Private Coaching
Founder and Executive Director of 4 Chairs Theatre, Lauren Berman holds a BFA and MFA in Acting from UCLA and has directed countless shows at Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire for over 25 years. As Resident Director of Metropolis Performing Arts Centre in Arlington Heights since 2004, Lauren also directed numerous professional plays and musicals. Most recently, she directed Stevenson’s Fiddler On The Roof, and was nominated for Best Production by Illinois High School Musical Theatre Awards (IHSMTA).
At Metropolis (MPAC) she closed a highly successful production of Avenue Q, and was also recognized for her production of Sideman, nominated for top 25 Chicago Plays of 2010.
Her focus is helping actors develop a character with honesty and vulnerability. Through conversations, collaboration and encouragement, she helps actors create skills that lead to more focus and self-confidence. Being part of both educational and professional theatre, she is better able to help actors navigate the audition process and feel more confident when they step into an audition room. Under her guidance and direction, one of her students won the 2014 Jimmy awards, two of her students were nominated by IHSMTA for best actor and actress for In The Heights and Miss Saigon, and one of her actors was nominated for best actor for Fiddler On The Roof.
Lauren’s coaching students have been accepted to many institutions including: NYU, AMDA, University of Northern Colorado, SCAD, Western Michigan University, Rider University, and more.
Services
Monologue/Audition Preparation
Get help choosing and preparing monologues for high school, college, professional theatre and television/ film auditions. Lauren will help you focus in on character development and objectives. The goal is to have confidence when you walk into your next audition feeling prepared and confident, and walk out knowing you did the best you could.
Scene Work
Dive deep into the material. Lauren can guide you and your scene partner on material selections, blocking, and discovering the arc of a scene.
Musical Theatre Study
Perfect your techniques for acting a song. Lauren can help you choose audition material and prepare for all of your musical theatre auditions and performances.
Children's Coaching
Nurture artistic development. Lauren can teach children of all levels how to develop into strong actors and musical theatre artists. She works with each child individually, or in groups, to gain confidence and self-esteem. Through self-discovery and gentle guidance, Lauren creates a welcoming and safe space for children to grow as artists and people.
Testimonials
While going through the difficult process of preparing and filming pre-screens for schools, Ms. Berman was there every step of the way and provided a great balance of both constructive criticism and encouragement. I appreciate how she put a lot of time and effort into helping me find monologues that challenged me and accentuated my strengths. Her support did not stop even when I got into NYU– she continues to cheer me on and I know that I can always go to her if I have questions or need help.
- Student accepted to NYU
Lauren was always patient and kind in her feedback. I truly felt like a different person during my college audition — it was amazing to see the growth after even one session. I will certainly be keeping in touch with her for future performances and opportunities!
- Student accepted to the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA)
“Lauren is such a treasure to work with during the college audition process. We all - student and parent - loved her from the instant we met. She is always very responsive and patient - even with last minute S.O.S. messages. She took the time to get to know my daughter as a person and help her find/choose monologues that represented her as an individual. Lauren offered guidance that then helped my daughter perfect the material. I saw immediate and dramatic differences in my child's performance. What was probably most important is how Lauren's natural joy and positivity gave my daughter the confidence to know that she could succeed in the auditions. And the results speak for themselves - my daughter was accepted into all four of the acting programs to which she auditioned after starting to work with Lauren and she got the role she wanted in her high school play. We are so grateful to Lauren and all her support in the stressful college audition process.”
- Parent of Admitted College Student