Today we’d like to introduce you to Mario A. Campanaro of the internationally acclaimed MC² Actors Studio • LA | NYC | LDN.
Hi Mario, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Throughout my childhood, I remember always being so fascinated by the powerful question “Why?”. I always wanted to understand why things were the way they were. I wanted to comprehend, as best I could, how they came to be that way and why they came to be that way. And that kind of questioning really started to inspire me to watch, listen and observe everything around me and start to draw my own conclusion of things through my individual experience and lens of perception. I wasn’t so interested in “being taught” as I was motivated by learning through experience. I found that the more I questioned everything, the more I was given the opportunity to “quest” into circumstances that were way beyond my small circle of everyday life. That kind of questioning allowed me the permission to daydream and use my imagination to see, feel, hear, smell and taste the possible historical circumstances surrounding whatever I was considering at the time.
Of course at that age, I was not thinking of it that way…I was just having fun on the journey of wherever my imagination would take me. And so my imagination started to grow very quickly into this vast world that gifted me the realization that everything comes from a “because of”…meaning there is always a motivation behind everything. And everything that is done or acted upon is usually happening because someone is trying to maintain or improve whatever circumstances they are in at the moment. And wherever and whenever there is inspired justified motivation, there is a story where everything and anything is possible. Putting this together in my head as a youngster made me start to see that the human spirit is resilient when it is really going after a want or need.
But with all that said, my desire for a tribe was not being fulfilled. I didn’t really fit in with others around me. Not many kids my age had similar interests to what I was being drawn to. I felt quite the oddball and, very often, extremely lonely. I don’t even know that I knew what it was that was fuelling me, I just knew whatever it was, I was really passionate about it and I just could not find those connections who were equally excited by the things I was excited by. So I started to retreat in my basement where I could literally do and become whatever I wanted. I would build and play within worlds that existed way beyond every colour in the rainbow.
It wasn’t until we moved to a different town that I met a friend who, to my surprise, not only had similar interests but the exact interests and spoke the same language when it came to those interests. One night his family invited me to see him in a play that he got cast in. I had never seen or been to a play before that night. I don’t even think I knew what one was. The only theatre I had ever been to at that point was a movie theatre (I think it was E.T. at a drive-in).
I remember that night like it was yesterday. The theatre was this huge castle across from a big lake. You had to drive through these crazy small winding roads to get to it. When we pulled into the parking lot, it was like seeing something I had always seen in my imagination. This castle was spectacular. As soon as I stepped foot into the theatre, I felt right at home. It felt like it was home. It was strange. It was so new but it felt so familiar…like I had been there my whole life. It was majestic. It was extraordinary. It was breathtaking. As a little kid, my eyes were wide open taking it all in like a sponge. The huge stage. The massive theatre lights on the ceiling. The red velvet house seats. The audience together. And then the lights faded to black…The orchestra fired up…The curtain rose…And the stage lights illuminated an entirely different world from the world I was in. Time and space stopped. I was transfixed. Mesmerized. Awe-Inspired. Found. It was at that exact moment that I realized that everything that I had been searching for…Everything that I loved…Everything that I was passionate about…Everything that gave me so much un-named joy…was finally defined as acting.
In that moment, the theatre became my driving force…my spine…the passionate fire behind that powerful question, “Why?”.
To say that I was creatively driven would be an understatement. I began to surround myself with everything having to do with art, theatre, music, dance and, of course, acting. I started to audition for regional theatres and was cast in my first production ever at the same theatre that I saw my friend’s show. I started to work with different professional acting coaches who continued to help me cultivate skills, nurture my artistic passions, introduce me to a whole new world of incredible cultures all the while inspiring me to possess talent for my talents. I continued to act in productions throughout my formative school years until the time finally came for me to take the next step in my process…and that was to get the very best professional acting training I could.
