About the program.
If you’ve explored Meisner, Stanislavski, Michael Chekhov, Cicely Berry or any other of the great acting and voice masters, you know how powerful their techniques and their exercises can be. But applying them on set or in rehearsal isn’t always straightforward.
How do you make them practical, reliable, and time-efficient?
Your Craft in Action is a hands-on workshop designed to bridge that gap. Using contemporary texts in real-world processes, you’ll refine how to apply your technique effectively on the job. In a supportive setting, you’ll further develop your skills, discover trusted methods, and gain the confidence to perform under pressure.
Learning
What You’ll Learn:
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Practical, on-the-job actor processes
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Applying acting tools in real-world contexts
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Natural collaboration with scene partners
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Adapting to a director’s vision while staying true to your craft
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Effective actor’s homework strategies
Great actors aren’t just talented—they’re prepared. This workshop equips you with the tools to step into auditions, rehearsals, cold reads, and on sets as a confident, high-functioning professional. Whether you're starting out or refining your craft, this is a space to grow and make your technique work for you.
Theater Simple. SEATTLE, USA
Glenn has a sense of open-hearted mischief...and most important, a true desire and respect for working with other artists.
PROGRAM AIM
The aim is simple: to assist participants to refine practical tools so they enter rehearsals, stage, or set as a working actor—grounded and ready.
MY PRACTICE
My teaching is rooted in experiential practice. Over forty years I have drawn on the techniques of Stanislavski, Michael Chekhov, Uta Hagen, Cicely Berry, Robert Benedetti, Lisle Jones, and Viewpoints — a foundation shaped further by my WAAPA training and a career that has taken me across continents.
I train actors through practical, hands-on work that builds technical precision, emotional depth, and genuine ensemble awareness. The emphasis is on adaptability — physical and vocal freedom, spatial awareness, and imagination. These are not abstract ideals. They are the tools a versatile performer actually needs.
Collaboration sits at the heart of everything I do. I push actors to build strong ensemble relationships, to respond dynamically to directors and to each other, and to take real ownership of their creative process. Bold, informed choices. A practice that can keep pace with the industry.
Four evenings. A huge amount of work achieved
AREAS OF LEARNING
This four-evening program draws on acting techniques and approaches usually explored over much longer periods — and brings them into a focused, practical setting.
Working in Professional Environments
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Building technique that holds up under the pressure of fast-paced rehearsals and on-set demands.
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Developing character with clarity and efficiency when time is limited.
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Balancing technical precision with genuine emotional life — so that performance stays truthful even when the schedule doesn't allow for it.
Script Breakdown and Quick Adaptation
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Locating the core of a character — motivation, objective, need — without getting lost in the detail.
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Working through the Seven Questions efficiently and with purpose.
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Making strong, clear choices under pressure, even with minimal rehearsal time.
Staying Present and Grounded
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Breathing and mindfulness practices to keep you in the room and in the body.
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Using emotional touchstones and beats to sustain consistency across takes and scenes.
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Treating mistakes as creative information rather than failure.
Adaptability and Quick Thinking
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Improvisation exercises to develop flexibility and responsiveness in the moment.
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Preparing to handle last-minute changes — revised scripts, unexpected directions, shifting circumstances.
Collaboration
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Reading the director's vision and letting it genuinely shape your performance.
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Building real chemistry with your fellow actors — listening, responding, being present.
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Staying open to adjustments in timing, energy, and delivery as the work evolves.
The Artist
Glenn Hayden
Program Director
Glenn Hayden created Actor in the Play in Mumbai, India, in 2018.
Glenn is an award-winning Australian theatre director and educator with over four decades of experience across Australia, India, and internationally.
A graduate of the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, he has led more than sixty productions, served as artistic director of festivals and major events, and has commissioned over forty new works.
He is the recipient of the Emotions Scientist Award (2025) from Andhra University’s Dean Van Leuven Peace Studies and Action Centres, recognising exceptional work in social and emotional intelligence.
His work spans theatre-making and actor training, with a focus on ensemble, discipline, and the relationship between actor and text.
Timothy McGarry
ACTOR / PRODUCER / DIRECTOR / PLAYWRIGHT
When I think of Glenn Hayden I think – an exceptional theatre maker; an arts industry leader with drive and passion; a committed and creative theatre Director. Actors love and adore him as a director that provides a space to play, to explore, to discover.
Patrick Klavins
Actor and Voice Specialist
Glenn is a superbly gifted director, teacher and coach; his warmth, humanity and unwavering commitment to the craft is infectious.