For Beginner & Intermediate Actors | Ages 12+

Learn the techniques of the legendary acting teachers who shaped modern performance.

Great acting isn’t about memorizing lines—it’s about understanding how to create a truthful, compelling character and bring a script to life.

In this intensive 8-Week Foundations of Acting course, veteran actor and acting coach Ilia Volok guides students through the principles, exercises, and philosophies of some of the most influential acting teachers in history, including:

Konstantin Stanislavski • Uta Hagen • Sanford Meisner • Lee Strasberg • Michael Chekhov

Rather than teaching actors one single "method," this course introduces students to the different approaches that have shaped generations of professional actors, helping each student discover the techniques that work best for them.

LEARN FROM A VETERAN WORKING ACTOR

Ilia Volok brings decades of professional film, television, and stage experience into the classroom. His credits include Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, Air Force One, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Hunter Killer, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Gemini Man, Water for Elephants, and Swordfish.

Students will learn how professional actors approach a script, analyze a character, build relationships, create emotional truth, listen and react authentically, and make stronger choices in both auditions and performances.

WHAT YOU'LL STUDY

• Stanislavski — Objectives, circumstances, truthful behavior, and the foundation of modern acting

• Uta Hagen — Character discovery, substitution, relationships, and bringing yourself truthfully to the role

• Sanford Meisner — Listening, reacting, impulse, and living truthfully in the moment

• Lee Strasberg — Concentration, relaxation, sensory work, and emotional connection

• Michael Chekhov — Imagination, physicality, psychological gesture, and character transformation

• Script Analysis — Breaking down scenes, objectives, obstacles, beats, and actions

• Character Development — Creating believable, multidimensional characters

• Subtext & Nonverbal Communication — Discovering what exists beneath the words

• Comedy & Drama — Understanding the different demands of each genre

• The Art of Show Business — Understanding the professional side of pursuing an acting career

And much more.

This course is designed to give actors more than a collection of exercises. The goal is to build a strong acting foundation and a practical toolbox of techniques that can be applied to auditions, self-tapes, scene work, film, television, and stage performances.

Whether you're beginning your acting journey or you're an experienced performer who wants to strengthen your foundation, this course will challenge you to become a more prepared, instinctive, confident, and truthful actor.

CERTIFICATE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT

Every student who successfully completes the 8-week program will earn a Certificate of Accomplishment.

Enrollment is limited to 18 actors per class to provide students with individual attention and the opportunity to actively participate.

AGES: 12+

CLASS SCHEDULE

Sundays | 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM Eastern
(4:00 PM – 6:30 PM Pacific)

Begins Sunday, October 11th and continues through December 6th (no class on November 29th) 

TUITION

Total Program Tuition: $590

$100 Deposit due upon registration
$245 payment due October 1
$245 payment due November 1

PLEASE NOTE

Enrollment is a commitment to the complete 8-week program. All classes will be recorded, so students who are unable to attend a live session can review the class recording.

Study the masters. Build your technique. Discover what works for you. Become a stronger actor.

Ilia Volok – Actor, Acting Coach, and International Artist

Ilia Volok is an internationally acclaimed Ukrainian-American actor, acting coach, and theater artist whose career spans more than three decades across film, television, theater, and voice-over performance. Born in Kyiv, Ukraine, Volok trained at the prestigious Moscow Art Theatre School under renowned actor and director Alexander Kalyagin before emigrating to the United States to pursue his dream of working in Hollywood.

Since arriving in America, Volok has built an impressive body of work with nearly 200 film, television, and video game credits. He is widely recognized for memorable performances in major motion pictures including Air Force One, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Gemini Man, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and Water for Elephants. On television, he has appeared in numerous hit series including Firefly, Friends, The Americans, Shameless, and Power Rangers Wild Force, where he portrayed the iconic villain Master Org.

Beyond his screen work, Volok is a passionate educator and mentor to actors. As a lifetime member of The Actors Studio, he has dedicated much of his career to exploring the craft of acting through both performance and teaching, including teaching at the Lee Strasberg Institute in Los Angeles. His approach blends the rigorous traditions of the Moscow Art Theatre with practical techniques developed through years of professional work in Hollywood. Students value his emphasis on authenticity, emotional truth, imagination, and fearless commitment to character.

An accomplished stage performer, Volok has earned critical acclaim for numerous theatrical productions, including his award-winning solo performance in Diary of a Madman, which earned him the 2013 LA Weekly Theater Award for Best Solo Performance. His theater work reflects a deep commitment to storytelling and the transformative power of live performance.

Fluent in multiple languages and drawing upon a rich international background, Ilan Volok brings a unique global perspective to both his acting and his teaching. His career serves as an inspiring example of perseverance, artistic excellence, and lifelong dedication to the craft of storytelling.