I auditioned for the top conservatories in the country and decided upon going to North Carolina School Of The Arts (NCSA). Not only is it renowned for its exquisite actor training in America, it is considered one of the top four professional actor training programs in the world by the Hollywood Reporter. For four years, I studied under the incomparable mentorship of legendary Gerald Freedman alongside NCSA’s incredible acclaimed faculty of teachers/mentors from around the world. For four years, six days a week (sometimes seven), we trained day and night in acting, drama, mask, movement, dance, singing, period and style, comedy technique, stage combat, voice and speech, breath work, dialect work, Alexander technique, arts and context, text analysis, the art of storytelling, theatre history, design & production, hair & make-up, the business aspect of being an actor and, of course, modern, classical and musical performance in front of audiences.
It was our fourth year when we each had the opportunity to go to NYC and perform for some of the industry’s top agents, managers and casting directors. Back in that day, it was called “The Consortium”. From that day, I landed an incredible team of reps and signed with their agencies. One was for theatre, television, and film. The other for commercial, commercial print and voiceovers and the other for editorial work. I graduated NCSA with a BFA in drama and moved to NYC where I started to build my career and work in noted productions both on and off Broadway and in film and television.
At around that same time, I was also invited to start teaching as a guest artist at an acting studio in midtown Manhattan. On my days off, I would go to the studio and have the honor of working with passionate, talented, aspiring artists hungry to continue to cultivate the craft of acting. It was through that experience that I also fell in love with teaching. Teaching the craft not only helped the students to learn and grow, but it also demanded that I personally, professionally and artistically continue to challenge myself to remain open as a student of life and continue to learn, grow, evolve, adapt, adjust and expand so I could be the very best artist, teacher, writer and director I can be.
It is through my passion and love for the craft of acting and teaching that I opened my own acting studio, MC² Actors Studio LA | NYC | LDN which has gained international recognition and acclaim as an in-person and online conservatory-based and ensemble-oriented acting studio dedicated to the cultivation of the craft of acting for the professional actor.
I am also so proud to have opened MC² Repertory Theatre Company which is a professional theatre company in association with MC² Actors Studio committed to giving a home for our ensemble members to work on and in high-standard theatrical productions for both live and virtual audiences.
MC² Repertory Theatre Company’s most recent production, OVER THE F#(%!NG RAINBOW SOMEWHERE, is a new play that I wrote, directed and co-produced and which made its highly successful world premiere run at the Flight Theatre in Hollywood, CA. Writing and working on this text was one of the most difficult, heart-wrenching, impactful and purposeful creative endeavors that I have ever journeyed on in my career.
OVER THE F#(%!NG RAINBOW, SOMEWHERE…to be broken down into a simple sentence…is a rollercoaster of a journey about two broken souls trying desperately to survive their past…a past that may seem completely unimaginable to many…but is devastatingly a reality for others. And those others have names…Names like Bridger and Cat. To say that it cut my soul open into a million little pieces and pushed me way beyond my comfort zone in exploring these inexplicable circumstances…circumstances that many may want to avert their awareness and simply run away from…is an understatement. I believe art is not always meant to be comfortable, but it is always meant to be of service. At least that is what keeps my heart beating as an artist.
Every day I count my blessings to be able to do what I have always dreamt about and loved doing since childhood. Even though it is a lot of work at times, it never feels like work to me. Even though there are days that I am exhausted, there is nothing more fulfilling than getting exhausted by doing the thing you love to do.
I say this to all my students: “What you crave is your calling…What you miss is your mission…What you are tested by will create your testimony. So go out there…Remain disciplined and accountable…Work Hard…Believe in yourself and your talents…And make it happen…Go do it!”
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
I am not sure that anything about the human experience is a very smooth road. There will always be challenges. Especially when it comes to those things that truly mean something to us and that we really want. I guess that is because wherever and whenever the heart and soul are involved, the road seems to be that much more unpaved. It is almost as if the Universe is saying, “Ok…if you really want it, I’m going to make you work for it to be sure you really want it.” And I think that is important because it is through all of our trials and tribulations that we formulate our purpose and greatest inspirations for what we are able to create and contribute to the world.
