Step Into CharacterAn introduction to the craft of acting
Step Into CharacterAn introduction to the craft of acting
A two-hour acting workshop with director Oriana Ng: step out of yourself and into a character.
Use your imagination and your senses to bring a character to life, and give an everyday object a story. No experience needed, just curiosity about what it feels like to act. It’s also the easiest way to try Oriana’s approach before Level Up 2.0, her 12-session acting course, starts in November.
The Situation
You have all these emotions and ideas, and nowhere to put them. Maybe you’ve had a taste of acting and want to see how far you can go. Or maybe you’ve only ever wondered.
What we notice:
• you’ve felt the itch to try acting
• you’ve wondered how movie stars do it, and whether you could too
• you want to explore your creative side
• you’re looking for an outlet for your emotions and ideas
• you’d like to be someone else for an evening, intentionally
The Practices
Learn to use your imagination and senses to bring characters to life and give an everyday object a story. The exercises come from the toolkit professional actors train with, adapted for people who have never acted.
How we play:
• character building through physical exercises
• hot-seating: answering questions as your character
• improvisation
• sensory and imagination work
• bringing an everyday object to life
• a short scripted scene
What you’ll experience
Play a Character
Shift from sharing who you are to playing a character.
Play Pretend
Create a whole new world and person from within.
Emotional Expression
Shift from cutting off your emotions to feeling fully.
Discover a New Craft
Get a glimpse into how professional actors work.
Who This Is For
Anyone who has ever wondered what it feels like to act. No acting experience, no preparation, no lines to learn in advance. It’s also the best way to meet Oriana before Level Up 2.0, her 12-session acting course at TISTO, starts in November.
Inside the room
What Participants Say
Workshop instructor
Oriana Ng
Theater director • Filmmaker • Teaches acting at Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute • NYU Tisch graduate (MFA)
Oriana Ng
Theater Director · Filmmaker · Acting Teacher · MFA, NYU Tisch
French-Singaporean filmmaker and theater director based in New York. Directed three productions in NYC in 2025, including her original play Eclipse. Films screened at Dallas, Brisbane, and St. Louis International Film Festivals. Winner, Best Drama Short — Barbados Independent Film Festival.
Acting on Camera instructor at Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute (Young Actors Program). In recent years she has coached child and untrained actors, having trained under acting coach Noëlle Gentile. Studied management at HEC Paris Business School.
“I consider my time of training in NY as the two most impactful years of my acting career: if it wasn’t for Oriana, I wouldn’t have grown to become the actor that I am today.”
— Mikaël Mittelstadt, actor, Bardot and Women at War (Netflix), The Serpent Queen (Starz)
Information& Details
October 24, Saturday, 3–5 pm
Session Length: 2 hours
Held: English
Location: Manhattan (the exact address comes with your booking)
Format: Live, in-person
Experience Level: Open to everyone (no acting experience needed) · 18+
Group size: Up to 12 people
What to bring: Comfortable clothing and an open mind
Transfers: your spot can be transferred or credited if you tell us 48 hours before
Next step: Level Up 2.0, Oriana’s 12-session acting course, starts in November
Prices
$50 · early bird, until Saturday, October 17
$60 · from Sunday, October 18
One 2-hour workshop · up to 12 people