When I think of Uta I think of the school. In the 90’s I was looking for an acting school. Feeling a little lost, a good friend suggested she study at HB. “They have a different approach to learning the craft.” The style was more European. It was exactly the type of training I was looking for.

“It was there at HB I became an artist, not just an actor.”

Katherine Sergava, small but mighty. Intense, an artist, a former dancer herself. I wrote her poems, I became her key student. I just loved her so.

I wanted to get an idea of who I was & what I was to become. I knew the stage was for me. Everything had to have a purpose. Remembering what it was like walking to class with all my props that I took from home only to learn that behind the curtain in class were a ton of props.

I remember going to Jeffrey Owens Shakespeare class. Being so drawn, of the way Jeffrey would command the language.

By the time you got to Uta’s class, you realized why she let us do the classics was because we had the opportunity to watch characters change.

I learned in Uta’s class how cognizant she was of objects. It’s about the preparation. You’re creating your own story. You HAD to rehearse. Do the work. Leave it there. I loved working with Uta. It was high intensity, it was pressure. She wanted to pull the best out in us.

Maria shares a critique after her scene in Uta’s class. It didn’t matter, opening or closing night, you kept the energy of the play. I miss being able to talk with her.

Setting that foundation, set the life that I lead. It was all about truth & being real.