I had said it time and time again to all of our ensemble members, actors, students, clients and in other interviews I have done…and I will say it here now again because I truly believe it:
“Sometimes, we are going to have to walk through our very own Hades in order to get to our very own Utopia. We may endure a lot. We may even find ourself suffering at times. But if we keep persevering…If we keep sight of what we want…If we keep on believing in what we are doing…If we simply do not give up…We usually find that all that hardship pays it forward by bringing something profoundly fulfilling into our Life. We may want to cry at times because it hurts so bad…And then we may want to laugh until it hurts simply because we got through it when we never thought we would or could. And once we make it out of that fire, we will finally see all the beauty hidden within the ashes. Each of us has our very own story of strife and struggle. And each of us has the potential for our own very deserving and awe-inspiring victory. I truly believe that we are way more powerful than we have been led to believe. The only way to lose sight of the dream is by simply giving up on it. So…No matter what obstacles show up at our door, all I can say is Do. Not. Give. Up!”
For me, that showed up in my life as a life-threatening illness. It caused me to taste every single symptom one could imagine. Physical, mental, emotional, and even spiritual. I used everything that I had within me and went all over the globe to find answers, a way to conquer this “thing” that was trying to take me out. Sometimes I did some pretty crazy treatments, but I deeply wanted to stay here. I wanted Life. I had too much to do on this earth and wanted to make a difference.
I can honestly say it made me who I am today. It made me extremely strong as well as extremely sensitive. All those obstacles that it presented, all those hard and treacherous times have actually been the stepping stones to where I am today. They generously formulated the way I teach, write, direct and work in all I do. Those circumstances have blessed me with the compassion, insight, wisdom, and understanding of the human condition in a way that I would not be able to had I not been through those tough times.
I am not going to say that I did not lose a lot along the way. I did. I lost a lot. But those things were not meant to stick around. But instead, I gained much more than I could have ever imagined. Those obstacles helped me understand life more. They helped me appreciate life more. They helped me understand others so much more. I not only witnessed and experienced my own suffering but was in the company of so many others who were also inexplicably suffering. It opened me. It opened my heart. It helped me taste many aspects of life that many of us try to push away or pretend as if they don’t exist.
When I think back, I have to chuckle because the whole time I have been on the healing journey, I never stopped working. I couldn’t. I needed it. It was my work that fuelled me to fight harder and win the battle. And everything that I have learned along this journey, however difficult, has been the key components to my work and having the ability to bring out the very best in all the artists I work with. It just gave me a more profound vocabulary of the human condition which is invaluable when it comes to the world of acting.
It is actually our obstacles that formulate our actions in the pursuit of our objectives…
Again, my work was/is my “Why” that was/ is the fire responsible for me doing all I can in mind, body and soul to conquer any obstacles I am confronted with and pursue what I aim to do with great purpose throughout my time on this big beautiful complex marble we call Earth.
“WHAT WE CRAVE IS OUR CALLING. WHAT WE MISS IS OUR MISSION. AND WHAT WE ARE TESTED BY WILL BE OUR TESTIMONY.”
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about MC² Actors Studio & MC² Repertory Theatre Company?
MC² Actors Studio [Los Angeles | New York City | London] is a conservatory-based and ensemble-oriented acting studio dedicated to the cultivation of the craft of acting for the professional actor.
MC² Repertory Theatre Company is a professional theatre company in association with MC² Actors Studio committed to giving a home for our ensemble members to use their training and work on and in high-standard theatrical productions for both live and virtual audiences.
Talent is a very precious gift that can only take the artist as far as they are willing to cultivate it, nurture it, invest in it, and put it to good use. The artist’s talent can only take them as far as the professional accountability they maintain to do something remarkable with it. There are not many professional acting jobs out there where the actor is not expected to come in well-prepared to do the work they were hired and getting paid to do. So why in the world would a professional actor ever train without the intent of those same professional demands?
