Private Acting Lessons with Caroline Dopson

Caroline Dopson is an educator, actress, director, and makeup artist located in South Florida. While she is native to Louisiana, she moved to Florida to pursue her MFA in Theatre Performance at Florida Atlantic University where she currently teaches. In addition to FAU Caroline has studied at Centenary College, The Stella Adler Conservatory in New York, and The Gately/ Poole Conservatory in Chicago. She has also taught for The Broward Center, Miami Dade College, Standing Ovation Performing Arts, and Fusion Enrichment.  You can see more of her acting credits on her Website: https://www.carolinedopson.com/ 

 Instagram: @carolinedopson_makeup

Note from Caroline: My goal in my private lessons is to give the actor the tools they need to be confident and creative so that they can have an impact on any audience. My specialty is working on monologues and helping actors find the perfect piece for them so that their strengths are highlighted in the audition room. Techniques I utilize include the techniques of Stanislavski, Meisner, Patsy Rodenburg, Loyd Williamson and Stella Adler. 

“Growth as an actor and as a human being are synonymous”- Stella Adler 

Caroline Dopson Teaching Philosophy:

My approach to teaching is centered around the belief that education should inspire students to create their own inertia and have a hunger to learn more and grow as artists. I do not want to just teach information; I want to teach students how to make connections by themselves and desire to make the world better through the stories they tell. Of course, I will impart my knowledge upon them, but I want them to be creatively stimulated by their education and know that there is not a right and wrong when it comes to art. There are choices and then there are better choices. I am here to teach them how to find the better choices by themselves through developing a technique that is unique to them. 

As we grow as storytellers and empathize with our characters, we start to learn more about ourselves and others. Imagine playing a character that you do not agree with, and through the development of that character you stop judging them and are simply able to empathize or sympathize with them. Not only have you created a more real and dynamic character, but you have also found the humanity in them. You cannot play a character that you are judging, and you cannot be the best version of yourself when you are judging other people. Great art cannot be created through judgment, comparison, and lack of compassion. Stella Adler said is best in her famous quote, “Growth as an actor and as a human being are synonymous”. 

When it comes to technique, my methods of teaching stem mainly from the work of Constantine Stanislavski, Sandford Meisner, and Patsy Rodenburg. I like to use these techniques to teach my students to ground their objectives, establish their point of view, and connect with their scene partners. Though these are my favorite techniques, I try to meet each student where they are and tailor my direction based on what I believe will help them grow the most. 

I feel successful when a student shows fresh passion for their scene or monologue through their deeper connection and understanding of the material. I strive to create an environment that is safe and inspires my students to become the most effective storytellers and the best versions of themselves. 

Sign up for lessons here.