In five minutes or less, you can create a memorable, unique performance, without panicking.
Once upon a time, as a young actor in New York,
I walked into an audition and was handed a monologue that
I had never seen before.
The director said, "Look that over,
and we'll see you in about five minutes."
The piece was thick with wild imagery and non-sequiturs,
and repetition at the beginning of almost every sentence.
I looked at it and thought, "5 minutes?"
But I pulled out my pencil and got to work.
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5 minutes later, I was able to wow the director with a
unique, memorable, confident performance...
and I got the job.
And now I'll teach you the techniques I used,
so you can do it, too!
A SIMPLE, INFINITELY REPEATABLE AND ADAPTABLE TECHNIQUE
A MEMORABLE PERFORMANCE - NO PANIC REQUIRED
THE "PENNING" METHOD
I always tell people my last name is, "Penning... like writing things down." How fitting, then, that this method would be all about "Penning" your unique marks to shape your script so you'll never lose your place, you'll always know exactly what you mean, and you'll wow them with your confidence!
All from a little "Penning."
THE FULL STORY
I started performing onstage when I was 8 years old. (My family will tell you I was performing long before that.)
I had a wonderful fourth grade teacher who introduced me to Shakespeare and changed my life. So since that time, I've always used Shakespearean notation to mark my scripts for clarity and stresses.
It dawned on me that this kind of notation, with a little tweaking, would work well on contemporary scripts, too, and then, if I were to work on a song, or give a presentation in front of a group of people, I'd mark those scripts, too.
Soon, I began teaching this "Penning" method to all my students, and they've relied on it to book them work in theatre, film, and television, and to get them into college and grad school.
I have always wanted to write a book describing the technique, but now, with the availability of online learning, I can teach far more people than I ever could individually, and help actors all over the world create confident, memorable performances in minutes.
I can't wait to share with you the technique I've been honing for decades, which has led me to a successful career as an award-winning actress and audiobook narrator.
PROVEN OUTCOMES
I've been teaching these techniques for 30 years now. The Penning Method works. My students have used it to get parts in films and television, audiobooks, audition for Broadway, get into college and grad school. Here's what they're saying:
William Slammon, NH
Audiobook Narrator
“It is amazing; I'm a convert.
You have to learn this method.
And the only person to learn it from is Marni."
John Detty, OH
Actor/Director
“In my two decades of analyzing scripts, I have never found a more efficient and effective way to mark my script. Using The Penning Method, I recently found new choices in a monologue I've been using for over a decade."
Princess Jacob, NY
TV, Film, & Stage Actress
"I've been working with Marni for years, and her method is what I use to tackle ANY material!
Marni's method and one-on-one coaching has brought me a lot of success in theatre, television, and commercials. Most recently, I booked my first guest star role on a network tv show! I highly recommend Marni and her method to anyone looking for a dependable technique to break down scripts and get to the truth of the text. She is truly the best!
Eve Passeltiner, MT
Audiobook Narrator & Actress
“Marni is such a supportive, astute, stellar actress (I’ve even been her scene partner for a self-tape) and she has been doing this for decades and really knows how to hone in on what is essential in a piece.”
Alexander Ragona, NJ
Voice Actor & Narrator
“After the workshop, I went home and tried out The Penning Method on my auditions the next day. It was the easiest audition I've ever done."
DOES THIS SOUND LIKE YOU?
(Because it used to be me!)
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FREEZE WITH OVERWHELM:
Do you panic when someone hands you material you don't feel you have time to prepare thoroughly?
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QUESTION YOUR CHOICES:
Whenever you audition, do you always think you could have done it better?
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MIRED IN SELF-DOUBT:
Do you have a hard time letting go of a "bad" audition?
Me too!
I freeze up when I rely on my memory and don't commit my choices to the script.
But as soon as I began using this method to quickly notate my choices, I was able to perform freely, without self-doubt, knowing I made the best, most unique choices I could in the time I was allotted. And then I go out and get myself a cup of tea to celebrate, and move on to the next thing.
You can, too!
Let the marks guide you so you can just PLAY!
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Need help before then? Marni also does private coaching. Reach out via our CONTACT form for rates and availability