Los Angeles Acting Intensive

Taught by Helena Walsh & Benjamin Mathes

Monday, February 24th - Friday, February 28th at Crash Acting

Spend a transformative week in one of the greatest cities for creativity and with 2 of the world’s top acting teachers.

What to expect:

This unique opportunity brings actors together to grow, evolve, challenge and transform! 
This workshop will focus on moving through the spiral of intensity to complexity to simplicity.

  • Scene & Character Work
    A fusion of the relationship of the physiology and biology with the imaginative circumstances of the story. The scene work is about being in and experiencing the story, building a belief in story through specific tools given by Helena and Ben to give you an ever evolving deepening of your craft. Encouraging an enjoyable risky leap into the unknown, excited by the danger of trusting something bigger than you to move through you. Stepping into your own potency and in so doing a vibrant empowering expression of the moment. Through exercise, scene work, and discussion, actors will explore The Non-Dominant Approach to Acting, a revolutionary process designed to bring more depth, ease, and joy to your acting and auditions. Students will work closely with Benjamin and Helena in this intimate-group setting of limited participants, receiving focused and personalized feedback. 

  • The Art of Presence
    Daily, there will be work integrating life and art through our six senses, through our “organic intelligence” from our biology to our environment to the group of actors present, to what matters to us individually and collectively about the world we live in. Discovering your alignment with these forces will anchor your work as an artist, actor in a potent, personal and collective creative intelligence. This will invite you to become open to receive the potential for growth & transformation that is already there for you to work & play with in your life & art.

  • Nervous System Regulation & Integration Work 
    The work is inspired by Fitzmaurice Voicework®, Organic Intelligence® and Neurosystemics™ and works from the principles of stability, support, pleasure and play. It is a journey into alignment of imagination body and breath, working with the fight / flight / freeze mechanisms that ignite in the actor’s nervous system when working with creative impulse. We will explore the subtle nuances in our rich vulnerability so that the experience of your character is more embodied and alive.

  • Attend Crash Acting Classes

    Each day after the intensive, you’ll have the option to attend 16 additional hours of Crash Acting’s Scene Study Monday - Friday. Pop in and out and take what you’ve learned in your week with Helena and Ben even further.

  • Los Angeles Activities

    Let your new LA friends show you around town. Join us for frisbee at the beach, local restaurants and bars, sights like the Griffith Observatory, and more.

  • Did we mention you’ll be working in LA’s most beautiful acting studio?

  • ALL OF THIS valued at $1,200 USD —— Yours for only $750 USD

Don’t take our word for it, hear what actors have to say about working with Helena & Benjamin

“Most human I've ever felt. If you're ready to fully step inside yourself and rediscover what's been lost from the betrayals of pursuing a life of acting, this is the place. I found love, friendship and acceptance at this course and it brought back the simplicity of my passion and brought me back to the time when it was only about the joy of playing pretent without the judgement of getting it right. That to me is the art and you'll learn how to do that here. Get back to the joy and the rest is child's play. Literally“

— Jonathan Chironna

“Oh my goodness! Helena and Ben are an incredible team and they guided us to a deeper understanding of ourselves both in our work, and in the world. I was so inspired by the workshop and have continued to process everything we worked on as I pursue my acting career in LA. I feel a stronger connection to the world around me and I am grounded in the unshakable idea that I am enough. I’m so grateful for this workshop, the community we created and a beautiful experience I will remember forever.”

— Emilia Ray

“One of the best experiences of my life. Helena Walsh and Benjamin Mathes are master coaches. The workshop consisted of a full week of body and breath connection, scene study, and great practical advise on how to approach the business side of the industry. I learned so much about my own body and breath, and how everything applies to my life and work. Having the opportunity to work with actors from Ireland was a dream come true! All of the actors were willing to take risks and be vulnerable, which created a safe space for everyone and allowed everyone to learn more about the craft and connect deeply with one another. By the end of the week, we were all a family. I highly recommend this workshop for anyone who is looking to deepen their connection with themselves, with others, and with their craft. This was an experience that will always be dear to my heart.”

— Chiara McCarty

“A truly transformational experience. The environment was safe enough to allow me to feel vulnerable and challenged me to keep pushing through. It allowed me to fully experience the power of my body and connect to myself. I was able find a new breath in my body, my life, and in my work. I gained a new perspective of seeing beauty through the chaos feel more receptive to all that’s around. I would encourage anyone seeking artistic growth and connection to join this workshop. It’s a once and a lifetime opportunity.”

— Diedra Hart

“This retreat broke walls down that I wasn’t even aware of. My eyes were opened to things within myself that needed to be uncovered, and in turn allowed me to be open to the people and the experiences that were right in front of me. Helena and Ben are life changers if you’re willing to be open to what they have to offer. It may be scary, but it’s something I will never regret.”

