Uta Hagen

He felt like she had to come up with all this grounding reality because otherwise she would just fly off into the wings because she was so innately theatrical character actor and teacher.

M20: When you talk to Huggins students one mantra keeps coming up.

M30: Mark Nelson who also teaches at HP Studios says on the first day of class with Hagen he was a nervous wreck and she crouched down next to me and whispering to nobody else in the class could hear was private and she said if I have two minutes and I want to relax so that I can act. I ask myself where am I. Where have I just come from and what do I want to do.

M20: And if I know the answers to those three questions I realize there have been lots of influential acting teachers over the years Constantine Stanislavski. Lee Strasberg. Stella Adler and they all have their disciples but for many Huda Huggins tool box is one they come to again and again. And for those who were lucky enough to learn about it from Hagen herself well the lessons never go away. Mercedes Rule now teaches in the same room where she studied with Uta Hagen.

F12: It was the most magical place to me. It saved my life. At that time and I think she focused me in a way that was absolutely necessary and key to my moving on in her belief in me gave me belief in myself.

F3: Whether she was teaching or acting for Uta Hagen it was all about how to be a human being on stage and never stop learning about that and not look like an actor but look like a human being onstage and still have total communication with that audience. That’s the real craft and that’s the bottom. Jeff London produced our story.

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