Actors' Transformation: The Work of Deena Levy and Her Students (2003)

"I want to act." These words ring out thousands of times a day in classrooms, cafés, and bathroom mirrors around the world. Everyone wants to act, but how many people actually know what goes on behind all the smoke and mirrors? How many people really understand what an exquisite, painful, joyful, and terrifying experience the actor's journey is? From Broadway divas to stars of the silver screen, from drug addicts to TV regulars, from strippers to top runway models, The Deena Levy Theatre Studio has been teaching actors at all levels and from all walks of life to 'unlock the secrets' for 15 years. Known as so much more than just an acting teacher, Canadian Deena Levy uses a unique combination of techniques, including Grotowski, Method, and Meisner, to help her students at her studio in Manhattan find their own voices and live authentically both on stage and off. This documentary follows the students' progress throughout the school year, culminating in their powerful and self-reflexive performances in the showcase they write themselves, entitled "You, Actor." Through interviews, classes, and performances, the film explores Deena Levy's innovative processes and positive, transformational approach, which is so vital in these challenging times.