UNDERGRAD & GRAD SCHOOL AUDITIONS

Auditioning for undergrad and grad school programs can be one of the more stressful days in a young actor's life. It can also be one of the most incredibly satisfying, impactful, and exhilarating! I work with my clients to help them shine in ways that feel singularly authentic, while staying open to any and all possibilities that arise moment to moment.

Who it's for

My ideal clients are curious and playful, motivated and courageous. If you're open to the creative process and ready to step outside your comfort zone, let's work together to build the skills that will help you feel your best, share your full self, and ace auditions.

How it works

For BFA and MFA programs, you're not auditioning for a role, you're auditioning for a spot in a dynamic ensemble of actors who will be training together for 2 to 4 years. The most important thing is for the jurors to see YOU and everything that you, and only you can bring to the room. And we see the most of you when you are unabashedly having fun and playing with abandon. For this reason it is critical that we find material that you LOVE and will be thrilled to share on the day of the audition.

I help clients:

choose audition materials that light you up
rehearse those materials to draw out and physicalize a character's nuanced traits and motivations
find and cultivate the fun in your work and the pleasure of performance in a high pressure environment
prepare for the psycho-emotional experience of high-stakes auditions, regardless of the outcomes

60-minute sessions on zoom

Sliding scale and package deals available

Successful outcomes

As a graduate of Boston University and the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale, I have first hand experience with successful BFA and MFA auditions. And, after years of coaching I have developed a unique process built for success. In addition to a wide range of BFA/MFA programs in the US, I understand the British BFA/MFA circuit particularly well.

My clients have landed spots at:

David Geffen School of Drama at Yale
Juilliard
NYU
Brown/Trinity Rep
Columbia
UCSD
RADA (UK)
Guildhall (UK)
LAMDA (UK)
Central School of Speech and Drama (UK)
Many, many more

Regardless of their academic appointments, I help clients to:

manage expectations and develop healthy detachment, while aspiring to your dreams
develop a greater sense of self and what you bring into any room
anticipate and prepare for various outcomes
build your toolbox as an actor
cultivate and maximize opportunities for potential fun/play
practice empathic vulnerability in all aspects of life

testimonials below!

If you’re curious about BFA & MFA audition coaching, just...

...drop me a line!

Madelin Seidman
David Geffen School of Drama at Yale

A League of Their Own (Amazon Prime)

"Gabe is a phenomenal teacher and Coach! I am so grateful for the strides I was able to make in my acting while working with him. He is intuitive and shrewd, and his infusion of clown in his teaching really helped me to embrace and play with the parts of myself I was holding back. He challenged me to be exposed and foot-forward with my characters, and to work from a place of hope and positivity. He has an extensive knowledge of contemporary and classical plays and helped me choose materials for grad school auditions that fit like a glove but had lots of variety and surprise. I was accepted to Yale Drama, my top choice MFA program, and I owe so much of that success to the wisdom and experience he shared with me."

"When I decided that I wanted to apply for MFA programs, I knew that I needed a coach who could not only help me with my monologues but also someone who understands the process of auditioning for these programs. Thankfully, I met Gabe during a summer program at Yale, and the rest is history. Gabe never approaches an actor with a one-size-fits-all approach. He meets you where you're at. When I didn't even know which monologues to look at, Gabe immediately knew where to guide me and helped me find pieces that I not only loved but that felt like an extension of myself. His approach to the text is filled with so much practicality and play that it's impossible not to feel prepared for any program you're applying to. And while our goal was to prepare for my auditions, I came out of our time together as a much better actor and with some of the unbelievable knowledge that I was lucky enough to have Gabe continuously drop in our sessions. I couldn't recommend Gabe more, not only as a coach but as someone on your team who will make this process significantly more fun than it would otherwise be."

Michael Kishon
Actor

Maryn Shaw
NYU Grad Acting

"Gabe was instrumental in my acceptance to NYU Grad Acting. Days before my auditions, Gabe wasn't convinced one of my pieces was really working for me. He asked me to go through my old monologue folder and read them for him. There was one piece, which I hadn't touched in years, that really stood out to him and he encouraged me to make a switch. I was initially anxious about making a change so last minute and because I found that piece to be quite difficult/not what I thought people would want to see me do. Gabe challenged me to push past this apprehension and helped me understand why this piece reflected more of who I am, what I was working through as an actor, and how this would help the admissions team actually see me. I trusted him, and I believe the switch not only got me into school, but was the first major step in a particular area of growth as an actor."

"Working with Gabe as a coach when I was applying to graduate school and taking his class, 'Acting as Play' has been instrumental in my development as an actor, Previously, I often felt trapped in my head, disconnected from the physical joy and fear inherent in acting. Gabe's approach emphasizes integrating the imagination with the physicality of the actor, offering actionable techniques that helped me engage both mind and body in my craft. I'm a different actor because of him, a better one and a more playful one."

Gregory Georges
David Geffen School of Drama at Yale

"Gabe is the kind of coach and person who immediately makes you feel at ease. His warmth and kindness throughout the grad school process was invaluable, and I feel very lucky to have worked with him. Gabe holds the secret to cracking actors open -- giving them tangible tools to be open, vulnerable, and wholly themselves in the audition room. A session with Gabe is always an instant confidence boost. I was accepted to my top choice MFA program, NYU, and I could not have done it without him."

Grace Campos
NYU Grad Acting

"Gabe is going to believe in you no matter what. He is the support system that every young actor yearns for. He will help you channel your inner child -- the 5-year-old who actually knew how to be free, to be bold, to dream. Gabe has a very special gift of bringing out the best in every actor, and I can't thank him enough for the gift of play he has given me - not only as an actor but as the person I am today. And, with one simple adjustment to my audition monologue the day before I went in, Gabe transformed my approach, and I was accepted into my dream school in London!"

Adi Roy Bhattacharya
Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London

Andrew Gombas
Brown University / Trinity Rep

"Gabe was my MFA audition coach. Applying to schools can be stressful and confusing, but Gabe walked me through every step of the process and made it fun. He worked with me to select material that I was excited about, gave insightful feedback on my work which helped me grow as an artist, and helped me hold on to that sense of passion and play on the big day. As a coach, he is engaged, attentive, and works to highlight what's special about 'you' - at the end of the process I felt like I had a unique, coherent presentation developed from my own strengths instead of just a random bunch of monologues. One year later, I'm about to start classes at my top choice of schools! I can't recommend him enough."