REBECCA HALE
Reverb Editor
Award-winning actress and State University of New York at Fredonia alumna, Sara Schoch, returned to her alma mater last weekend to conduct workshops with students through the Performing Arts Company.
Schoch has been acting professionally for 15 years and coaching for 10. She holds a BFA in musical theatre from Fredonia and an MFA in acting from Brandeis University, and has been seen in shows off-Broadway.
On Friday, Jan. 30, Schoch conducted private vocal coachings with students who signed up for 45-minute slots in which they would perform a piece for Schoch, and then in turn receive coaching and critique.
On Saturday morning, she held a workshop titled, “90-Second Packages,” in which students had 90 seconds to perform their best work. These packages are used for large-scale auditions, and actors can choose to sing, read a monologue, dance or do any combination of the three. Students performed their package for Schoch, and after, she critiqued their work along with their resumes and attire.
Schoch said that when she was an undergraduate student, she never really had the opportunity to participate in many workshops or learn from other, older actors. She said she wishes that she had that opportunity, and to students currently studying, she said, “It’s the most important thing.”
Later on Saturday, Schoch conducted a workshop called “Acting the Song,” in which students brought a piece of musical theater to perform, and Schoch coached each student on how to best act out the piece dramatically.
In her teaching, Schoch uses what is called “The Toolbox Method.” This is a teaching style that differs from other methods, such as the Alexander or Laban methods, in that it is applicable to any actor.
Kiernan Matts, a junior musical theater major and the General Manager of PAC, explained a little bit of Schoch’s coaching concept.
“She takes it from the acting approach first, and worries about objectives and tactics before singing, because she thinks that the voice is an extension of the actor’s tool/body,” Matts said.
Schoch further explained,“I am the sort of actor and teacher that understands that everybody learns in a different way, and the doors can be unlocked in all kinds of methods; sometimes you need a little bit of this and a little bit of that,” she said. “I use all the techniques to make sure the method is individualized for every student.”
On Saturday night, PAC hosted it’s first Studio Hour, a monthly event in which PAC members perform songs for each other. Schoch performed six songs that evening, alongside nine other student performers, and even Schoch’s own mentor, Ms. Tramuta. The performances were all inspirational and passion-filled, and even Schoch had tears in her eyes at the end of the evening.
On Sunday, Schoch hosted a monologue workshop in which students each recited a monologue under two minutes in length, and proceeded to have it coached by Schoch. Afterwards, she held a Q&A session in which students could ask any theater-related questions.
Schoch said that when she was a student, she was afraid of failure every day. This is a daily struggle for most actors, since it is such a competitive field. Still, Schoch encourages students to keep at it if they really thrive off theater. If an actor wakes up every morning thinking about it and can’t imagine doing anything else for a living, she said, it’s that individual’s calling.
She also said that one of the most common things she tells her students is to not be afraid of raw emotion.
“Don’t be afraid to feel something, because that’s what’s so unbelievably genuine about being a human,” she said. “I always encourage people to take that thing that they’re doing, and go one step further.”
Schoch keeps a little pink notebook with her, in which she records notes on every student she has ever coached. This is useful, in case she ever runs into that student again. Since the last time Schoch workshopped in Fredonia was only two years ago, she was able to track the growth in some of her students.
“There are some students that just absolutely blew me away since the last time I saw them, Schoch said. “I cannot begin to tell you the growth there.”
Christine Boehm, a sophomore musical theatre major and director for performance and outreach for PAC, was thankful for Schoch’s input.
“We always are really fortunate when we have someone with her wealth and talent and knowledge come to Fredonia for this series of workshops,” she said. “Usually people only come in for one or two, but she’s doing four, so she’s very kind to be so responsive to our students here.”
Schoch will next appear in the rewrite of Andrew Lippa’s “Big Fish” this March at Boston’s SpeakEasy Stage.