“The inaugural meeting of The Bloomsbury Group was a smashing success!

Oh, friends, I cannot tell you how thrilled I am by just how refreshing, inspiring, and cathartic this salon/roundtable/cowork was!

There was a lot of laughter, a couple of tears, and a lot of empathy and recognition. People shared themselves, art that moves them, and art they made with bravery and gusto.

I feel like I went on a very good first date and now I'm glowing.

Thank you so much to everyone who came and everyone who shared. Special shout out to Virginia Woolf for helping plan and for the cookies, Thoby Stephen (who isn't on Facebook) for being our sacrificial lamb, and, of course, Maynard Keynes, without whom this would not have happened.

I'll be posting about our second meeting in the next couple of weeks once we work out scheduling and funding stuff. Stay tuned!”

“It was a smaller meeting this month, but no less wonderful and brave and poignant.

Thank you to everyone who came, who shared their epiphanies and struggles and their art.

We had an earnest, supportive and in-depth discussion of how mental health affects our work and our ability to do it. We dreamed up our ideal artistic communities. We discussed the gender dynamics of Midsummer and explored two different versions of it. We shared vulnerable, in-progress, and new art and challenged each other with loving feedback.

I'm so grateful that we're doing this and for everyone's willingness to take this journey with me.

Until next time, Bloomsbury Group.”

“The seventeen-year cicadas are here!

In many ways the actor and the cicada are kindred species. They both like to sleep for as long as they can. Many actors, like cicadas, feed exclusively on vegetation. But what do actors and cicadas have most in common? MOLTING.

Like a great actor in training, the cicada leaves behind an image of itself as it grows to take wing, bigger and better prepared for the world.

Don't you think it's time for new skin and fresh wings?

Then come check out the TOTALLY FREE Gene Cousineau Actor Training OPEN HOUSE on Wednesday, June 12th, from 6:30 - 9:00 PM. Audit an evening of Gene’s amazing Scene Study class, see some people molting* bravely in front of you, and then afterward, join us for refreshments at the bar down the street, where you can meet and greet Gene’s current students and clients, ask lots questions, and make ch-ch-ch noises all you want.

Since we haven't seen many cicadas in the city yet, we're really looking forward to seeing you! Reservations are required, so please email GCAT Assistant Lindsay at lindsay@genecousineau.com today to reserve a spot!

The next jumping-in point for class is the July session - Monday evenings start July 8th, Tuesday afternoons start July 9th, and Thursday evenings start July 11th. One-on-one coaching with Gene is available anytime, and the first hour is FREE! E-mail gene@genecousineau.com anytime you'd like an appointment. Details about Gene’s coaching and class are at www.genecousineau.com. And if you haven't already, join the fantastic Gene Cousineau Actor Training Facebook Group!

* Not literally. Please don't disrobe.”

“"Ba de ya, say do you remember? Ba de ya, Gene’s class in September? Ba de ya, never was a cloudy day!"

— Earth, Wind, and Fire*

Okay, maybe there was something in there about dancing, but that's probably what they wrote originally. The song most likely went, "Do you remember registering for September?" And then some other stuff about how great the Gene Cousineau Actor Training Scene Study Class is and how registration for September's class sessions closes at 5:00 PM on Friday, August 30th, so you should definitely audition and sign up before that if you want to chase the clouds away.

But then they thought — this is totally how it went down — that they didn't want everyone to know about Gene’s three available classes (Mondays from 6:30 - 10:30 PM, September 9, 16, 23, 30; Tuesdays from 1:30 - 5:30 PM, September 3, 10, 17, 24; Thursdays from 6:30 - 10:30 PM, September 5, 12, 19, 26) because they wanted to keep all the awesomeness for themselves. And that's why "September" is the only song of theirs anybody knows. So you should tell everybody! Share the wealth! Don't be Earth, Wind, and Fire. Be water (like Bruce Lee)!

Email GCAT Assistant Sally at sally@genecousineau.com today to join the fun and then prepare for the bells to ring and your soul to sing (that's one of the things you can't understand them singing in the song)!

For more information, check out the website!

And remember these three important things:

1. The first hour of private coaching with Gene is absolutely FREE! Email Gene or Sally anytime to schedule your appointment.

2. There's no class on Labor Day, September 2nd.

3. Dancing in September.

* This may or may not be factually accurate.”