HB Studio to Launch Masterclass Series with Reed Birney and Leigh Silverman
André Holland and Christine Lahti are set to lead additional sessions later in the series.
NYC's own HB Studio has announced their new Premier Masterclass series, the newest opportunity for HB students to learn from the world's most distinguished teaching artists across theater, television, and film.
The series launches with Tony Award-winning actor of stage (The Humans) and screen (Blue Film, Mass, Silo, House of Cards) Reed Birney on September 19 and 20 and Tony-nominated director Leigh Silverman (Yellow Face, Suffs, The Full Monty) on October 4.
Future classes led by internationally acclaimed actors André Holland (Moonlight, Selma, A Wrinkle in Time) and Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning actor Christine Lahti will be scheduled for later this fall, with full details to be announced soon.
Acting with Reed Birney
Saturday September 19 & Sunday, September 20
$395 Participant // $125 Observer Access
This two-day masterclass with Reed Birney is a unique opportunity for actors at all stages of their career to receive hands-on direction and critique on material of your choice. Bring in a piece you would like to explore – whether it's a monologue, scene, audition piece, song, original work, etc. Mr. Birney will work with you to bring immediacy, truth, specificity, circumstance, and clarity to your performance, leaving you with greater confidence and inspiration to bring your acting career to the next level.
Reed Birney is a Tony Award-winning actor known for his acclaimed work on Broadway, Off-Broadway, film, and television. He won the 2016 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his performance as Erik Blake in Stephen Karam’s The Humans, a role he originated Off-Broadway and brought to Broadway. He was also Tony-nominated for his performance as Charlotte in Casa Valentina. On screen, Birney has appeared in films including The Menu, Mass, Blue Film, The Report, and Changeling. He is widely recognized for his recurring role as Vice President Donald Blythe on Netflix’s House of Cards, and has also appeared in Silo, Succession, The Blacklist, American Horror Story, Poker Face, and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. A celebrated figure in New York theater, Birney has earned two Obie Awards, including an Obie for Sustained Excellence of Performance, as well as three Drama Desk Awards, including a Special Drama Desk Award for Career Excellence of Performance. His acclaimed stage credits include Circle Mirror Transformation, Blasted, Uncle Vanya, Man from Nebraska, 1984, Picnic, and Casa Valentina. With a career spanning nearly five decades, he brings an extraordinary depth of professional experience to his work with actors.
Directing with Leigh Silverman
Sunday, October 4
$295 Participant // $80 Observer Access
An instructive, hands-on directing masterclass with two-time Tony Award-nominated director Leigh Silverman, whose Broadway work includes Suffs, Yellow Face and Violet along with over 60 world-premiere new plays and musicals. Explore what directors actually “do”, how they approach text, work with actors, communicate ideas and give notes. No previous directing experience required and designed for all theater makers (actors, producers, stage managers, designers) excited to learn.
Leigh Silverman has directed over 60 world premiere new plays and musicals. She received Tony nominations for her direction of the musicals Suffs and Violet and received a 2011 Obie Award and 2019 Obie for Sustained Excellence. Upcoming projects include the Broadway revival of The Full Monty (Roundabout) and the new musical, Particle Fever (La Jolla Playhouse). Broadway credits include: Yellow Face (Roundabout); Suffs (Tony nomination); Grand Horizons; The Lifespan of a Fact; Violet (Tony nomination); Chinglish; Well. Recent Off-Broadway: The Unknown (Studio Seaview), The Seat of Our Pants (Drama League and Drama Desk nomination; Public Theater); Harry Clarke (West End; Berkeley Rep; Vineyard Theatre/Audible, Minetta Lane; Lortel nomination).
André Holland
Dates and Details TBA
Andre Holland is a versatile actor known for his captivating performances across film, television, and theater. He first gained widespread recognition with his role in the 2016 Oscar-winning film Moonlight; he portrayed politician and activist Andrew Young in the Academy Award Best Picture nominee Selma and sportswriter Wendell Smith in the Jackie Robeinson biographical film 42. Holland also starred in Exhibiting Forgiveness, which premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. On television, Holland is best known for his portrayal of Dr. Algernon Edwards in the hit medical drama The Knick, directed by Steven Soderbergh. He also starred in the Apple TV+ series Lisey's Story, based on Stephen King's novel; the 2020 Netflix musical drama series The Eddy, The Big Cigar miniseries, as well as American Horror Story: Roanoke, Castle Rock, and others. Beyond television and film, Holland has an extensive theater background, performing on Broadway and in other prestigious venues. His stage credits include a Tony Award-nominated performance in Jitney by August Wilson, a title role in The Shed's recent revival of The Brothers Size and various productions with renowned theater company, The Public Theater.
Christine Lahti
Dates and Details TBA
Christine Lahti is an American actress and film director, known for her Golden Globe/Emmy Award-winning role as Dr. Kathryn Austin on CBS' Chicago Hope. Other television credits include Laurel Hitchin on NBC’s The Blacklist, Doris McGarrett on CBS' Hawaii Five-0, and Executive Assistant District Attorney Sonya Paxton on NBC's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Christine won an Academy Award for Lieberman in Love and a Golden Globe for No Place Like Home. Other film credits include Operator, The Steps, Petunia, Hideaway, Leaving Normal, The Doctor, Running on Empty, Housekeeping, Whose Life Is it Anyway?, and ...And Justice for All. Broadway credits include her debut as Susan in Loose Ends, Helena in Scenes and Revelations, and Joanna Lyppiatt in Present Laughter (Circle in the Square Theatre); Veronica in God of Carnage (Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre); Heidi Holland in The Heidi Chronicles (Plymouth Theatre); and Dianah in Division Street (Ambassador Theatre).
