Noreen Sumpter, Certified Life Coach, On Her Upcoming Workshop and Empowering People to Live Their Best Life

By Shelby Tansil

           

When an actor walks into the audition room, she is trying out for not one but two roles. First, she must prove she fits the character role the casting director is hoping to fill. Second, she must prove that her personal character is a good match for the hiring company. Does she have enough confidence? Will she get along well with the other actors and staff? She auditions for the role as both an actor and a human being.

How can actors prepare for these dual roles? One option is to hire an acting or audition coach. However, if an actor feels prepared for the character role but wants to work on her confidence or other personal qualities, working with a life coach is another great option.  

In her upcoming workshop, Ready, Set, Audition! The Actor's Workshop for Confidence and Success, life coach Noreen Sumpter will help actors and non-actors alike to overcome insecurities, shift negative thought patterns and live fully self-expressed. Recently, I spoke with Noreen to learn more about the workshop and how she empowers people to live life their way:

ST: Why don’t you start out by describing your workshop?

Noreen Sumpter

NS: The aim of the workshop is to work and play at the same time. I feel that we learn better when we’re laughing and having a good time. I am going to create some exercises that they would not ordinarily expect. I also want people to feel free to talk about what their concerns are, like when they go to meetings, or go for an interview, or go for an audition. What is the structure? What’s going on? What are they experiencing? Then I want to ask the question from a different point of view. I want to ask, if they were to interview or audition and they had nothing to fear, nothing to hide, nothing to protect, or nothing to defend, what could interviewing or auditioning look like?      

ST: Who do you think will most benefit by attending?

NS: I think that everybody who signs up for the workshop can benefit from it, whether they’re interviewing or auditioning, or whether they’re just going for their life and they want to build up a bit more confidence and get a sense of who they are. 

ST: What are the main tools you hope people will take away from this specific workshop?

NS: That they’re good enough. [As an actor], you want one job, you want one movie. And though you might not get that movie, I want you to have the confidence to keep moving.

ST: This workshop is just one of the unique services that you offer as a life coach. In 2005, you founded the Live Life Your Way Program. Could you tell me more about how that program works?

NS: It’s really for people who are lacking in confidence in certain areas of their life. They might be looking for new jobs, new positions, new careers…I help them create those things. I also work with the people who just need a little tweaking. They’ve been doing what they’ve been doing consistently and they just need to hear themselves. I’m a reflector; I reflect back to them what they’re working toward.

ST: Do you have any advice for people who want to change their lives but do not feel ready to make that first step? 

NS: Well, you’re never going to be ready. There’s no right time, there’s just the time to make the first step. You’ve got to take that first step in faith.

ST: What made you want to become a life coach?

NS: The truth is, I didn’t set out to be a life coach. I was a realtor for 15 years. But I’ve always been that person that supports people to really go after what’s important to them, what they care about. So, when I was a realtor, those are the kinds of conversations that I used to have with people. I would ask, “What do you do for a living?” and I found that the majority of people did not like their jobs. They weren’t happy with their jobs or with what they were doing. But they were afraid to make those moves.

I’m all about people being happy. If you’re happy doing your work, your talent, then that is contagious. It gets passed on. Everybody has a passion, everybody has a talent. And that is something that I strive to support. That’s my hope for all of us – that we do what we love and we live life our way.

ST: In your 12 years as a life coach, what is one of the most inspiring experiences that you’ve had?

NS: I can’t believe it’s been 12 years! Well, it’s like that old adage. We teach what we need to learn for ourselves. I think I’m the epitome of that. It’s great to know that I am constantly learning and growing and flowing. That’s something that I will pass on to my clients. And it’s great to see somebody benefitting from my work with them.

ST: That’s wonderful. It must be great to have the feeling that you’re making a difference in your clients’ lives.

NS: Yeah. And the kind of difference I’m making – it’s not like I’m telling people what to do. I don’t have your answers. You have your answers. My job is to help you ask the right questions, so that you can see it for yourself and then go forth and create the action. Because if I tell you what to do, you’re going to be living my life. I don’t want you living my life. You should have your own life.

ST: You’re kind of like a match that lights the fire inside of someone else.

NS: It’s like I help you create and then manifest that thing that you want. I can help you pull out your vision.

ST: As a young woman relatively new to the workforce, I am inspired by your dedication to empowering women of all ages in their careers. You recently were elected to the board of the National Association of Women Business Owners. Can you tell me what your role will be like?

