[Jef Hall-Flavin]

As a part-time lecturer on the recently-formed Acting course at Norwich University of the Arts, I have the opportunity to help shape the curriculum, now in its third year. My focus is broad, from text-based acting and auditioning skills, to devising interdisciplinary performance projects, directing, and more.

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The Acting course in Norwich is not only concerned with ‘how’ to act but questioning what acting as a discipline ‘does’ -- exploring new possibilities for the craft across various media, styles and forms.

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Learn More about Norwich University of the Arts

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As a mentor for students on the MA Acting course at Mountview Academy, I help them over the course of 7 months as they research, develop, and devise a Creative Project culminating in a performance. 

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The Creative Project is an independent learning module that focuses on practice as research. My goal is to foster clear methods and methodologies to undertake the ever-evolving practice of devising a performance piece. From approaching a topic and shaping a proposal, to developing an argument and pursuing an inquiry, to presenting and writing about their practice in an academic setting, these are tasks I help my students work through in bi-monthly tutoring sessions prior to assessing the outcomes of their work. 

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Learn More about Mountview Academy

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In addition to leading a research unit and supervising dissertations for MA/MFA Creative Producing and MA Voice Studies, I have led workshops and discussions in my field of research at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, where I received an MFA with distinction.

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For MA/MFA Advanced Theatre Practice students I've lectured on research methods and contexts, tutored MFA dissertations, and presented a seminar with Q&A on text-event philosophy. I led discussions about interrogating the relationship between text and authorship with BA Writing for Performance students, and I served as production manager and mentor for the BRINK Festival on the MA/MFA Performance Practice as Research. 

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Learn More about The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama

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While directing The Glass Menagerie in Auckland, I taught a 6-week scene study unit twice weekly at the Actors' Program, a highly selective 1-year intensive course for professionals. 

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My class included four different approaches to acting: Stanislavsky, Epic Theatre, Imagery, and Storytelling; all based on David Kaplan's Five Approaches to Acting series. Since every actor thinks differently, I strongly believe in exposing students to a wide variety of techniques and practices. Through lecture and scene work, I encouraged my students to try and sometimes fail at specific (and often opposing) approaches to acting, so that each individual can craft her own technique that works for the way she thinks.

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Learn More about the Actors' Program

During and after my time on the education staff of the Guthrie Theater, I not only visited classrooms all over the state of Minnesota on behalf of the Guthrie, but I also taught weekly classes to learners of all ages and skills.

 

Highlights of these classes included: visiting professor and director for the BFA Actor Training Program at the University of Minnesota; The “Schools on Stage” program (4 years); Beginning & Intermediate Acting classes; The Actor’s Toolbox (advanced seminar/scene study class); The Director’s Toolbox (Advanced seminar); and a Master Class called "The Professional Audition"

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Learn more about the Guthrie Theater

I have spoken on a wide variety of topics on theater in venues all over the United States as well as in New Zealand as a guest artist, seminar leader, speaker, researcher, workshop leader, and lecturer. 

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Mayo Medical School, Rochester, MN: “The Anatamy of a Story” seminar • Boston Center for Adult Education: “Williams 101” seminar • University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN: Careers in Theater speech • Stephen’s College, (Columbia, MO), Lake Okoboji Summer Theater, IA: Guest Artist • Concordia University, St. Paul, MN: Musical Theater seminar • Hamline University, St. Paul, MN: Audition Workshop • USITT (United States Institute for Theatre Technology): “Large Scale Impact with Economy of Means” speaker • AATE (American Alliance for Theatre & Education): Acting Theory seminar • Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY: Theater Careers seminar • George Mason University, Fairfax, VA: Audition Workshop • University of Otago, Dunedin, NZ: Adapting Shakespeare seminar

ACTING - I've taught acting since 1997, and my focus is on a well-rounded vocabulary so that actors can work with any director on any kind of text. From audition techniques and musical theatre to scene study and acting theory, I am conversant in the traditions of Stanislavsky, Epic Theatre (Brecht), Storytelling, and how to use imagery and movement (Laban/Feldenkrais) to inform acting choices.​

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TEXT - My primary expertise is text-based performance. I have taught text analysis, story structure, and my post-graduate research is in the relationships between text and meaning.

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CLASSICS - In particular, Tennessee Williams and Shakespeare. 

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PRODUCING - As the director of an international theatre festival for 14 years, I have an expertise in non-profit management, community building, development, and site-specific theatre practices.