Karen Ivany | Actor & Acting Instructor
About Me
There is no more intimate work than that which aims to reflect humanity in all its colours. We share our whole selves when we act, our voices, bodies, personal history, biases, hopes and culture. The characters we portray are imbued with WHO WE ARE, which is why acting is always personal.
It feels like only yesterday, (though it certainly wasn’t), that I was an acting student myself. I remember vividly many of those classes, and most importantly, how it felt to be in those classes. l know how vulnerable acting students feel and the struggle of meeting challenges in front of peers. I respect and honour that vulnerability as I encourage students to push boundaries, abandon what is comfortable or predictable and break habits. I draw from the training that most influenced me; Uta Hagen, Sanford Meisner, Stella Adler, Michael St. Denis, Laban, Alexander Technique, Improvisation and Ballet.
Aside from my acting career and training, I bring ten years of experience as curriculum creator and instructor of the Acting Program at The Second City Training Centre, and over twenty years as an artists' advocate and volunteer with ACTRA Toronto to my classes and private coaching. These influences have armed me with exceptional ethical standards and industry knowledge. Amoung the many opportunities granted me, producing six annual ACTRA Awards, teaching Respect On Set to cast and crew members, volunteering as On Set Liaison Officer and moderating panel discussions with agents, directors, producers and other key industry players, have been the most beneficial in sharing with my students. I have amassed countless hours working with emerging actors of various backgrounds and abilities.
I am committed to creating inspiring on camera acting classes where students are free to explore in a safe environment that focuses on what works well and what may be improved, always acknowledging; there is no perfect take, there is no perfect character, there is no perfect actor.
Unions & Affiliations: ACTRA, CAEA, AICE, AACE
As Panelist #AFTERMETOO Symposium (2018)
Early Pandemic Days
PWYC 2020 Offer
PWYC 2021 Offer
Pandemic Gratitude
Friday, March 13th, 2020, was a date that changed so many lives in North America, Canada, and Toronto where I live. I was in the midst of instructing Acting Level 2 students at Second City and two groups of private students in my Audition Salon class, when I was first introduced to the concept and practice of “pivoting”. The remainder of that month remains a stressful blur of furniture, laptop and modem rearranging, endless emergency emails, tech upgrade purchases and hours of news streaming. And I actually did run out of toilet paper!
As I wrapped up my classes in April, I began to hear from former students. The spouse of a student I taught previously contacted me to purchase a birthday gift. He thought a series of private acting lessons would lift the spirits of his wife. Others emailed looking for something to help focus their minds and ease anxiety. Some wanted to take advantage of the lockdown to keep their acting skills sharp. Still others wanted to master transitioning their audition skills in alignment with self-tape standards as those requests ballooned.
As increased requests came my way, I decided to accept PWYC (Pay-What-You-Can) donations as fees for my Online Private Coaching. Whatever a person could afford to pay, that was the price. Period. Knowing that so many emerging artists work in the gig economy, often juggling several jobs at once, I felt I must accommodate the need for actors to practice their craft during the economic downturn.
Every PWYC donation was an honour to receive.
However, by the time spring turned into summer I was feeling burnt out from conducting four to six private sessions per day. I bailed on social Zoom hangouts. I began to regard my laptop with loathing.
I decided to take my own advice to students, to STAY SAFE & STAY INSPIRED. Rummaging through my bookshelves and scouring my play collection was healing balm in itself. Students registered in groups of eight and were partnered to explore characters written by some of the best, world-renowned playwrights! Online Scene Study classes launched at PWYC fees. Kindness spread through the hearts of students and some were anonymously sponsored at my pre-pandemic prices.
As summer shifted to autumn and early winter; I was transcribing from the limited new digital content distributed at this time. It was another way to keep myself motivated and stay in the moment, rather than worry over the rapid increase of case numbers and hospitalizations during this time. These transcribed scenes were the inspiration for Online Scene Study Film & Series Focus. My fees remained PWYC.
In January of 2021 I re-committed to PWYC fees for all my current students, charging minimal fees for new ones. Several Zoom classes a week of six students each, kept us all challenged and distracted through lock downs two and three. I was no longer burning out from too many private sessions and my students were thriving in online group environments where they benefited from the work of one another and made new friends!
The spring and summer of 2021 brought the gift of vaccination to Canadians and easing of restrictions.
I took August off and joined vaccinated friends at cottages. I swam in lake water. I read plays and transcribed more scenes.
I can’t wait to work with you all In Person again.
January 2022.
Stay Safe & Stay Inspired!
PS I also adopted two cats, Cali & Menace