Jane Drake Brody- Master Teacher, Coach & Author, Talks About The Art Of Acting & The Business Of Acting

Jane Drake Brody’s achievements encompass a life of dealing with  the Art, Science and Business of Acting.  From directing (and costuming)  Bye Bye, Birdie! at age sixteen in high school, to the recent  publication of two landmark books; "The Actor’s Business Plan" and  "Acting, Archetype and Neuroscience", she has literally transformed the  lives and careers of thousands of actors.  After working as an  actor, agent, director, costumer, and producer, her life’s journey took a  determined step forward when she studied with and served as assistant  to Michael Shurtleff, author of the precedent-setting actor’s bible,  Audition. That relationship brought about the founding of Acting Studio  Chicago (neè The Audition Centre) in 1981 and PR Casting (neè Jane Brody  Casting) in 1984.  Leaving those thriving enterprises in the late  90s, she earned her MFA while teaching at Illinois State University. She  then headed up Undergraduate Acting at Louisiana State followed by  teaching undergrads and grads at DePaul’s Theatre School Conservatory.  Along the way she has been an actor in film, TV and commercials, won  awards for casting (Casting Society of America for Fargo) and acting (LA  Weekly’s Best Actress Award for Absent Friends).  Now, despite her  “retirement” she continues to teach workshops, classes and private  coaching based on her scrutiny of existing acting theory merged with her  innovative research into neuroscience and archetype.