Workshops
The Master Class
Betty Buckley’s emotional connection to songs and audiences is renowned, and that connection is at the heart of what she teaches. Her Master Class is now offered online, so actors and singers can work with her from anywhere in the world.
Upcoming workshop · Los Angeles
Song & Monologue Interpretation Workshop
A three-night master class for singing and non-singing actors. Betty shares her approach to telling a story, connecting with the material and communicating with an audience, whether in performance, a lecture or everyday life.
Mon · Oct
19
7–10 pm
Tue · Oct
20
7–10 pm
Wed · Oct
21
7–10 pm
The Odyssey Theatre
2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025
Presented with LAMTS · accompanist provided for singers
All enrollments require approval: apply on LAMTS, answer a few questions, and you’ll be contacted to complete signup.
Opening night
A talk on spiritual philosophy and meditation as the foundation for storytelling and communication.
Floor work
Lying down with a Pilates ring or soft ball between the knees, each student sings or speaks privately in their “core voice” to find the heart of the piece before performance pressure sets in.
Playing
Singing or speaking while acting out a sport or a dance, to get out of the head and discover gesture and physicality for the character.
Communication
Bringing the tools together to sing or speak to audience members one at a time. Each session after the first opens with meditation and discussion.
Two classes
Choose how you take part
New students
Full Participant
For singers and actors who have not worked with Ms. Buckley before. Work on either a song or a monologue throughout the workshop.
- First class introduces her tools, philosophy and meditation technique
- Each session opens with meditation, then individual work
- Taped accompaniment required
- Apply online
New students
Observer
For those who are not experienced performers, or can’t commit to full participation.
- Join all group meditation
- Observe every individual session
- Apply online and note that you would like to observe
From students
In their words
“She’s more than an expert teacher, she’s a spiritual guide, Jedi and lighthouse who transformed me into a better actor.”
David C., student
“Betty’s class was every bit as fantastic as I had always heard it was.”
Arnold M.
“Betty Buckley lowered the drawbridge to the method that makes her one of the greatest storytellers in musical theatre history.”
David C.
“It has been such an enlightening and life-changing experience for me.”
Kim S.
The method
Focus first, then the voice follows
For more than forty-five years Betty has taught scene study and song interpretation, in Manhattan, at the T. Schreiber Studio, and at universities and conservatories across the country. Her classes pair meditation with close, individual work: students learn to build a relationship with a song the way they would with a person.
She asks students to observe life closely, to play opposites, and to stop thinking about “me, me, me” so they can share something true with the audience.
“You have to be a keen observer of life. Acting isn’t just about talent. It’s about witnessing and being fascinated by humanity.”
Betty Buckley · University of Houston, 2014
“It’s magical but it’s also completely practical. It requires a lot of commitment and practice.”
Betty Buckley · Fort Worth Star-Telegram