The Acting Studio at Edgemar
Welcome to The Acting Studio at Edgemar. The school offers a wide array of classes and workshops that are geared for actors of all ages and levels. Actors are encouraged to raise the bar and work to their full potential.
Our mission is to provide a creative home to a community of passionate actors.
Our actors are able to master the fundamentals and develop their craft by working on diverse material, honing their skills both on-camera and on-stage.
We welcome all eager and enthusiastic students and offer a professional education for actors in all stages of their careers.
Artistic Director Michelle Danner
Michelle Danner has coached many A-List Actors privately and on set including Gerard Butler, Chris Rock, Jamie Lynn Sigler, Penelope Cruz, Michael Pena, Isla Fisher, Common, Salma Hayek, Brian McKnight, James Franco, Marcia Cross, Christian Slater, Catherine Bell, Zooey Deschanel, Gabrielle Union, Justin Chatwin, Justine Wadell, Rob Estes, Rick Fox, and Sally Kellerman among many others.
Her highlights at Edgemar include producing The Night of the Black Cat, winner of the 2005 Best Musical of the Year at the Los Angeles Music Awards. She directed the world premiere of Mental the Musical, winner of several 17th Annual TicketHolder awards for acting and musical score. Last year she wrote and directed You're on the Air an improv based comedy which is currently under development to become a movie. She recently directed the Los Angeles premiere of Hello Herman by John Buffalo Mailer.
She produced and acted in the award-winning short Dos Corazones, directed by Larry Moss, which won Best Cinematography & Audience Favorite at the Malibu Film Festival. In 2006 she made her feature film-directing debut How to go Out on a Date in Queens which was nominated and won four LA Film Awards including Best Director and Best Movie. It starred Jason Alexander, Esai Morales, Ron Perlman, Kimberly Williams, Rob Estes, and Alison Eastwood. After being theatrically released Nationwide and is now available everywhere on video. It aired nationwide on the ABC Sunday Night Movie of the Week Memorial Day weekend 2008.
She was the acting coach expert on comedy on the WB show "The Starlet". She was voted favorite acting coach by Backstage readers. Once a year Michelle directs for the industry the multi media event Scene Bites. She was featured coaching Andy Richter on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien in July 2009.
Michelle, alongside Larry Moss, is the founder and Artistic Director of Edgemar Center for the Arts and The Edgemar Theatre Group. She raised 1.3 million in Capital campaign which went to the construction of the two theatres and the art gallery. Her production companies, Capricorn Films and All In Films, are in development for several film projects: YOU’RE ON THE AIR, THE BANDIT HOUND, and THE WILL TO… She just completed principal photography on the feature film HELLO HERMAN starring Norman Reedus, Martha Higareda, and Garrett Backstrom.
BRIAN DRILLINGER
Brian Drillinger teaches classes in scene study, cold reading and voice for The Acting Studio at Edgemar. Mr. Drillinger, in association with Larry Moss and Michelle Danner, is a founder and the Creative Director of Edgemar Center for the Arts. He directed the show for the first Edgemar benefit event that was hosted by Jason Alexander and included; Hilary Swank, Michael Clarke Duncan, Sally Kellerman, Chad Lowe and many others. The evening raised a Quarter of a Million dollars for the center.
Mr. Drillinger directed ALMOST MAINE in Melbourne Australia THE DREAMER EXAMINES HIS PILLOW at The Complex in Los Angeles and THE HOUSE OF YES here at the Edgemar Center.
He produced FOUR-THOUGHT at the Hudson Theatre, as well as the critically acclaimed production of Tennessee Williams THE ROSE TATOO also at the Hudson. He produced the successful industry series SCENE BITES at the Tiffany Theatre and the workshop production of HOW TO GO OUT ON A DATE IN QUEENS directed by Larry Moss. Brian produced the award winning short film DOS CORAZONES. He co-wrote, produced and stars in the feature version of HOW TO GO OUT ON A DATE IN QUEENS for which he won Best Supporting Actor at the LA Indie Awards 2006. The film also stars Jason Alexander, Kimberly Williams, Rob Estes, Ron Perlman and Esai Morales.
