OUR FAMILY!
We are an inclusive studio—EVERYONE is welcome here! We all check our egos at the door and then get right down to the work. You will be empowered to get there on your own. You will learn to trust your own instrument and make strong choices that deliver. And you will be fiercely supported by your peers. We are family.
ABOUT THE WORK TEAM
Artistic Director Murisa Harba
"I live to push boundaries. I find comfort in the uncomfortable. I seek out the "new." New situations, new combinations, new challenges, anything that will allow me to step out of my comfort zone and prove to myself that I can do something I have never done before and in so doing, prove to others that they can too."
Murisa Harba | Founder & Artistic Director
An award-winning actor and director, Murisa Harba lives to push boundaries. She is a leading acting coach, international best-selling author, thought leader, and speaker in Los Angeles, passionate about empowering actors to elevate their truth in storytelling and ultimately unlocking their creative genius.
Her fascination with the infinite ways in which our bodies communicate led her to create two custom signature techniques: THE CHAKRA APPROACH® and THE MACRO METHOD. THE CHAKRA APPROACH® taps into the body’s natural energy centers as a way to build compelling performances, while THE MACRO METHOD is an efficient, empowering way to break down a script complete with strong choice formulas for actors to nail their auditions in less than five minutes.
ABOUT THE WORK Actors Studio was founded by Murisa in 2013 on the principle of challenging actors to dig deep to uncover their truth in performance. Her book Acting With Energy reached International Best Seller status across 10 countries worldwide and has served thousands of actors to use energy versus emotional recall in their work for a more repeatable, compelling performance.
She has directed multiple TV series including Bad Therapist, Gas, Skiddle And Bang It and F#@K I Love U, in which her directorial debut on the show won BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE at ITV Fest and the live production, in which she also played the leading lady, premiered at the Hollywood Fringe Festival. Her films include Gruyeres & Dansare, in which she directed, produced and acted in starring a whole cast and crew of ATW students which premiered at NoHo Cinefest Film Festival in Los Angeles. She also directed TELL YOUR STORY, a PSA on sexual assault and women’s empowerment.
She most recently played the lead role of “Claire” in psychological drama The Shattering; directed by Daria Nazarova and produced by Argentic Productions (Amazon Prime). She snagged 4 BEST ACTRESS in a FEATURE FILM awards for her work in this project at Depth of Field Film Festival, LadyFilmmakers Festival, Studio City International Film Festival and SYTYCA Festival. She also starred in Deadly Crush (Amazon Prime), The Secret in the Basement and The Goldfish, directed by Homeland producer Ashley Brim (Omeleto; BEST NARRATIVE SHORT- Brooklyn Film Fest).
As a Boston University CFA Theatre alum, she is proud to continue to share her passion for storytelling by coaching actors at ABOUT THE WORK, as well as the SAG-AFTRA Conservatory since 2011. She serves on the SAG-AFTRA Conservatory Committee and is recognized as a Backstage Expert; check out her latest articles on Chakra techniques here and Strong Choices here.
Savannah Schoenecker | Signature Technique Instructor
Savannah graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, LA with a focus on Uta Hagen, Stanislavski & Strausberg Techniques. She later studied Linklater & Alexander Techniques with Adele Cabot(Voice Joy LA,) and Shakespeare with Dennis Krausnik(Shakespeare Company Massachusetts.) Savannah is a former associate member of the Actor’s Gang under Artistic Director Tim Robbins where she rigorously trained in “The Style;” an ever evolving method inspired by George Bigot focusing on Commedia del Arte, states of emotion, and breaking the fourth wall. She continuously trains with the company in “The Style;” an ever evolving method inspired by George Bigot and focused on Commedia del Arte, states of emotion, and breaking the fourth wall.
Savannah has performed in award winning projects including “Made With Love,” (Art House Coup Film Fest Winner) & “Closure,” (120 Hour Film Fest “Audience Award”) and received a Stage Raw Scenie Award for “Star Making Performance” in Patterns at Theater 40 as well as an Eddon Award for “Best Actress” in Laundry & Bourbon at The Lonny Chapman Theater. She is also a practitioner and instructor of Wing Chun Kung Fu and founded Kids Kung Fu Moves in 2015. The successful program works with dozens of schools in Los Angeles to teach children social and emotional learning through the foundations of martial arts and mindfulness.
