THE MASTERY

[acrouch]

[quote]THE MASTERY - A weekend workshop to take your creativity to the next level

The MASTERY has been a touchstone for people in all walks of life to move forward in their creativity and their careers. In one weekend you’ll move to the next level in your skills, passion, creativity, and focus. It's about you as a person and what is possible when you release more of yourself into your life. The Mastery was created at The Actors Institute in New York by Dan Fauci, an actor, producer and writer in 1977. Since then thousands of people have taken The Mastery all over the world, building its reputation as one of the most powerful and effective personal development workshops today.

In Austin, The Mastery is lead by Van Brooks. Brooks has been an actor/teacher/director/writer/photographer for the past 36 years. He is formerly the General Manager of the Actor’s Institute in New York (where he trained with the founder of the Institute and the creator of the MASTERY, Dan Fauci). Brooks also worked as Artistic Director of the Seattle Actor’s Lab, and has taught classes and led workshops in New York, Seattle, Boston, Chicago, Toronto, Dallas, Houston, and Austin. He has worked with some of the top people in the business, including Academy Award winners Joel and Ethan Coen, Frances McDormand, and Marissa Tomei; Golden Globe, Emmy, Tony, and Obie winner Mary-Louise Paker, as well as such diverse talent as Rip Torn, Kelly Lynch, Alan Rudolph, Willie Nelson, Lou Diamond Phillips, Christopher Durang, and many more.

“My aim as a teacher is to aid in the development of practical, dynamic, and confident performers whose work is a reflection of their creativity and willingness. I believe that people want to be challenged in order to grow and expand. I also believe that in order to achieve the goals that creative people set for themselves, they need to be mentored and encouraged. And I feel that everyone is a creative being, whether you’re an actor, painter, writer, singer, dancer, salesperson, computer programmer, proofreader, whatever. In everyone’s heart is a connection to the desire to communicate something meaningful to the world.â€

[nadine]

small internet footprint.. but i found these:

http://www.themastery.com/themastery.php

http://themasteryworkshops.com/danfauci.htm

[Wesley]

That site reads like a Landmark Forum ad.

[LisaJackson]

I have a friend who uses Van Brooks as an acting coach. He really likes him but the one thing I remember is that we were doing a show and it was the first dress rehearsal and Van told my friend that he couldn't miss his class for a dress rehearsal, which seems weird when the point of having an acting coach is to get acting work. I know nothing about the Mastery, nor about Van's abilities.

[Jessica]

I took this class and have mixed reactions to it. I think it was a powerful class and useful if you are in the right frame. I took it the weekend that my Grandfather died and I was pretty vulnerable, so the class was a little rough on me. Van is not always nice. But I still think it was worth it - especially if you are committed to moving to the next level.

[Milquetoast]

That site reads like a Landmark Forum ad.

Yes it does.[/quote]

[starkserious]

I know my friend Rob Nash swears by this guy and the class. But I always found those confrontational classes or workshops to be too painful for me. I did all the Landmark Forum stuff back in the 90's and while it definitely created a big impact in my life I always had a love/hate kind of relationship with the work. You got play the game their way and not your way if you are going to get the breakthroughs they promise. Those transformational breakthroughs do happen, but unless you have a good strong support system or structure in place to continue to move forward it usually doesn't last. Plus there is some brainwashing/mind control crap they do that I didn't care for at all. I'm not saying the work is evil or manipulative but if you don't have a strong sense of yourself be prepared for a bumpy ride. If people aren't ready to challenge or confront themselves on the things that get brought up then I think it can damaging to them. The work of these courses (master, landmark, etc...) is very powerful but it's not magic elixir for what works for everyone. At least that's what I've learned so far in my life. But everyone is different.