We at MC² Actors Studio believe that when an actor commits to training at our studio, they must always hold the intention of training, studying, exercising and doing the work with the same accountability, commitment, work ethic, investment, responsibility, respect, professionalism, standard, skill, consistency and demand that the professional world expects and demands. There is no point in training, studying, exercising and doing the work unless what is being learned, exercised and cultivated is applicable for the professional actor to do professional work for when professional opportunities arise.
Whether it be in-person or online, our studio sets a very high standard when it comes to our training program and what we offer all of our students. Our instructors use their powerfully effective and intuitive individual teaching style in combination with the ingenious methods of Stanislavsky, Hagen, Adler, Strasberg, Meisner, Chekhov, Linklater, Rosenburg, and Alexander.
All MC² Actors Studio classes are structured for the professionally oriented actor. We are excited about working with diverse, professionally-minded actors that are passionate about nurturing their talent and committed to the craft of acting. All ensemble members are invited to study at the studio based on a New Ensemble Member Studio Entry Enrollment Interview. The interview consists of a 10-15 minute conversation with one of our masterclass teachers to learn about the prospective ensemble member’s background, training and relationship to the work before receiving an invite into one of our ensembles and to study at the studio. There is also the opportunity during the interview process for the prospective ensemble member to ask any questions they may have about the studio, its approach to the work and the expectations as an invited ongoing MC² Actors Studio ensemble member.
All actors are placed into a specific ensemble based on their studio entry interview. Each ensemble is carefully put together based on the actor’s acting background, experience, skill, training and professional objectives. This is to be sure that each class is solidified working at a congruent level allowing for a forward momentum as the work and ensemble progress.
Once each ensemble is formed, that specific ensemble comes together each week to wholeheartedly cultivate and strengthen the craft..and all aspects of what an actor’s work demands. Actors are paired up by their specific instructor and then have to choose or are assigned a scene/exercise that excites, stimulates, and challenges his or her or their instrument. Scene work will always be from a well-written play that is age-appropriate, well-characterized, and contains a multitude of stakes and challenges within the circumstances.
Actors will receive their scene partner, assignments and/or acting exercises two weeks before their first class on that specific text. Each group is then required to do all the necessary work on their scene or exercise. That includes all of the text analysis, the breakdown of given circumstances, becoming grounded in the character’s spine/through-line/super-objective, identifying the action of the scene, formulating actable objectives, identifying obstacles, understanding intentions, viscerally endowing the stakes/relationships/objects/environment, creating environment, making strong and specific physical/vocal/psychological/emotional choices, choosing appropriate character attire and then marrying all that work with personalization, imagery, substitution, emotional recall, as if’s, all the crucial endowment work for all of the aforementioned…In other words, any and all necessary steps an actor must implement to bring any given text alive.
Actors must significantly rehearse their scene or exercise with their partner(s) before getting up into the space in order to get the most out of their time. This is to test the work the actor has done on their own and then, more importantly, trust it so as to live and experience what all that work has done for their instrument in relationship to the circumstances within the unknown of the moment with their partner(s). It is required for all scenes to be off book for the first week. Actors remain with their scene partner(s) exploring the world of each assigned play and scene for four weeks. Each ensemble’s class meets once a week and each class is four and a half to five hours long. There are always four classes in each month unless a holiday happens to fall on a given class day.
When it comes to our online classes, we implement the use of green screens for all scene work so that our ensemble members continue to explore the environment in a new and exciting way while also developing this necessary skill clearly happening in our modern digital/CGI film and television mediums. The camera never lies, and with close-ups in mind (or even a self-tape), it demands that the actor fully endow the utmost truth and authenticity within all of the givens of the text and the unknown of each and every moment. It challenges the actor to go deeper and deeper in order to honestly reveal the life of the givens through their one-of-a-kind instrument.
