"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
"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 possi-ble. The class was a tremen-dous source of fun and a great way to connect with people."
--Valerie
Frankfeldt
Psychotherapist
"Susan's teaching combines an extra-ordinary 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
Susan Kaessinger
Founder
"Susan Kaessinger has the unusual ability to combine wild, spontaneous humor, thoughtful-ness 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, Professor
Dept. of Political Science
Hunter College
"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
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
Travel
Writer
"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
As a teacher and performer myself, I highly recommend Susan's imrpovi-sation 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
Communications
Teacher
"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
"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 envi-ronment. And the best part is that this all happens while you're having
loads of fun just being yourself."
--Chris Tsakos
Social Worker
“ I LOVE Susan's acting improv class! I've taken other classes and they're ok to get started but I never get the pointed feed-back
that Susan gives me that really helps me embrace the process and grow from the inside. In addition, I'm always amazed at how Susan
can encourage me and quickly help me see my progress if I get discouraged for a moment.
The best part is that I can see the
results of applying Susan's techniques in real life situations. It's becoming a natural by-product of taking the class. Looking forward
to taking more classes! ”
Karen Lebetkin
Pianist/Music Teacher
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 becomign 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 myself, I stop thinking
and Mrs. Relaxed and Playful Camilla leaves class with a jaw ache from laughing so much."
-- Camilla Falck-Schaper
Children's
Teacher, Church of Sweden
"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
Actor
"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
"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
Archivist
NYC Department
of Records
"Susan's wonderful, freeing, positive teaching
style enabled me to shed my usual inhibitions."
"I recommend her workshops to everone and anyone; the actor and non-actor alike."
"There's always such a great sense of harmony and support in her classes."
"The best part is that I can see the results of
applying Susan's techniques in real life situations."
"...a caring, loving, considerate, but firm teacher
who wants my commitment and focused attention."
"...this all happens while you're having loads of fun just being yourself."
"Susan's Improv workshops have helped me gain more confidence in myself both personally and professionally. "
"Susan knows exactly how to make all of her students comfortable..."
"Her innate kindness gives the least courageous student the courage to take risks..."