NS: I’m the Vice President of Membership Engagement. So, I’m the one who is going to keep people engaged and participating in our organization. NAWBO is a 40-year-old organization created by women back in the days when women were not able to get loans without a man. It also has a political arm aimed at shifting the workforce for women and bring women’s rights to the forefront. We also offer programs and educational opportunities for people to help grow their businesses and grow themselves.

ST: Have you been involved with the organization for a long time?

NS: No, I haven’t been involved with them for long. I’m also a member of Business Networking International and the Vice President of the Business Referral Group with the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce. So, I’ve been involved with groups empowering people for quite some time. I actually met one of the women [from NAWBO] at the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce. She asked me, “What is your vision and what are you looking to do?” I told her and she said, I think that we would be a great organization to help you grow yourself and your organization.

One of the questions I had at every meeting when I first joined the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce was, “Where are the other black people? Where are the other people of color?” They were missing. And the more I went, the more I asked the question until one day it was like, Nor, it’s you. You have to get up. And you have to be a part of this. And you have to stand up and make this happen. And that’s sort of been my call.

I’m not interested in being the lone black girl in any group. Or seeing a lone black girl or lone white girl in any group. I’m for true diversity. Each and every one represented. Each and every one having a seat at the table.

ST: Do you have any advice for women who are thinking about opening their own businesses or pursuing entrepreneurial endeavors?

NS: One: It’s not easy. Two: Make sure it’s something that you really are interested in and care about. It’s important that if the money’s not coming in, the love of what you do, what inspired you to keep moving, is still there. It’s really important to have the passion because the passion gives you drive and it gives you energy.

ST: Is there anything else you want readers to know?

NS: Well, I came here [to the United States from Southeast London] in 1985. Sixty bucks in my pockets. I came for love. I met my husband and said, you know what? Just jump. I settled with him and was in love until we got divorced. Divorce is usually ugly. But, you know, I came for love and I jumped because I wanted to. And when it came time to leave that marriage, I jumped again. Life is a series of jumping. Not sitting in and feeling sorry for yourself or making yourself wrong or making the other person wrong or making the job wrong. It’s looking at what’s important to you, what you care about and what you want, so that when it’s time for you to take that jump, you know that you don’t have to look behind you and have regrets. You just have to choose something and stand in that choice. And that’s why I coach and why coaching is so important to me.

ST: Finally, as a theatre employee and enthusiast, I have to ask, what is your favorite play or musical?

NS: Oh, West Side Story! Love that show. Little Shop of Horrors is pretty good too.

Noreen Sumpter is an experienced life coach with a Personal Life Coaching Certificate from New York University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from the College of New Rochelle. She currently resides in Brooklyn and helps people from all over the world to own their voice, speak their truth and live life their way.

JOIN US AT NOREEN’S WORKSHOP:

Ready, Set, Audition! The Actor's Workshop for Confidence and Success

Date:               Saturday, July 22, 2017

Time:              10:30 am – 12:30 pm

Location:        The Theatre at St. Clement’s

423 West 46^th St, New York, New York, 10036

Fee:                 $35 in advance online

                        $40 at the door (cash only)

To Register for the Workshop Click Here

CONNECT WITH NOREEN:

Website:         http://www.noreensumptercoach.com/          
Facebook:      https://www.facebook.com/noreensumptercoach/

Phone:            917-945-5907

Call today for a free 15-minute Complimentary Hello Call and learn how the Live Life Your Way program can help you.

Kimberly Vaughn, Tony Award Nominated Producer and Renowned Performance Coach, Shares Her Advice on the Audition Process

By Shelby Tansil

What images come to mind when you hear the word, “audition”? I see sweaty armpits, broken folding chairs, people mumbling under their breath and bespectacled eyes staring at me over a worn copy of Hamlet. My stomach turns just thinking about it. For many people—including actors—the word, “audition,” conjures up negative feelings like anxiety and dread. But what if, instead of fear, we could focus on the joy and excitement of the audition process? What if we could celebrate that opportunity to grow, connect and play?

Kimberly Vaughn, performance coach and founder of the Kimberly Vaughn Performance Studio, approaches the audition process with this kind of positivity and playfulness. Several days ago, I had the chance to speak with her about theatre, auditioning and the upcoming workshops she is teaching with the Riant Theatre’s Strawberry One-Act Festival:    

ST: For more than 40 years, you have been involved with the creative arts. From acting to producing to performance coaching, it seems like you’ve done a bit of everything. What is it that keeps you coming back to the creative process?

