top of page
IMG_1716.JPG

​

Acting Coaching

Song Interpretation

Private & Masterclass

Audition Prep

Teaching Philosophy

It's Called Play For A Reason

One of my college mentors said, “When you’re truly in the bubble, you don’t know you’re in the bubble”.  Ironically, it was my quest to embody that motto as an actor that sent me cascading downstage in a bubble from the rafters of the Gershwin to make my Broadway debut as Glinda in Wicked.  

 

To be present onstage, out of our heads and into our bodies, playing in the show’s world is what separates magical actors from peel-and-stick-actors. I am obsessed with helping my students unleash their own magic!  My classroom is a collaborative workshop of play and experimentation, where most importantly we are free to fall flat BIG. We approach material in a multitude of ways, (ex. setting a mental scene of surroundings, mapping the arc, physicalizing a dynamic etc.) so they can become flexible with direction, song, and scene interpretation.  I believe coming at material from many different angles yields the most open, authentic, and connected out-of-the-box-moment-making-actors. I will take failure with conviction and intention over a safe choice everyday.  

 

Once a student is willing to skate on the edge, if you will—to trust the free fall—the real learning begins. That day is always special. But to facilitate this essential element of artistic and intellectual growth, I know that I must strike the balance between jumping in with them to disarm their nerves while also creating enough space in the room for them to find their own way forward. Helping a student find their ‘voice’ in the classroom, and ultimately onstage, is one of the most important accomplishments a teacher can achieve. Students can do remarkable things if they believe in themselves. Almost unconsciously, they can reach above their perceived ceiling, redefining what they and others thought possible for them.

 

As a coach, regardless if I am working with a Broadway actor or someone just starting out, I meet them where they are and look more for what might be there, than what might not.  Helping them foster and trust what they already bring to the table as an intricate human being, can help them access bonus reserves they never realized they had.  I, myself, know from personal experience the ways in which a supportive arts environment can unlock the doors of personal growth and future professional achievement.  My wish is for all my students to know being prepared, focused, directable, and unapologetically you is the formula for doing solid work, leaving it all on the table, and most importantly moving on with a healthy outlook for the next lucky opportunity to play.

Katie Adams Teacher Resume (4).jpeg
images.jpg

"Katie is the most unique coach, actor, and woman I have been lucky to work with over the past 15 years. She is a captivating and inspiring performer as well as one of the most fun, funny, loving, and generous people I know. Because she is free with the truth of who she is, she isn’t afraid to be every part of herself and to use it to help the performers she coaches. She takes every fiber of her being-the quirky, the funny, the sensitive, the vulnerable—and, with abandon, plays in the biggest ways whether that be in a one on one coaching or playing the leading role in a Broadway show 8 times a week. Leading by example, she helps her students accesses the deepest parts of themselves that many shy away from out of understandable fear of vulnerability or being seen and she uses who she is, her unique self, to help them find their way to fully embody their characters. In a world where performers can often make aimless choices for the sole purpose of sticking out, Katie understands that standing out or being different is only accomplished by owning who YOU are and playing with your own gifts and layers.  Katie emphasizes to her students that the uniqueness they already possess, just by being who they are, is enough to stand out.  Katie understands this on a gut level and is tremendous in her ability to help people know and love their inner “guts”, as she says, and to find what makes them special and how to channel that into their work. She is instrumental in helping people with the process of how to be fearless. And have a lot of fun doing it! Katie knows how to make a safe space for students to play. She gives her students freedom to try, play, try again, and to be goofy or outside the box. No one knows better than Katie that there’s magic in the fun!" 

 

- Brooke Elliott

Currently Filming Netflix's "Sweet Magnolias", Previously seen as Jane in "Drop Dead Diva" and various Broadway shows

thumbnail-1.jpg

"What I love most about coaching with Katie is the way she fires up my imagination. In striving for text accuracy, actors can fall into the trap of tethering ourselves to the given circumstances, therefore limiting our imagination. Katie coached me through a monologue by placing me in multiple relationship-based scenarios that not only filled me with a sense of urgency and a deep need to communicate, but revealed more layers that I could fold into my performance or discard if it didn’t serve my intention. If you’re a new actor, Katie gives you solid foundational tools for your toolbox, and if you’re more experienced she helps you brush off the dust and play around with the tools you already have. Her goal is not for you to "get it right," but to explore what allows you to express your most authentic self through the material. Katie makes it a supported, playful, joyful process." 

 

- Robyn S. Clark

GYPSY with Patti LuPone, upcoming

Untitled Lakers Project on HBO

thumbnail_edited.jpg

"Katie Adams is as gifted and natural at the art of teaching as she is in starring on the Broadway stage. As I have had the privilege of witnessing Katie's work in both of these realms, I count myself quite lucky to continually learn from such a talented artist and educator. Katie's ability to meet each performer where they are, and then take them to their next level in their development is nothing short of inspiring to observe. And having invited her into my classroom on multiple occasions, I know firsthand just how much students respect and successfully incorporate Katie's instinctual and creative direction into their performance work. Whether engaging in acting, singing, or dancing, Katie is the kind of diverse artist, teacher, and professional who can guide each student successfully through their own unique journey of discovery. In short, Katie Adams is a treasure, and I so look forward to collaborating with her again very soon!"

 

- Jay Jaski

Professor of Musical Theatre, Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD)

MFA, Columbia University

Connect

In-Person & Virtual Available

Private Coaching

College Audition Prep, Song Interpretation, Monologues, Scenework...

​

30 Minute Session                        $55

​

60 Minute Session                        $100

Masterclasses

College Audition Prep, Song Interpretation, Monologues,

Scenework... 

​

​

Group Masterclasses-                     $300

Generally 3-4 hours of both individual as well as group work.  

Special Thanks...

Grateful for my village of helpers~ Susan Sampliner, Ryan Stana, Amy Cannon, Chris Christiana, Brooke Elliott, Jay Jaski, Robyn Clark

2088619.png
bottom of page