Centre for the Arts

Centre for the Arts It's Your Space, Take Your Place

08/25/2026

Two Ways.

Train with acting coach John Boylan at Centre for the Arts.

It’s your space, take your place. 

Tips & Insights from John BoylanTo the black wall.Seeing a black wall at the end of your audition is deadly. It’s best i...
08/24/2026

Tips & Insights from John Boylan

To the black wall.

Seeing a black wall at the end of your audition is deadly.

It’s best if your auditions are part of your ongoing work and life. With none of them ever being the be all or end all.

The continuity.

As with all your work, watch your visualization sharply and see what it looks like when you see your audition finishing. You should see yourself leaving the audition room and walking out into light rather than darkness. You should see your work and life continuing.

Not hitting a black wall.

See the end of your audition while doing your prep. What you see at the end is very important.

To like how you’re leaving the audition is as important as liking how you start because it sets you up for the next one.

Desperation is a horrible quality that can derail you. Take the auditions in your stride, put them in perspective, and see how you get stronger.

Putting you in good shape for the next audition.

08/21/2026

Actors on The Misfits: Montgomery Clift

Train with acting coach John Boylan at Centre for the Arts.

It’s your space, take your place. 

The Intensive runs this October: The best work is often the result of an intense and in-depth period of concentrated eff...
08/20/2026

The Intensive runs this October:

The best work is often the result of an intense and in-depth period of concentrated effort. This is also the way an actor makes significant gains in their overall abilities.

Over four days this October, five hours each day, you’ll work with a small handful of like-minded actors to develop your skills in working effectively – and successfully - in front of the camera.

In this class you’ll work with one scene from a best Hollywood classical narrative screenplay over the whole course. Current and typical TV scenes will also be used.

We’ll also explore in depth the audition, and how to master it.

Another important benefit is having the time to work a scene or address an acting problem you may be facing - over and over again until you’ve broken through.

I critique your work and coach you individually as well as teach lessons to the whole class. Improvisations and exercises geared to naturalistic acting in a realistic setting are used to assist your work.

The goals in this course are the ability to analyze a scene, play truthfully, reveal yourself, build your conviction and develop a proper method of work — all leading you to be a better actor and getting more work.

The key element is proper practice and repetition leading to good habits.

Classes are 10:00 am - 3:00 pm EST, Oct 22, 24, 26, and 28.
A photo and resume must be submitted before attendance can be confirmed.

$625 (tax included)

08/18/2026

Life.

Tips and Insights from John Boylan.

It’s your space, take your place. 

Tips & Insights from John BoylanTime.Is a question you’ve considered often and will continue to do so.Pick up the pace. ...
08/17/2026

Tips & Insights from John Boylan

Time.

Is a question you’ve considered often and will continue to do so.

Pick up the pace. Pick up your cues. Speak quicker. Feel the rhythm of the scene. Take a beat.

A pause.

Shooting a commercial, you’re under strict time guidelines. You might be asked to do a reaction in 4.5 seconds, and continuity will be timing you with a stopwatch. Acting in precise time to the millisecond.

Audition time. Call time. Time you’re wrapped.

One of the many actor’s questions you ask. The time of day, the time the story is set in, how old is your character, how much time does the story cover, time between scenes.

Time between lines. Speed of your character’s mind. Other characters’ minds. Time passing in the story. Pace of the film.

The time when you start after action is called. Time after cut.

“That actor’s got good timing.”

Literal time. Figurative time.

And Shakespeare writes these four different lines:

Let every man be master of his time.

Nothing ’gainst Time’s scythe can make defence.

We are Time’s subject, and Time bids be gone.

The time is out of joint: O cursed spite, that ever I was born to set it right.

There are hundreds of expressions using time. Here’s a few: A race against time. Time is precious, but truth is more precious than time. A stitch in time. Time and tide wait for no man. In the nick of time. Time brings all things to pass. Time is money. Everything in its own time. It’s high time. Third time’s a charm.

Time might answer many questions.

08/14/2026

The Reader.

Train with acting coach John Boylan at Centre for the Arts.

It’s your space, take your place. 

On Camera Class begins September 7thThese are professional track acting classes with practices that help meet the actor’...
08/13/2026

On Camera Class begins September 7th

These are professional track acting classes with practices that help meet the actor’s needs to work in the film and TV industry.

The format of the class is that you will use typical television scenes as a device to get you up in front of the camera practicing. The scenes will be selected both from series shooting in Toronto and according to your type. In the six week course, you will do four or five different scenes.

You and your partner are filmed separately in a two-camera shoot and your work is recorded on an SD card, which is provided.

I critique your work and coach you individually as well as teach lessons to the whole class. Improvisations, exercises and games, geared to naturalistic acting in a realistic setting are used to assist your work.

The goals in this course are: the ability to analyze a scene, play truthfully, build your confidence and conviction, and develop a proper method of work — all leading you to be a better actor and getting more work.

The key element is proper practice and repetition leading to good habits.

You learn by having the experience.

Classes are 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm EST, every Monday from September 7 to October 12.
A photo and resume must be submitted before attendance can be confirmed.
$550.00 (including tax)

Tips & Insights from John BoylanTics and twitches. As you’re reading this, you may notice that your foot is swinging reg...
08/10/2026

Tips & Insights from John Boylan

Tics and twitches.

As you’re reading this, you may notice that your foot is swinging regularly.

Mine is.

Or that your thumb is rhythmically rubbing your middle finger. These aren’t actually tics or twitches according to definition, but this is the best way I can describe them.

They are recognizable physical behaviours that tend to calm you down. There is a stream of energy coming from this movement in the body. As if a run-off valve is releasing extra energy.

Calming your mind.

Try to keep your tics and twitches while you’re acting.

Stillness is so important to acting and it may seem contradictory to include these slight movements as assets to good acting. In fact, it completes and complements your stillness and can be an essential ingredient to you dropping in.

The movements are pleasing sensory experiences. Your physiology likes it.

Being still on camera means natural breathing, space in your mind, and the inclusion of one of your rhythmical tics.

The fidget spinner toy serves to distract and relieve stress and plays a similar role as your tic or twitch.

The idea is that when you get up to act, don’t give up all your — seemingly quirky — personal behaviours.

See how keeping some of them helps you.

08/10/2026

Actors on the Misfits.

Train with acting coach John Boylan at Centre for the Arts.

It’s your space, take your place. 

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400 Eastern Avenue
Toronto, ON
M4M2K9

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