The Professional and Personal life of Uta Hagen and Herbert Berghof

Francesca Ferrera Student, Actor, Co Director at HB Studio We couldn’t be happier to share this episode with Francesca. Francesca’s journey started with HB when she was 12 years old. Her father Richard Ferrera was the resident architect, taking over for George Calvary, a friend of Herberts. Richard designed the speech room. A spacious room behind the office that looks over the garden. Richard bein...

HB was a stepping stone. I came to NY from LA just to go to HB.  Growing up Tim was in theatre at an early age. Living in a neighborhood where a lot of people were in the bissness. They would produce 1 act plays. Hearing such good things about HB I told my mom, we have to go to NY.  I found an a sublet. It was the apt of Richard Valentine who  was touring in Camelot with Richard Burton.  I started...

Kelly shares her story of what it was like coming to New York as a dancer & being introduced by her friend to HB Studio.  Studying with Herbert in the early 80’s she discovered the feeling of “knowing what you’re meant to do.”  His ability to see into the core of a person & what they needed, changed my life.  He like Uta held you to a standard that he was never willing to do himself.  “You...

It’s worth mentioning that HB studio was for my parents what the Vatican is for a catholic.  It was there absolute & complete spiritual center. It was everything that they cared about & loved was in those walls.  From when I was born until my 30’s, it was a place that I was around, seeing the creative process between my parents & your grandparents collaborating on projects they continu...

Marc Dourso acting coach  founder of Act True based in Miami. I was an art student at the University of Tampa. My sister, a triple threat talent heard about an audition for Burt Reynolds institute of Theatre training. My sister suggested I audition. I worked on a monologue from the play “Lou Garret did not die of Cancer.” I auditioned wearing a hand tied bow tie. On the panel was Charles Nelson Ri...

You might know her from Edward Albee’s play Lolita, Steel Magnolia’s or one of the iconic 80’s films 16 Candles, just to name a few.  Blanche a student of Uta Hagen’s in the 70’s. The first thing was auditioning for her class. I  choose Saint Joan, coming in with a broom stick. Uta thought my creativity  was impressive but suggested I simplify her props. So I did a second audition. Uta had a great...

Having a reoccurring dream of lights and a blue curtain. It was when I auditioned for Uta, that the dream came to life. I was accepted into her class at age 17. Because I was so young, it was all intuitive. Shifting into learning from her on how to bring things down & do it 8 times a week. That’s where the hard work began.  Would the American way of acting work with Shakespeare? Any way of wor...

Summer fruit. Words from Uta’s book love for cooking. If you’d like to know how her journey with food started you can read it in her memoir, Sources. 

When I think of Uta I think of the school. In the 90’s I was looking for an acting school. Feeling a little lost, a good friend suggested she study at HB. “They have a different approach to learning the craft.” The style was more European. It was exactly the type of training I was looking for.  “It was there at HB I became an artist, not just an actor.” Katherine Sergava, small but mighty.  Intens...

Today’s show we have actor Laila Robins. She talks about meeting Uta & Hebert for the first time in there apt in NYC.  They changed the trajectory of my career. I got a lot of validation because of working with Uta & Herbert. “Working with them, is like studying with them.” I felt very drawn to Uta. She had immigrant parents, I had immigrant parents. I went to school in Wisconsin. She was...

Karen creator of DVD Uta Hagen acting class with the late Penny DuPont. Karen shares what it was like studying with Uta in the late 60’s while Uta was performing in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf 8 shows a week.  Karen talks about the rehearsal process in Uta’s class that is rarely practiced. We would rehearsal at least 10 times before presenting in class.  Karen tells us how the making of the DVD...

In this episode, we talk about Uta's technique now being taught in China at the Shanghai Theatre Academy, and Uta's daughter Letty shares her thoughts with students studying there.

In this episode, Letty talks about being on the back porch in Montauk at Uta’s to going boarding school with Orsen Wells daughter & so much more. Alexander Scourby I’ve known him since I was little. He was in Othello with my mother & and father (Jose Ferrer) playing Brabantio, Desdemona’s father.  At camp Lexi, (Alex & Lori March’s daughter) & I became good friends. Our parents wou...