

Michael's email address and phone number have been validated.
Michael
- Rate ₱3,155
- Response 1h
-
Students6
Number of students Michael has taught since their arrival at Superprof
Number of students Michael has taught since their arrival at Superprof

₱3,155/h
Unfortunately, this tutor is unavailable
- Theater
Experienced tutor in Acting in Los Angeles, Michael offers private lessons tailored to your needs.
- Theater
Lesson location
Recommended
Michael is a respected tutor in our community. They have been highly recommended for their commitment and the quality of their lessons — an excellent choice to progress with confidence.
About Michael
Acting is only as complicated as you want to make it. The more you learn about the techniques and mechanics of acting, the easier it is to fall into the trap of judging your performance as you are performing, and focusing on it instead of being truly in the scene. Children don’t have to be taught how to pretend. My goal is to get you to trust your innate sense of pretending, to be relaxed and natural to create an authentic performance that truly reflects human behavior. I don’t teach any particular style of acting (Method, Meisner, etc.) Our work will consist of scene study, cold reading and audition practice.
I have a home studio with camera, lighting, backdrops, and a monitor for us to view playbacks together. (I am fully vaccinated for Covid-19.) I also offer online teaching and coaching via Zoom. I primarily offer individual lessons but am open to teaching groups.
You will find testimonials, along with information about my periodic on-camera acting workshops, at (concealed information)
I also videotape audition scenes for actors in my home studio for their online casting submissions, for which I charge $30 for a full hour. Unlike other places that offer this service, if an actor has sides for multiple scenes in the same project, I don’t limit the number of takes nor do I limit the number of scenes to be filmed. Coaching is free if you want it, and the price includes uploading the video to the casting director.
PRICES:
$50 per hour for lessons and coaching. Price breaks available for long term.
$30 per hour for audition scene taping. (see above)
My availability varies but I work with your schedule and am usually able to arrange lessons any day, any time. If necessary, I can travel to your home for coaching or audition prep but then we lose the benefit of filming and playback in my home studio. I charge an additional $25 per hour to travel.
I've been a working actor and television writer for over 30 years, and I absolutely love what I do. (You can view my resume at (concealed information)
An actor should never stop learning and exploring. Not only does it fuel me creatively to coach and teach other actors and share what knowledge about the craft that I can, I often come away with new acting insights of my own.
I've been a working actor and television writer for over 30 years. You can view my resume at (concealed information)
About the lesson
- Beginner
- Intermediate
- Advanced
- +1
levels :
Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced
Children
- English
All languages in which the lesson is available :
English
I prefer that you come to the first session with either a monologue or a two-person scene that I can read with you, in the style and tone of the your choosing: drama, film comedy, sitcom, etc. You perform the scene on-camera, then we review the performance to establish where you are in your training and what you would like to accomplish. My focus is on authenticity and being natural. My aim is for you to feel relaxed and confident enough to be a true person on camera and not micro-manage your performance to reach a pre-set result.
Recommendations
Recommendations come from relatives, friends and acquaintances of the teacher
This is probably the best workshop to take if you're an actor in Los Angeles.
Michael is an insightful caring coach with many years of professional experience and knowledge to impart. An unassuming, friendly, positive person, Michael's passion for his students' success is infectious. Actors of all levels would benefit from working with him.
If you're looking to sharpen the weapons in your acting arsenal, look no further than the Actors Safehouse. This is a place where you check overworking at the door. At the Safehouse you can relax and just let the scenes develop naturally. Michael Merton's insights and adjustments to any given scene are priceless. Who better to help an actor with their craft than a fellow actor. One of the best parts of his on-camera workshops is the flexibility. You go when you can fit it into your busy schedule. You also get to choose the focus for each class. No pressure. No wasting money because of missed classes. Speaking of money, Michael's workshops are the most reasonably priced and affordable classes around. He's not in this for the money, he's in it to give a helping hand to those of us trying to make it in this crazy town.
Prior to taking Michael’s workshops, while I was getting some good television auditions, I wasn’t getting callbacks or booking work. Once I saw myself on tape doing the auditions, I realized that I wouldn’t have booked me either. I was looking in the wrong direction, holding the sides in the wrong position and also not calibrating my interpretation of my character at the right level. With Michael’s expert direction and tweaking, I am bringing my “performance” into a much more real place…and enjoying it more. I can’t express the gratitude I feel for this incredible help. Additionally, because the groups are so small, we are able to work in some depth and with great support. Frankly, I think he’s a genius, and he’s turning out a group of serious, confident, smart actors. In fact, some of the auditions we’ve done in workshop are good enough to go on my reel and that’s where they’re going.
While in Los Angeles over fourteen years, I have been to my handful of acting classes, and they are not all created equal. Michael has an outstanding way of teaching and not just talking. Classes are small, detailed, organized and hands-on. Scenes are run a few times and then taped. Having the time and attention to discuss the work and watch the playbacks are a huge blessing to an actor.. We need to see what's happening in the box! Take a chance, take a class and learn by doing!
Michael's classes are great. You work a lot, get instant feedback from seeing your tape, and most importantly the material is relevant to the kinds of things we will be getting for auditions. It's a great place to learn if you are new and also if you have been around for a while and just need to exercise your muscle in a supportive environment.
