. I recommend John wholeheartedly. Thank you so much for the one-on-one meeting. I feel like I learned a lot, and have been thinking about it everyday since then…looking at roles/production companies to target. You are doing really good work for people, a real service. Thank you. Working with John taught me the difference between auditioning for a job and auditioning for my career. He taught me that who I am is more than enough. He showed me that when I know what I am doing, who I am, and the stories I tell, there is no desperation or second-guessing myself.He has changed my experience as a businessperson, and an actor - it's powerful work; and it's worth it. Working with John has been both an inspirational, as well as a transformational experience for me as an actor. His groundbreaking technique takes the mysticism out of acting, and makes it a joy. His passion, selflessness and unwavering commitment to an actors full potential is what sets him apart - I would recommend him to actors at all levels. He's the best kept secret in town. John Dapolito lit a fire under my ass. His seminar and the subsequent "one on one" pinpointed the person I am and gave me a gameplan of how to lend that person to the actor I aspire to become. Since meeting with him, I have booked three short films in a row. Three films that I identified with because of focus and insight I never would have acquired without John's help. He helped me figure out who I was as an actor and which roles I can own before I even walk into the audition. He is eccentric and allergic to bullshit, and if you are serious about your artistry, he will change your life. Having just finished working with the awe inspiring Al Pacino in Salome . I would say that John Dapolito is up there with theater artists who through their work are striving for a type of specificity and emotional awareness that serves the play as well as hits the depth of what makes a performance so personal and informed it no longer competes with anything but itself. John Dapolito's AWG program has been my most significant discovery. My artistic spirit has been ignited and I KNOW what roles are mine.Since having a private session my demeanor and self-confidence in the market place has become formidable. I nailed my first big audition after meeting with John. I knew the role was mine and after my audition, so did the director and the playwright- I was the first and last actor seen for the part. I cannot thank you enough Johnny,not for teaching me to fly, but for showing me my wings. His seminars are filled with such contagious passion that one goes home and just cannot stop. In my private session Johnny effortlessly brought to light my repressed spark of inspiration. It was my moment of artistic epiphany. It felt like coming home. The AWG-Program focuses on creating art that fulfills you and gets you work and John's Master Class for the Working Actor has been a blessing in my artistic growth. I have gotten to the core of my artist...my confidence is no longer an issue. My issue now is how do I want to best tell the story (and create the character), honoring playwright, and my own creativity. John will demand that you grow all that is unique in you, and his insight into actors, storytelling, and people is truly a gift! John's class has been a hugh breath of fresh air, the kind of air that makes you head spin and causes your senses to jolt awake!!! In a City where acting teachers are on every corner John stand apart from them all. John allows you to work at your art and creates an enviorment of support and trust. Johnny has a unique way od proding, pulling and pushing you in each scene so YOU get the scene, YOU make the choices and YOU do the work. It has been one of the best things I have done for my career, but more importantly for myself. As lonf as I'm in NYC I will be studying with John Dapolito. How do I even begin to boil down the enormous breadth of what [John] offers? John's seminar, “Actors! Where Are You Going?sm” is the most powerful and practical seminar on acting I have ever attended. It helps define our unique qualities and our unique voice. In this predominantly fear-based career, John's seminar is insightful, empowering and motivating. He helped me understand what my specific realm of expression is: how to identify it, how to embrace it, and how to dialogue about it. Since taking his seminar I have booked every job I knew was 'mine' and even turned down auditions that were not related to what I want to express. I have booked an Off-Broadway show and started working with a top commercial agent in the city. Additionally, the themes in my writing and stand up have become clearer to me, which in turn makes them easier to deliver and much more effective. I feel empowered and I feel fantastic about the Beauty I am bringing to the world through my art. So many seminars try to make you 'feel good' about being an artist, but don't help you the next morning when you're back to pounding the pavement. In John's seminar he helped me understand my specific realm of expression and how to target the directors and producers and scripts that are good for me. Johnny, I can't thank you enough for the clarity and love I have for myself as and artist and the work I put forth.I have discovered my authority and no longer feel like I am begging for work, or struggling to 'make it'. And since this shift in me, I have found the most success to date. I booked my first VO, on-camera commercial, Off-Broadway show, a commercial agent, and have been in talks with legit and broadcast agents. Thank you so much. John has a passion for acting that is inspiring...an intuitive understanding of people, scripts, and life overall that is lacking of ego...his class is the safety net I have been been looking for. Taking John's class is like getting a custom tailored suit as opposed to buying one off the rack. John is no ego and all acting...challenges your personal barriers and reminds you of your strength's. what a relief to find an acting