Ellenwood Studios

04/20/2026

Congratulations Madison, Anastasia, Dustin, and Hannah!

03/05/2026

Many students come to EmoVerity training looking to improve performance skills without needing to access their personal memories. What surprises most students is how much the training improves their personal lives.

🎯 This training helps you to:
• Name what you are feeling. Current research trends show that affect labeling reduces intense emotions. Being able to name what you are feeling, particularly strong emotions, helps to release the pressure.
• Identify emotion communication. Miscommunication is a large source of stress. Learning to identify common emotional communication patterns helps us, in turn, to become clearer communicators and become curious about the communication styles of others.
• Stay present in the moment. All emotions have a purpose. No emotion is bad, all are useful. Allowing ourselves to be present for and stay with an emotional moment allows us to move through personal resistance and avoid suppression.
• Regulate your emotions. Having a reliable set of tools to induce and release emotional states creates personal autonomy, agency, and self-sovereignty. When you feel safe and confident in your own body you can choose when to be brave, when to be vulnerable, when to be more curious, and when to step away.

🎭 EmoVerity: Level One
In short, our EmoVerity coursework teaches a physical methodology to induce, identify, and release emotional states at will, without having to create dark and traumatizing thoughts or tap into your personal memories. Together, we will lay the foundations for a repeatable, reliable, and sustainable skill-set.

IN PERSON, CHICAGO 2-Weekend Intensive - March 27-29 AND April 4-5
Our 8-week course is condensed into 2 weekends. Participants must be available for the entire duration below in order to enroll for the course.

• Friday, March 27: 7-9pm
• Saturday, March 28: 10am-4:30pm
• Sunday, March 29: 12:30-5:30pm and
• Saturday, April 4: 10am-4:30pm
• Sunday, April 5: 12:30-4:30pm

Tuition: $350 (regular cost $680)

EARLY REGISTRATION DISCOUNT
$300 registration due before 5pm CT on March 13th

• Payments can be made in one payment, two equal installments, or via a payment plan arranged in advance.

Link in Bio!

12/19/2025

12/18/2025

Rashada first came to Ellenwood Studios for coaching in 2018 when she was cast as Caroline in Tony Kushner and Jeanine Tesori's musical Caroline, or Change produced in Chicago by Firebrand Theatre & TimeLine Theatre.

In addition to voice coaching she's taken 2 sections of the EmoVerity coursework. This foundational work allowed us to coach a very heavy role on the AMC network's 61st street using EmoVerity tools.

Rashada is a gift to the world. Every time she is on stage she brings her light, love, joy and curiosity.

She is currently starring as Crystal (u/s Miss Liza Jane) in the Hell's Kitchen National Tour.

12/16/2025

Andrea completed the EmoVerity curriculum and the On-Camera cohort for EmoVerity graduates last year. She has been hard at work in commercials, an in the theatre being cast in play after play, and was so kind to take time out of her busy schedule to write the following testimonial.

"I really can't say enough wonderful things about EmoVerity and what it has brought to my artistry. Talk about tools in your toolbox... these are the ones to have!! As much as I love the classic go-to's of Stanislavsky and Meisner, there is no other teaching I need now that I've studied EmoVerity. It takes everything I've learned in the past, along with my natural instincts, and makes it all clear, accessible, and understandable to both my body and the audience.

Matthew has taught us the science behind our work and has made it repeatable, impactful, and scalable to all genres and mediums. There is such a greater clarity in my performances and my script work has become deeper and richer with the effector patterns and mixes. I never worry anymore if I'm "too big" or "too small" emotionally.

Matthew teaches you what works, why it works, and how to adjust for a director with great confidence and adaptability using EmoVerity. It is the best kept secret in the industry and I am so thrilled to have found it."

12/11/2025

L.A. based actor Cristal Bella Romano has recently completed the entire EmoVerity coursework and the On-camera cohort for EmoVerity graduates. At the Ellenwood Studios YouTube channel (visit the Link below in the comments section) you can watch an interview with Cristal describing her preparations for a co-star slot on Ryan Murphy's 9-1-1 using the EmoVerity technique to prepare and perform heightened emotions while being in a car flooding with water.

12/11/2025

Congratulations, Anastasia! I'm excited to see you shine!

12/09/2025

📅 27 days until class starts!

In EmoVerity: Level One you'll begin a process that has revitalized the bodies and minds of many performers and professionals, and taken their career to the next level!

🎭 Performers - If you've ever found emotional recall/affective memory hard on your body and mind, come learn a way to awaken and release emotional states at will without using your personal memories as "fuel for the fire."

🏢 Professionals - If you've ever misread the room, or felt like you weren't able to access your full self during presentations or meetings this course will begin the process of learning presence.

Our foundational EmoVerity course is focused on accessing and releasing emotional states at will through changes in breath, face, and body!

There are two options for study:
1. 💻 Online via Zoom. $200 for 8 classes. (Limited to 30 students)
2. 🏠 In person at Ellenwood Studios in Chicago, Illinois. $250 for 8 classes (Limited to 8 students)

❔ Have questions? Send us a direct message for more information.

🔗 Ready to register? Links are in the LinkTree at our Bio.

12/08/2025

Former Ellenwood Studios member Nick Shoda is engaging in some powerful research for his Doctorate in Psychology. I know he would appreciate any responses. The link to the survey is in the comments section of this post.

Hi Everyone! My name is Nick Shoda, and I am a doctoral student at the Illinois School of Professional Psychology at National Louis University (ISPP at NLU). I am conducting a research study titled “Trauma in Training: The Psychological Consequences of Abusive Practices in Acting Programs,” which examines the impact of abusive practices on actors’ mental health during their training.

I am currently seeking participants for a survey. If you are interested, participation in this study will involve completing a demographic questionnaire and three short measures of your mental health. You will also have the option to provide additional details about your experiences if you wish to share them. Completion of the survey and questionnaires should take approximately 20 minutes.

To participate in this study, you must be at least 18 years of age, reside in the United States, be able to provide informed consent, and be able to read and understand English. All survey responses will be anonymous. Participation is voluntary and can be discontinued at any time and for any reason without consequences.
Additionally, it would be very helpful if you could share this survey with others. The more responses I get, the better!

What are the risks of participating?
Participants who have experienced physical, emotional, and/or sexual abuse may experience psychological discomfort and/or distress in the process of answering questions related to past experiences.

What are the benefits of the study?
There is no direct benefit to participating in this study. However, you will nonetheless contribute to existing research on the psychological issues facing actors, particularly during their training. This may be useful in developing more effective training methods and mental health resources for individuals working and training in the performing arts.

If you have any questions about this, feel free to email me at [email protected] or send me a DM. Thanks in advance for your time!

11/26/2025

One of the great joys of being a teacher and coach is seeing students thrive in their work. soared tonight and my heart was full of joy. Have a wonderful tour dear one!