Before stepping into the role of Signature Technique Instructor at About The Work, Savannah started as an eager student looking for an artistic home in 2013. The Macro Method and The Chakra Approach exponentially impacted her growth as an artist and lead to direct successes in her acting career. She is honored to head the fundamentals programs at the studio and share the techniques with new students through the lens of passion, empathy, mutual respect, risk taking and shared growth. She’s got your back!
Michelle Merring | Signature Technique Instructor + Studio Concierge
Michelle has BFA in Theatre from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and her most notable credits include: Viola on General Hospital, Dr Browne on the short That’s My Time and she was most recently seen on 911 Lone Star.
Some LA theater credits include: Anne in Trouble the Water by Ellen Geer, Miss Nanalu Branch in Bluebonnet Court by Josh Irving Gershick, Murray in LAME: the Musical by Rich Nathanson and MacBeezy by Kelly Boczek-Petrie. Her Off-Broadway productions include: Spiritwoman at the Harold Clurman Theatre, Down Home Sausage Meat with the Negro Ensemble Company and Space Trek: A Musical Parody at the Chelsea Playhouse, NYC.
As a writer/director, Michelle is known for her short film Yogurt Girl and and the trailer for her upcoming feature County Man. Check out her YouTube channel series “Need Money for College Cooking show” or as a recurring teacher on Secrets of the Heart TV.
Grace Mullen | Signature Technique Instructor + Social Media Manager
Grace Mullen has a BA degree from The Ohio State University with a focus on Theater and Linguistics. While at OSU, she trained with Kevin McClatchy in Chekov, Meisner, and Stanislavski’s method, and Acting for the Camera. Before moving to LA, Grace starred in the short film “Safe Haven’s Hospital Bar” which premiered at Columbus Ohio’s historic Studio 35 Cinema.
Since moving to LA, Gracie has appeared in many short films, and recently wrapped on feature film “Into the Box,” and acted in and produced the short film “The Lakeside Ripper.”
Since studying at About the Work and working with The Macro Method, she has been inspired to start directing projects of her own. She directed the music video, “You Know That I Would” by Ienne, and wrote, directed, and acted in the short film “The Rumination.” After booking a role on “The Passion Project: Volume 1”, Grace was hired to direct 5 episodes.
Grace has trained with Intimacy Directors and Coordinators and earned a ‘Consent Forward Artist’ certificate through their program. She also completed Theatrical Intimacy Education’s ‘Workshop Weekend’ in LA, where she learned effective and ethical tools for staging intimacy. She’s passionate about empowering actors and implementing these tools to promote consensual sets that benefit the artist and the work.
Gracie has been with About The Work since early 2017. The techniques, like The Chakra Approach®, have had a profound impact on her as an artist. She’s gained confidence in her craft, and an entire community of amazingly supportive and talented artists that she loves collaborating with, and cheering on! She delights in sharing her peers’ wins, and ATW’s values through social media, and hopes some of her memes have made you laugh.
Jogie Balanquit | IT Operations
The Jack of All Trades, Jie is an IT professional with broad experience not just in technology, but also in Customer Relations Management for performing arts and cultural events, remotely working behind the scenes with respected producers, organizers, columnists, artists and influencers in the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles from 2015 to 2023. She became the operations manager of the biggest immersive livestreaming comedy club on the planet during the pandemic, featuring amazing stand-up comedians and artists who are also known on Netflix.
She became one of the Lasallian Educators in the Philippines at the early age of 19, honing young minds to explore world-class science and technology innovation—studies that focus on IT fundamentals and ethics, database management, e-commerce, graphics and multimedia design, programming languages, robotics, and artificial intelligence.
An innovative conservationist by heart, she recently supported studies in Micro-Bio Technology Innovation and Research at the University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines and co-founded The Global Conservation Agriculture Cooperative, aiming to help not just indigenous Filipinos but also to support prevention campaigns against global food shortages.
She can speak the language of those who cannot speak and has supported the Loving Presence Foundation for Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals since 2007 -her commitment to versatile communication, emotional intelligence, and energy awareness aligns perfectly with the principles of this empowering team, reflecting her passion as its newest member.