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Candy Cotton

About

Thanks to the talented young actors who work with me, I've become the go-to college prep coach in Northern Virginia; guiding young actors and their parents through the often confusing and overwhelming process of college auditions. With a philosophy that takes pressure off of the actor and emphasizes process over result, actors find that they feel confident, prepared and ready to play in their prescreens, auditions and callbacks. We also work on interviews (aka just being a human being and having a conversation), choosing schools, and pretty much everything else that comes up along the way. I'm always just a text away for actors and their parents.

 

At the cornerstone of my teaching philosophy is what I call "safe and sustainable acting". An artist can be mentally and physically healthy and still be incredibly effective. We need not torture ourselves for art!

 

All coaching sessions, college prep and lessons are highly personalized to the actor's needs based on the their goals and what I observe as we work together. There is no one size fits all training module, as we are all different people with different needs.

I left every lesson feeling that I had not only improved as an actor, but also feeling confident and excited.
She pushes me when I need to be pushed, but in a kind and supportive way.
One of the improvements I saw in my own work ... is truly embracing what I had to say.
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COLLEGE AUDITION COACHING

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PRESCREEN RECORDING

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PRIVATE LESSONS

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WORKSHOPS & MASTERCLASSES

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FAQ & FREE RESOURCES

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about me

My training spans from Columbia University (MFA Acting, 2022) and Pace University (BFA Acting, 2012), to The Shakespeare Theatre of NJ (Apprenticeship) and The Atlantic Acting School (Evening Conservatory). At these programs and at other private studios, I’ve worked hands on and in-depth with techniques that cultivate emotional, physical and vocal freedom. Techniques include Alexander Technique, Meisner, Stanislavski, Feldenkrais, Michael Chekhov, Viewpoints, Laban, Linklater, Fitzmaurice, Improv and more.

I’ve had the honor of studying with some of the most innovative and respected acting teachers of our time, including Ron Van Lieu, Scott Zigler, Peter Jay Fernandez, Sita Mani, James Calleri, Bruce Cromer, Ellen Lauren, just to name a few.

 

As an actor, I have worked at Shakespeare Theatre Company, Mosaic Theatre Company, Virginia Stage Company, Toms River Shakespeare Festival, The Shakespeare Theatre of NJ, Adirondack Shakespeare Company, Punchdrunk (creators of Sleep No More), and many others. On TV, you can catch me on Investigation Discovery’s A Crime To Remember and Nick Jr.’s Team UmiZoomi. Films include countless student and short films over the years in NYC. At Columbia, I’ve been a part of the new play development process for many full length and one act plays.

I offer Coaching Sessionssupport and pre-screen recording throughout audition season for high school, undergrad and graduate school auditions. The general goal is to take the pressure off by beginning a young actor's higher education training journey. This results in actors already having the confidence to fail gloriously and be in process, which makes for dynamic and playful exploration in the room. With tons of positive reinforcement from me, actors are already in the good goo and figuring out who they are as artists when it's time to submit pre-screens and do live auditions.

 

I also offer Private Lessons for persons of any age and skill level who would like to learn technique, develop specifics of their physical instrument and how to think like an actor. Private Lessons are geared towards long term study and growth. They are also a great option for executives and folks who would like to cultivate a dynamic presence and improve public speaking.

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