Dina Spybey-Waters for Video Testimonials

Speaker: Dina Spybey-Waters, Professional Actress

Dina Spybey-Waters: Hi, I'm Dina Spivey Waters. I've known Geoffrey for Gosh, about 30 years. We first met at Rutgers University, where we were both acting students in their M. F. A professional actor training program. I have done many shows with Jeffrey. He's a wonderful actor and uh, and I got to know him as an actor and an artist and, and then just a friend.

Dina Spybey-Waters: I reconnected with Jeffrey several years ago when I was looking for an acting coach for my teenage daughter who was nominated for the Orange County Artist of the Year. And it was a big, big honor and I knew I need some outside help with her uh finding material and helping her with her audition because it was a big big opportunity. So we uh I got together with Jeffrey and with his work with her. He was very direct um insightful, creative, funny, um passionate um honest, just very very honest. And it brought out honesty with her. Um And he's also just very dynamic. He's a dynamic performer. So when he's off what I call off camera or you know, you're silent scene partner, if you're doing a monologue, he he really gave her a lot to think about in terms of someone she's reacting off of. And and that was exciting for her because she's never done that before.

Dina Spybey-Waters: what I loved about Jeffrey working with my daughter was um he just has like a vast, vast um, catalog of monologues and, and pieces that are rarely done. And that's really important because, you know, as an adjudicator, they kind of see the same material over and over again. So bringing in anything that's unique or rarely done is is really important. And he helped her find those pieces that um, she really connected to and that suited her temperament and her personality and and they worked to make her shine. And that was really great. And the other thing that I really, really loved and appreciated that he taught her was that you don't think about it as this, this monologue here and then this monologue here, he taught her the, that the audition is a piece all into itself. So you're your, your story or your um, your performance begins as you enter the room that is part of your audition. It's about why are you choosing these two pieces together? What is the through line with both of them? Um The transitions between each piece are just as important as the pieces themselves. And he taught her how to make that be a part of her performance. And um and that was really cool to see, and of course, you know, you're teaching how to exit properly, which is uh rarely if ever taught, I've been to many, many acting classes and it's never taught and it's really important. So that was really great. Um and he knows because he's been on the other side of the table and he's and adjudicated a lot of actors himself, so he knows what they're looking for and, and can help you shine in that way.

Dina Spybey-Waters: um anyway, so as a result of her working with Jeffrey, uh she was very prepared um and had a confidence that um really, I think put her in a great artistic mindset and out of Gosh, I think it was 168 actor submissions. She did end up getting uh to be a finalist in the top five, so that was really nice, um little humble brag, but um I know that she what I would not have gotten that without his help and without his insight and the preparation that they did together and the pieces that they chose together. And uh and I'm I'm really grateful to Jeffrey for that because it was it was a great honor.