Brian studied acting at SUNY Purchase and graduated with honors. He played Stan on Broadway, and in the film version of Neil Simons, BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS and the National tour of BROADWAY BOUND. Regional credits include: THE SUBSTANCE OF FIRE at the Old Globe in San Diego, the Pulitzer Prize winning play WIT at the South Coast Repertory (original production), the Seattle Repertory and the Alley Theatre in Houston, also at SCR, DEATH OF A SALESMAN and BOUNDARY WATERS, at the Hudson Theatre, SOLACE, GANGSTER APPAREL and DOVE, A SHAYNA MADEL at the Tiffany Theatre, and BRIGHT IDEAS at Edgemar Center For The Arts. His television credits include: THE AGENCY, WINGS, LIFE GOES ON, REASONABLE DOUBTS, AND GENERAL HOSPITAL. Brian starred opposite Sally Kirkland, in the indie feature STARRY NIGHT, and Janeane Garafalo in I SHOT A MAN IN VEGAS.
BRAD GARRETT
Brad Garrett played Ray Romano's big brother Robert on the hit CBS series “Everybody Loves Raymond,” which has earned him five Emmy nominations and in 2002, 2003 and 2005 Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.
Garrett, raised in Woodland Hills, California, was born on April 14, 1960. After high school graduation, Garrett began performing his stand-up act at various Los Angeles comedy clubs, getting his start at the Ice House in Pasadena and The Improv in Hollywood. His first appearance - at age 23, on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson," made him one of the youngest comedians ever to perform on the program.
From this appearance, Garrett's stand-up career took off, garnering him headlining gigs at national venues as well as opening spots for legends, including Frank Sinatra, Diana Ross, Julio Iglesias, Liza Minnelli and Sammy Davis Jr. In 1989, The Las Vegas Review Journal named Garrett the "Best Comedian" working on the Strip.
At this point, Garrett made his foray into the world of television. Garrett's television guest roles range from stints on “Roseanne” and "Mad About You,” to his trademark role of the obsessive mechanic on “Seinfeld” (you may remember him stealing Jerry's Saab in order to teach him a lesson about poor auto maintenance).
In nine seasons on CBS, “Everybody Loves Raymond” continued to be a critical and ratings success, posting numbers worthy enough to win its time slot every week. Garrett portrayed Ray Barone's (Ray Romano) brother Robert, the NYPD policeman. Robert's existence is constantly overshadowed by his sports-writer sibling. The rivalry helped coin the titled line, “Everybody Loves Raymond.”
Garrett's voice-over work includes giving life to Fatso, the ghost in the 1995 mega-hit feature "Casper," and can be heard playing the part of Dim, the rhinoceros beetle, in the Pixar/Disney feature, "A Bug's Life" and Bloat the blowfish in Pixar/Disney's, "Finding Nemo." He has since been seen in HBO's "Don King: Only in America,” “George B,” with David Morse, which was a finalist at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival, “Suicide Kings,” with Christopher Walken, Showtime's "Clubland," with Alan Alda, and director Woody Allen's “Sweet & Lowdown,” with Sean Penn and Uma Thurman. Garrett has also guest hosted The Late Show for a sidelined David Letterman.
In 2002, Garrett played Jackie Gleason in the critically acclaimed CBS film, "Gleason," for which he earned an Emmy Award nomination and Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for Outstanding Actor in a Movie or Miniseries. He starred in Disney’s hit comedy, “The Pacifier,” Warner Bros., “Music and Lyrics,” with Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore and on Broadway in Neil Simon’s “The Odd Couple.” He can be heard in Fox’s “Night at the Museum,” Pixar’s animated film, “Ratatouille,” Disney’s “Underdog” and stars in the Fox comedy series, "’Til Death."
To find out more about Brad Garrett, please visit www.bradgarrettcomedy.com
