www.joannabeckson.com

 

 

JoAnna Beckson was trained as an actress and teacher by Fred Kareman, William Esper and Sanford Meisner of the Neighborhood Playhouse. She has worked extensively as an actress and director both Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway in such theaters as The Ensemble Studio Theater, Intar II, The Working Theater and Woman's Interart. She is also a founding member of New York City's prestigious Circle Repertory Company's LAB.

Along with being a consultant for Disney and Paramount Studios, JoAnna has maintained the dual career of Actress/Director and Teacher of acting in New York City for many years. "Say Something Funny", an original dramedy she conceived, directed and co-produced at the Criterion Center-Broadway, was optioned for sitcom development by Nelle Nugent, a five-time Tony Award winning producer, and by Dick Clark Productions.

JoAnna's involvement in the daily "business" of acting gives her special insight toward helping actors develop their craft and solve the problem of finding work.

For the past five years, JoAnna has also been an Adjunct Professor at New York University's prestigious School for Continuing and Professional Studies/Department of Film, Television, and Broadcasting.

 

JoAnna is nationally known as an expert acting coach and comedy teacher. Many of her students read like a Who's Who in the worlds of stand-up and legitimate acting, including: Ray Ramano (Title Star of Everybody Loves Raymond); Dave Chappelle (Nutty Professor, You've Got Mail, Chappelle's Show); Jim Gaffigan (Star of Welcome to New York, My Boys, That 70s Show, Ed); Brett Butler (Star of Grace Under Fire); Dave Atell (The Daily Show, Insomniac); as well as other industry favorites including Rob Bartlett (Broadway: Chicago, Little Shop of Horrors, Sweet Charity), Alana De La Garza of Law and Order, and Darren Aronofsky - director of Pi, Requiem for a Dream, and The Fountain.