When the actor truly begins to understand the craft of acting in a visceral, practical, tangible, executable, HUMAN way…and how it mirrors the way we humans live in this beautifully complex thing we call LIFE…they can begin to experience the delicious breath of freedom it provides.
Craft is meant to free the actor so they can truly live moment to unknown moment circumstantially. The craft of acting provides the ability to be CONSISTENT in the work. That consistency supports the actor’s ability to truly listen through the filter of the character’s wants and needs and therefore have stimulated justified circumstantial responses, reactions, instincts, impulses and spontaneity within the gap of the moment.
Craft allows for the actor’s talent to be married to skill. The actor’s skill makes it possible for their instrument to experience the freedom of living the character’s life as it unfolds moment to unknown moment…as opposed to their hope white knuckling onto luck that it will all go well and the magic “might” happen.
The craft of acting provides the backbone of confidence for the actor to know like they know that it will go well each and every night or each and every take…Because the actors endowed skill supports the work and provides the security that the actor can truly live moment to unknown moment as a given story and its circumstances unfold.
When the actor really experiences that kind of freedom in the work, the initial passion, love, and inner joy that attracted them to this glorious art-form…The Craft Of Acting…inevitably grows stronger and brighter.
That’s what craft does. But it is a craft. It is a skill. It is a profession. One that demands constant learning, exploration, discovery, experience, growth and evolution…
Just as this beautifully complex thing we call LIFE does.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I love that this city is home to a beautifully diverse population of artists and cultures which is so visibly reflected in all of the art we see throughout the city, in our theatres and the vast array of incredible restaurants. It is also a city of opportunity if one puts in the work to take advantage of all that our city has to offer. I love all the different landscapes that are readily available to all of us living in the city. We are just a car ride away from a beach, a forest or the mountains. However, sitting in traffic to get to those places is definitely something I am not a fan of. But to speak very candidly, the main thing that I am disheartened about, is knowing the amount of wealth that exists here and yet we still have not found an effective means to help our homeless population. I wish there were more active conversations, education, planning and structure to fund effective programs geared toward aiding our homeless population by providing more healthy food/nutrition, housing, healthcare (mental and physical) and even employment for all those willing to accept the help. We never know what tomorrow brings so we cannot just think it is “other people’s problem” and it could never happen to us…because it can. All it takes is one life catastrophe and similar circumstances can unfold in the blink of an eye simply because of financial hardship, physical/mental health issues or abandonment. I am sure the solution is not an easy one, but it is a heartbreaking problem that I wish we were seeing more positive change in.
Contact Info:
- MC² Actors Studio Website: www.mc2actorsstudio.com
- MC² Actors Studio Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mc2actorsstudi
- MC² Actors Studio Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mariocampanaro
- MC² Actors Studio TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mc2actorsstudi
- MC² Actors Studio Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClKklACQkmptu0rbsKHHrJ
- MC² Repertory Theatre Company Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mc2repertorytheatreco
- MC² Repertory Theatre Company Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mc2actorsstudio
- MC² Actors Studio Storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/mc2actorsstudio?ref=cm_sw_em_r_inf_own_mc2actorsstudio_dp_GKqXyJuRKUwE5
- MC² Actors Studio & MC² Repertory Theatre Company Shop: https://shop.mc2actorsstudio.com/
Image Credits
All images are of some of our in-person and online MC² Actors Studio’s Masterclass Ensemble members. Mario A. Campanaro-MC² Actors Studio Master Teacher Gabe Golden Grace Michelle Mbayah Lisseth Chavez Irina Aylyarova Lynne Hunter Davis Tom Sons Holly Hubbell Amanda Blake Ricky Valdez Oscar Miranda Ashley Murray Beth Willetts Clementine Pinet Amy Perry Michael Angelo Turner Lee Lucy Forker Stephan Silver Amelia Rodriguez Phil Hulford Milbelynn Soto Amy Louise Pemberton Nyell