class with such an intense focus on craft...and never a boring moment. Taking Johnny's seminar, and his private session especially, was like looking through a window into myself. For the first time, I really understood who I am and what makes me tick. I have a better understandinf of myself and therefore represent myself with more confidence, clarity, and truth. He helped me zero in on the "big event" in my life and learn to befriend it rather than reject it--how to use it in my art rather than be a victim of it. Working with him was like digging for the truth and he didn't stop until it was finally uncovered. All I can say is that everything I've done throughout the years, dancing professionally and now acting, has become so much clearer since the seminar and our one-on-one session. My eyes are wide open. Instead of wandering around searching for a job--any job--in the industry, I am now aware and seeking jobs that I am meant to do! There is a reason why I do what I do. Now that I know and understand that, I am able to find my way with much more confidence and clarity. I am forever grateful. Thanks, Johnny. As a real estate professional, I attended John's seminar a bit skeptical about how the "artistic content" would apply to me. I couldn't have been proven more wrong! John's universal approach and insight into centering one's energy was wonderful and very inspiring to me as I begin a new chapter in my real estate career. The seminar was really interesting, very relaxed, and a lot of fun. I'd highly recommend it to anyone interested in bettering their careers and bettering themselves. After my private session with Johnny, I felt as if the weight of the world had been lifted from my shoulders. In our session, Johnny opened my eyes to the way in which I related to people- through food. As I answered Johnny's questions, it was obvious (to him) that I expressed love through food- cooking it, eating it and talking about it. I had always been attracted to working in restaurants and being around cooking- it wasn't until he "replayed" my life to me that I saw the connection. I have now taken this information to teach people how they can romance others with food in my Appetite for Seduction cooking classes, video podcasts and in the future with the book I am writing. This technique is the key to finding the "you" hidden inside. I am truly grateful for John Dapolito's presence in my life. His seminar completely altered my approach from the bases of fear to empowerment. My private session not only revealed astonishing insights into my personal and professional world, but it allowed me to continue to be in the pressence of someone who truly cares. John Cares...anytime I need an ear, some advice, or just some reassurenace, he is the one I contact. I never met such a genuine loving and energetically invigorating soul. I will be forever changed. Johnny brings integrity, design, and skill to an industry that bewails the obsolete practice of traditional casting methods. if an actor can receive the tools that johnny has carefully and precisely realized, that actor can effortlessly disolve the obstacles they have foolishly perceived to be holding them back. the question is in the if. do you want to be free to live and breath your career? john dapolito no more or less god than you or i, but he has given me the tools to bring my witnin to with out and to know where that out is. John Dapolito has helped me to define what it is that I do as an artist. This is the biggest gift any mentor/teacher has ever given me. I am in the driver's seat of my career right now. I am no longer afraid to go into a casting office or an audition room because I know exactly what I am going to bring to the table. I am also no longer apologetic for being a different type, either; I am this artist, and it is more than enough. I really love John for helping me find this place. Working with John Dapolito has given me a fresh and incisive understanding of who I am as an actor. I now approach the work and, in particular, the business with a precision and focus I never would have had without John's insightful, intuitive, and intensely clear vision. By the end of the private session, I felt that Johnny's questions helped me locate the real me as an actor, and a person. And, creating the mission statement was a life-changing process. Thanks Johnny...you're on my list of people to thank at the Tony Awards 2009!!! John shows us how accomplished artists use their own special gifts to excel in their creative activity, and offers a practical guide on how each of us can discover our own special gift and use it in our art. I've known and worked with Johnny over 15 years and he has this strange effect on people. It's a butterfly effect where he holds a light onto you, you're drawn to the light, and whether you choose to or not, he throws the light on your potential growth. The possibilities of change are suddenly crystal clear and it's up to you to see it. What you could be, whom you've dreamed of being. It's a gift. And maybe a curse! Johnny gave me the insight to be able to work within the business of acting without losing myself as an artist. He helped me focus my strengths as a voiceover artist and capitalize on what I could do best. So, when it came time for me to switch commerial agents I was able to interview with clarity and specificity, and convey to my new agent who I was, what I could do, and where I wanted my career to go. John was able to call me out on a habit of mine that no other teacher ever caught within just a few times of seeing my work. As a result, my work is more honest and grounded. This is why I continue to study with him. Johnny is the most amazing man alive, a rare jewel...unique, conscious, all for the growth of the individual. He taught me not to be a victim of my past, but to take it by the horns and ride it high. I can't thank him enough for sharing his insight. He is the light I was drawn to, and he made me see where I was...and where I could be. |