As hard as it is for me to watch myself on camera, I have to know if what I'm doing is coming across, and Michael Merton has not only given me adjustments but tools -- breaking eye contact and being more still just to mention two -- that let me walk away from auditions feeling totally professional.
View more recommendations
Rates
Rate
- ₱3,155
Pack rates
- 5h: ₱15
- 10h: ₱30
online
- ₱3,155/h
Details
$75 per hour for lessons and coaching. Price breaks available for long term. I charge an additional $40 per hour to travel.
$30 per hour for audition scene taping.
Other tutors in Theater
-
![teacher_picture]()
Adélie
Paris 1er & online- Ambassador
Coach in eloquence (be comfortable speaking) - eloquentia competition jury
- ₱4,222/h
- 1st lesson free
-
![teacher_picture]()
Lee
London & online- Ambassador
2026 oscar nominated actor, writer, director - multiple global award winning film director, west end, film & tv actor. audition coaching & career mentoring.
- ₱16,866/h
-
![teacher_picture]()
Milly
London & online- Ambassador
Netflix, mgm, national theatre, bbc, royal central trained and audition panellist | bespoke drama school auditions, actor training for all levels and career coaching
- ₱5,903/h
- 1st lesson free
-
![teacher_picture]()
Jérôme
Paris 11e & online- Ambassador
Humor on stage: from comedy to stand-up, or how to launch your career as a comedian
- ₱4,855/h
-
![teacher_picture]()
Yuri
London & online- Ambassador
Acting coach for screen, auditions and self tapes with an international working actor
- ₱5,481/h
- 1st lesson free
-
![teacher_picture]()
Adam
London & online- Ambassador
Actor and director, founder of london acting studio, tutor at city academy, private tutor of writer and comedian russell kane: "brilliant acting coach – i’d found all kinds of methods of building my c
- ₱5,481/h
-
![teacher_picture]()
Sally
London & online- Ambassador
Interactive and personally tailored online acting and singing training direct from a professional stage and screen actor!
- ₱4,048/h
-
![teacher_picture]()
Axel
London & online- Ambassador
Amazon prime, paramount +, royal central trained pro actor offering drama school entrance coaching, acting lessons and career advice.
- ₱3,373/h
- 1st lesson free
-
![teacher_picture]()
Liam
London & online- Ambassador
Professional actor & top london drama school graduate. acting for stage & screen. voice, presence, and performance mastery.
- ₱5,060/h
- 1st lesson free
-
![teacher_picture]()
Andrew
London & online- Ambassador
Industry professional with over 10 years experience in the business - represented by top-tier uk & us talent - here to share knowledge and skills with those who are keen to learn!
- ₱4,216/h
- 1st lesson free
-
![teacher_picture]()
Andrea
Los Angeles & online- Ambassador
Sundance award-winning producer + award-winning director + script doctor/screewriter *20+ yrs experience *teaches acting, writing for musicals, memoirs and screen, crowdfunding, navigating hollywood
- ₱7,888/h
-
![teacher_picture]()
Charlotte
London & online- Ambassador
Ace your lamda exams with lamda trained actor, charlotte! with a 100% distinction or merit rate, i’m here to guide children and teens so they can reach their potential in their performance exams.
- ₱3,373/h
- 1st lesson free
-
![teacher_picture]()
Artur
Icaraí (Niterói) & online- Ambassador
Learn theater having fun and put an end to your shyness once and for all!
- ₱1,148/h
- 1st lesson free
-
![teacher_picture]()
Carolyn
Naples & online- Ambassador
Professional celebrity acting coach with the expertise and industry insider experience to help you book your next role and fast-track your career in film and television.
- ₱6,310/h
-
![teacher_picture]()
Stu
New York & online- Ambassador
Learn acting from a sag-aftra actor with 35+ years of tv & film experience! law & order, gotham, the blacklist & more! beginners & working actors welcome. let's work!
- ₱4,354/h
-
![teacher_picture]()
Michelle
London & online- Ambassador
Confidence and communication coach with a background in acting and teaching. bespoke, relaxed sessions focussing on mindset, pitches, presentations, interviews, introductions, role plays…
- ₱6,325/h
-
![teacher_picture]()
Clemmie
London & online- Ambassador
Gentle low-stress acting and audition coaching by theatre director with experience in the west end, shakespeare’s globe and more
- ₱4,216/h
-
![teacher_picture]()
Jesse
Atlanta & online- Ambassador
Career & self-tape coaching with working actor (ghostbusters, walking dead, candy, bosch) 14+ years as a professional actor in the film & tv industry
- ₱4,733/h
- 1st lesson free
-
![teacher_picture]()
Tara
Montgomery & online- Super Prof
Graduated with honors from rutgers university with a degree in theatre, speech, communication, and english. over 30 years of producing and directing plays and musicals. ranked highly effective teacher
- ₱5,364/h
- 1st lesson free
-
![teacher_picture]()
Dennis
Dover & online- Experienced
Professional director, producer, actor, with 50+ years of experience, teaches acting, voice acting, improvisation, character, script analysis, and interpersonal communication for performance and busin
- ₱5,364/h
- 1st lesson free
-
See Theater tutors




















