(415) 483-0809
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Welcome to Empowerhouse Acting Studio, the Bay Area’s artistic home for actors of all levels. Our graduates are working actors in film, TV, commercials, and theatre in LA, NY, SF and beyond.
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MIXED LEVEL IMPROV WITH OTIS JAMES GATES
Improv boosts creativity, confidence, flexibility and spontaneity. It promotes teamwork, and helps with communication and active listening. Improv helps you to get out of your head and trust your instincts. Not only does this help with your acting and auditions, but it is also a great tool for business, other art mediums, and even as a way to better communicate with others in any aspect of your life. Improv is also very commonly used in commercial auditions and is one of the primary classes that agents and casting directors look for on an actor’s resume.
This is a high-energy 4 session improv workshop built around the four essential pillars of great improvisation: Character, Relationships & Stakes, Location & Space Work, and Repetition in Service of Your Scene Partner.
This class is designed for all levels — from absolute beginners to seasoned improvisers. If you’re brand new, you’ll build strong foundations in stage presence, performance basics, and the core principle of “Yes, And…” If you’ve taken Otis’ classes before, you’ll go deeper into character specificity, heightened stakes, long-form beats, and advanced game play. Otis customizes in real time, meeting each student at their level and challenging them to grow.
Each class is a self-contained unit. We review fundamentals at the top of every session, then dive deep into one pillar through movement, space work, theater games, scene building, and ensemble collaboration. The final class culminates in a dynamic group project that highlights both emerging and experienced improvisers working together.
Improv is repetition, risk, and play. It sharpens instincts, strengthens listening, boosts confidence, and trains you to make bold, obvious choices that move scenes forward. Powerful for actors, invaluable for communication and creativity, and ideal for anyone ready to step out of their comfort zone.
Whether it’s your first improv class or your fifth with Otis — this one will stretch you. Otis will customize the experience for each student, depending on their level.
CLASS SCHEDULE
This class will begin on Wednesday, April 8th and will meet every Wednesday for 4 sessions through Wednesday, April 29th. Classes will meet from 6:30pm to 9:30pm. Tuition for this class is $350.
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Meisner Technique
Sessions 2 - 6
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​We welcome actors transferring from other Meisner Technique programs or actors who have previously trained in the Meisner Technique. Contact us for an interview to assess the appropriate class placement.
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Embodied Character: Advanced Physical Techniques for the Actor with DeAnna Driscoll
A 6-week physical characterization class for actors seeking deeper embodiment, emotional availability and freedom in performance.
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In this 6 week course, actors will enhance their physical characterization practices to help develop an expressive instrument so they can make flexible and emotionally available choices. Actors often struggle to find a technique that helps to enhance the physical life of their characters, so we will address the most common questions that arise for actors.
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Truth in Acting: The Meisner Technique with DeAnna Driscoll
This acting class is rooted in the Meisner Technique, one of the most widely used, respected and effective methods of acting. Students will explore the Repetition Exercise and a range of exercises designed to get actors out of their heads and cultivate truthful, instinctive behavior, deep listening, authentic moment-to-moment connection.
Building on this foundation, students will apply their skills to scripted scene work, learning how to bring honesty, spontaneity, and emotional presence into text. The class emphasizes truthful behavior, genuine reaction, and organic performance, giving actors practical tools they can carry into any role or on stage or screen.
Ideal for beginning and intermediate actors, this class balances structured exercises with scripted scene work to strengthen craft, confidence, artistic range and freedom. This class is also open to non-actors looking for an artistic channel and/or looking to grow their confidence, presence and authenticity.
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CLASS SCHEDULE
This class will begin on Tuesday, April 7th and will meet every Tuesday for 8 sessions through Tuesday, May 26th. Classes meet from 6:30pm to 9:30pm. Tuition for this class is $640.
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ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
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DeAnna Driscoll’s career as an actor and theatre educator has spanned over 30 years. She is currently based in San Francisco, CA and was most recently seen at CenterRep Theatre in the role of Jonathan in ARSENIC AND OLD LACE and as Trinculo/Antonio in Marin Shakespeare Theatre’s production of THE TEMPEST.
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Before living in the Bay Area, DeAnna spent many years in Southern California where she starred in more than 30 productions. Some favorite theatres include: The Old Globe Theatre, San Diego Repertory Theatre, Cygnet Theatre, Intrepid Theatre, and more. Previous to that, DeAnna was in NYC for five years studying at National Shakespeare Conservatory and working professionally with various artists and teachers including: Edward Albee, Peter Lobdell, Kennedy Brown, Fay Simpson, and Dana Zeller Alexis.
DeAnna is the recipient of several Critics Circle Awards, a Backstage Garland Award, and The Pate Award for her work over the years. Her television and film credits include: Unverified, Lincoln Heights, Point Pleasant, Veronica Mars, and Decaf among others. DeAnna is a proud member of Actor’s Equity and SAG/AFTRA.
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DeAnna’s teaching approach encourages actors to trust and develop their spark, to explore organically to create a rich emotional and physical life of the characters they play. DeAnna takes a psycho-physical approach, rooted in the Lucid Body technique which helps find harmony between body and breath, giving actors the ability to more fully inhabit characters and find deeper connections to their motivations. Elements from Sanford Meisner, Stella Adler, Faye Simpson, and Uta Hagen’s work are used to help actors develop and mold a technique that can carry them from the audition all the way through performance. DeAnna currently works as an acting coach and artist for American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco and is the founder of the theatre program at the world renowned High Tech High school in San Diego, CA. DeAnna has worked internationally creating original co-projects with artists and educators from around the world including Tasuba College of the Arts in Bagamoyo, Tanzania, The Giant Panda Conservation Center in Chengdu, China, and over 50 educators in Barcelona, Spain. DeAnna firmly believes the journey to creating powerful art is neverending.
WHAT STUDENTS ARE SAYING ABOUT DEANNA
“DeAnna is so lovely, supportive and encouraging! She created a really safe space for us to connect with our instruments and ourselves.”
“DeAnna is an amazing instructor. She is passionate, it shows in her delivery and instruction. She is empowering to her students and also provides honest, knowledgeable feedback.”
“DeAnna did an exceptional job making me feel safe and welcome and reinviting my instrument to the work.”
“The class was very permission-granting in it structure and in how DeAnna led it. I’d encourage anyone to take a class from her!”
“DeAnna had great intuition of what was holding each actor back from moving deeper and she helped us experiment with freedom."​
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Payment Options: We accept cash, check, credit card, and Venmo.
Refund policy
We interview all potential students and request that interviewees examine their ability to make the commitment required before enrolling in any class. Also training to be an actor is an exciting, rewarding, enriching growth experience. It can also be challenging and humbling and like with any growth journey you may experience growing pains that feel a bit scary or uncomfortable. But so often the biggest breakthroughs and growth come when you feel that fear and discomfort and instead of turning away from it, you explore it and move through it. Sometimes the only thing that keeps someone from quitting in a time of fear and discomfort is the tuition they paid. For this reason, we do not offer refunds on class deposits or tuition.