KV: It’s really my life’s blood. It’s a very sacred space and opportunity to work with people to develop their skills as story tellers and simultaneously develop their sense of themselves as human beings. The work has always been extremely transformational. Over the years, I have had many students who out of the goodness of their hearts have said, “You know, you’ve changed my life.” And I always say, “Well, I’m honored to have participated in that process with you.” What keeps me coming back is that opportunity—the opportunity to serve the individual’s development as a performer, and also as a human being. Because excelling in your craft and excelling as an individual on the planet are inextricably linked.

ST: That’s beautifully put. As a seasoned performance coach, you must hear many of the same monologues and songs time after time. What can actors do to make sure their interpretation feels fresh?  

KV: The main component for every casting director and agent who lives and breathes in New York City and beyond is the humanity of the actor. Top priority. Main component. It’s imperative that the actor be working their craft consistently to establish a working relationship with themselves. Because it doesn’t matter, ultimately, how great the voice sounds, how terrific the actor looks that day in their new wardrobe, or whatever, if the person inside that shell walking in is not at home. It’s the human factor that matters most. It’s not elocution, it’s not body language. All of that is part of the whole. But all of that is nothing more than a shell without the inner goods, which is the humanity of the person.

If I am preparing for an audition, I’m going to offer you something in which I feel most Kimberly, most available to myself. And therefore, “the monologue” and “the song” become a conduit for my truth and my humanity as a person.

ST: I like the idea of choosing a monologue or song not just for the role but also for who you are as a human being.

KV: If I’m going in for—the role that’s leaping to mind is Rosemary in Picnic—the director might ask me to sing a song. I’d sing something from Fun Home (“Days and Days”) or “He Wanted a Girl” from the musical, Giant. These are songs that would speak to Rosemary in Picnic, songs which could live in the context of that story. I also have to think strategically, “Okay, what are my five favorite songs and which one of those songs most embodies the role for which I am going in?” The same applies when choosing monologues.

ST: Are there any monologues or songs you recommend people not use in audition?

KV: Yes. If it’s an iconic song that one of the Broadway divas has made famous, why are you doing it? [Laughs.] Because everybody is going to be thinking, “Wow, Christine Ebersole killed that. I loved seeing her do that song.” And they’ve left your audition. So, I would stay away from material that is diva-esque.

Another aspect of it is the self-attention that the actor must provide to him or herself in order to choose material that is iconic and fresh. It will be as good as “Popular,” as good as “This Is the Moment,” as good as “New York, New York,” as good as…and the list goes on and on. It’s iconic, but it’s not a signature song.     

ST: In 1993, you opened the Kimberly Vaughn Performance Studio (KVPS), which has helped many actors book their first jobs on Broadway and in national tours. Can you tell us more about some of the services your school offers?

KV: I certainly can. I started teaching adult classes back in the mid-70’s at the Warren Robertson Studio. Warren was the premiere acting coach of the 70’s and 80’s. He was right up there with Strasberg and Meisner and Adler, and in a way, he eclipsed all of them because he was an amalgamation of all three. My classmates included Madeline Kahn, Christopher Walken and Diane Keaton. Robertson’s work was quite seminal at the time. One day, I approached him about teaching a new musical performance class at his studio and asked if he would allow me to do that. And he did. After that, I was away working and came back to teaching in the early 90’s.  

I teach three adult classes weekly. And I consider an adult to be anyone from 20 to death. As long as you have a desire to work and develop your craft and you have been in the arena studying and training, I welcome you. That’s not to say I don’t take what you would affectionately call, “newbies,” because that’s also a great opportunity as well. That leads me to the new class that I’ve started, which is a youth musical theatre class, ages 12-19. I’ve decided to dedicate a specific class to that age range to help our younger actors and performers to improve their craft. It goes beyond Theatre 101. They will get whatever the adults get. The wonderful part about coaching younger students is that together we’ll be able to prevent bad habits. I’m also beginning my first online class, which I’m thrilled about. Capture the Callback will augment what we accomplish in actual in-person classes. It will involve honing and refining video submissions, as well as working material that the students have taken into their initial calls and are refining for their callback.

ST: In addition to your classes, the KVPS also offers some recurring workshops. Do you have any of those coming up?

KV: Oh my gosh, yes! KVPS just started one on May 24th. It’s a 4-week agent/casting director workshop. I’ve hired a different agent for each of the first three weeks. I want my students to have a cross-section of feedback from agents who have clients working in all areas: Broadway, national tours, regional theatre, television, film and commercials. Then in the fourth week, they will have the opportunity to work with and get additional feedback from a seasoned casting director.