— Madison Brown

“Helena & Ben make an incredible team. I feel like I can take on any acting challenge thanks to them. Whether that’s taking on a character or navigating my acting career. The best part of the week was getting to meet other artists from around the world. When else would I get the opportunity to act with them?! Such a wonderful week that I’ll treasure forever.”

— Aidan Rees

“I’m finally finding my way back to myself and to the joy in acting, and this experience played a significant part in that.”

— Rachel Zapata

“There's absolutely no other studio in the world doing what Helena Walsh Empowerment is! Run, don't walk, to work with this incredible team ❤️.”

— Shivani Desai

Meet Your Instructors

Helena Walsh

For over 25 years, I have been transforming personal and collective lives, as a voice, acting coach and empowerment coach in the international arts world. I studied voice through the International Roy Harte Centre in the south of France and trained in Fitzmaurice Voicework® at Central in London. I was appointed to the role of European director of the Fitzmaurice Institute and was the co-director of the Freedom and Focus Fitzmaurice Voicework® Conference in 2016 and 2018 in Dublin and London respectively.  

Over the years, I became more and more interested in trauma, PTSD and anxiety, which were coming up a lot during workshops with my clients. After burning out in 2017, I discovered Organic Intelligence®, and since then I have been training and working as a human empowerment and resiliency consultant. 

My work in Organic Intelligence® complimented the work I had embodied through Fitzmaurice Voicework®, Roy Hart and my mentor Andrea Ainsworth. I became more curious about how we could create a more organic and holistic approach to the actor's process. So, with my friend and colleague Benjamin Mathes of Crash Acting LA, we co-created a ten-week advanced acting process. This was inspired by the week-long retreats we regularly host in Clonakilty, West Cork, where actors from LA, Ireland and Europe come together for an intensive week of acting and surfing. "The Actor's Practice" is a compassionate and deeply transformative practice which moves both the actors process to a whole new level and changes their lives for the better. This leaves the actor confident, unshakable and inspired to feel more pleasure and curiosity in their life and art. 

Benjamin Mathes

On film, television, and stage he has worked with artists such as Academy Award-winning director Clint Eastwood, Academy Award-winning actor Alan Arkin, Sam Raimi, Bradley Cooper, Andy Garcia, Chris Rock, and Academy Award-winning producer Brian Grazer. He received his MFA in Acting from the University of California, Irvine.

Benjamin served as Head of Production for Hollywood’s Seine Pictures, overseeing the creative development and production of each film. Recently, he Executive Produced the dark comedy Murder of a Cat (starring Greg Kinnear, J.K. Simmons, and Nikki Reed), and the biopic Pelé: Birth of A Legend (in partnership with Brian Grazer and Ron Howard’s Imagine Entertainment). Both films premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and were released internationally. He also produced the documentary Listening is Loving about the power of listening to people with dementia, which was distributed internationally in 2018. 

His acting studio, CRASH ACTING, inspires a Non Dominant Approach to Acting driven by the idea that service is the context for artistic greatness. His students have won or been nominated for Tony, Emmy, Grammy, and Ovation Awards, and have appeared on Broadway, as guest stars and series regulars on television, and in major motion pictures. He has served as an acting coach for Warner Brothers, HBO, and currently for Netflix. Internationally, he runs acting retreats in Ireland, and has run Crash Acting workshops in Lima, Dublin, Los Angeles, and Atlanta.

As an acting instructor in universities, Benjamin has taught or been on faculty at Auburn University, Cal State Northridge, University of San Diego, University of Lima, Peru, Catholic University of Lima, Theatre of Arts in Hollywood, UC Irvine, Arizona State University, Western Michigan University, University of Oklahoma, Depauw University, and the Lincoln Center Director’s Lab. He is a certified Associate Teacher of Fitzmaurice Voicework® and has served as a vocal and dialect coach for major motion pictures, network television, and theaters around the country.

FAQ’s

  • Monday, February 24th - Friday, February 28th from 9am - 4pm.

    After the workshop ends at 4pm each day, you have the choice to attend Crash Acting Scene Study at 5pm, to join us for activities hosted by your LA friends, or do your own thing :)

  • The LA Acting Intensive is $750 USD.

    You get 25 hours of instruction from Helena Walsh & Benjamin Mathes plus exclusive access to 16 additional hours of study at Crash Acting.

    Payment Plans are available upon request. Please email Aidan@CrashActing.com to request a personalized plan.

  • Crash Acting is located at 1924 Raymond Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90007

  • The studio’s zip code is 90007. We recommend checking out hotels, Air BnB, VRBO, Hotels Tonight. near the area.

    Surrounding neighborhoods include Downtown LA, Koreatown, Mid City, West Adams, Miracle Mile, and USC Village.

  • Great! Email your questions to Aidan@CrashActing.com

  • Yes! Here’s the full week’s schedule:

    — Saturday, February 22nd: Intuition for Actors

    — Monday, February 24th - Friday, February 28th: LA Acting Intensive

    — Saturday, March 1st: Television Self Tape Workshop

    Bundle & Save Options available when you register for the LA Acting Intensive.