Our guest today is Bella Merlin

http://www.bellamerlin.com/

Bella has been working for over twenty-five years in theatre, film, television and radio. She is Professor of Acting and Directing at the University of California, Riverside and is the author of several books on acting. Including

The Complete Stanislavsky Toolkit, Facing the Fear: An Actor's Guide to Overcoming Stage Fright and Shakespeare & Company: When Action is Eloquence... co-authored with Tina Packer.

Bella is known on the international circuit for her workshops on Stanislavsky and his rehearsal process, Active Analysis. She has held posts in the UK at the university of Exeter. And university of Birmingham (where she received her PhD). She has also taught workshops and directed at a number of drama schools and universities both in the UK and USA.

Her stage acting appearances are numerous and include productions with Shakespeare & Co. in Massachusetts and the Royal National Theatre in London. Her one woman show Tilly Nobody explored identity and domestic violence. Her recent touring production, Lucy Gough’s The Wild Tenant, is currently touring the UK and is what we focused on. With the the continuing theme of domestic violence and her personal connection to her Character, I started the conversation by asking how she took care of her wellbeing when doing such an emotionally demanding play. Bella’s honesty is honorable and her insights into the acting process invaluable.