I do want to add that there is no promise of work by participating in any of these industry workshops. They are educationally based because I am invested in supporting my students’ growing their storytelling and their business acumen by working with these industry professionals.   

ST: Would you please describe the two upcoming workshops that you are putting on as part of the Strawberry One-Act Festival?

KV: I’d be happy too. The first workshop is a two-hour rendition of my Musical Performance Audition Technique class. This is a seminal opportunity for someone new to Kimberly Vaughn Performance Studio. It’s an opportunity for us to work together on any song cut they want and to use me as their guide, support person and coach for that session. It would be wise if the song was a “go-to” song that they usually use in auditions. My goal is to offer them tools to lift the song higher up and make it more viable by encouraging them to show up more fully inside of the material. It’s going to be very hands-on, very interactive and very performance process oriented. It’s all about process.

ST: How many people can attend that class?

KV: As many as desire can audit the class, but I can work with about seven people. I promise you, as sure as we’re breathing, if people come and audit, they will walk away with a banquet of information about how to show up inside of their storytelling. In other words, it’s a very visceral class and you get it by osmosis. For those who are theatre-based, i.e. not musical-based, and who need to do a monologue…whatever is offered in this class regarding how to un-pack the song cut and how to inhabit someone else’s story, the same information applies to monologues. I would encourage the non-musical theatre actor to audit the class.

ST: Is your second workshop the same structure?

KV: It’s very different. The second workshop is my Audition Essentials class. It’s how to get in and out of the room in one piece, how to feel in command of your audition, how to feel at home in the room. It’s a wonderful tool kit that is simple, that you can put on like your wardrobe and take in with you to every audition from here to eternity. You will feel an incredible transformation in how you are perceived in the room and how private and dropped in your audition performance will be. Audition Essentials is designed to insure you succeed in your auditions by laying the foundation both technically and interpretively for getting the callbacks and booking the jobs.

ST: You have a book coming out soon. Can you tell me about that and when we can expect to see it released?

KV: It’s a Herculean task, writing a book. I have reams of notes. So, I’m now in the process of turning those into chapters. I am hopeful of having a working draft by early 2018. My goal is that it will be manna from Heaven, water in the desert, and really a one-of-a-kind toolkit that will support the creative person—dancer, singer, actor, writer, director, painter, sculptor—in more deeply understanding why it’s imperative to trust your inner life, to trust the truth of who you are. Because when you do, there is no competition. When you do, you’re in a class by yourself. When you do, there is only one, and it’s you.

I think one of the main tenants of the book is, “To thine own self be true.” Know thyself. There will be tools in the book to help the actor dig in and become comfortable with their interior landscape, which has all of the magic that he or she could ever want. And all of that magic is what the casting directors, the agents, the directors, the musical directors and the producers are looking for.

ST: Finally, who is one of your favorite characters from the theatre world?

KV: Oh my goodness. Wow…Willy Lohman in Death of a Salesman…Sally Bowles in Cabaret…Regina in The Little Foxes…Auntie Mame in Mame… Higgins and Eliza in My Fair Lady…all the characters in Fun Home and Spring Awakening…it’s a long list.

Kimberly Vaughn is a New York City-based performance coach with extensive experience in acting, directing, producing, dramaturgy, writing and teaching. She founded the Kimberly Vaughn Performance Studio in 1993, where she offers a variety of classes and workshops. She has also taught at the Warren Robertson Studio, Circle in the Square Theatre School, Pace University and at various musical theatre departments throughout the U.S. Many actors who work with Kimberly have gone on to book roles on Broadway and in national tours and regional theatre productions.   

JOIN US AT KIMBERLY’S WORKSHOPS:

Workshop #1: Musical Theatre Song Interpretation & Audition Prep Class

Date:               Saturday, July 22, 2017

Time:              10:00 am – 12:00 pm  

Location:       The Theatre at St. Clement’s

    423 West 46^th St, New York, New York, 10036

Fee:   Class: $40    Audit: $25  To Register Click Here

Workshop #2: Audition Essentials

Date:               Tuesday, July 25, 2017

Time:              12:00 pm – 4:00 pm 

Location:       The Theatre at St. Clement’s (Parish Hall)

    423 West 46^th St, New York, New York, 10036

Fee:   Class: $75  Audit: $35  To Register Click Here

CONNECT WITH KIMBERLY:

Website:          https://www.kimberlyvaughnperformancestudio.com/ 

SEE WHAT KIMBERLY’S STUDENTS AND OTHER INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT HER:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20w8jwxldLQ