Dear Mr. Modica,
I suppose as parents we never stop worrying about our children and their passage through life. Sometimes we must step back and painfully watch them struggle hoping someone or something will touch their lives in a positive way. Michael is entering a new passage in his life's journey. I like what I see and feel relief. It pleases and excites me to know my son has found his passion and feels alive and focused. How fortunate that Michael has found you, a man of character, to be his mentor. I want you to know that you have touched his life in a powerful way that is not transitory but deep and lasting. He admires and respects you. I can see why.
Thank you for being my son's serendipity.
Sincerely,
Carolyn Hinrichs
(A mother who visited her son's acting class and observed him and other students working.)
I suppose as parents we never stop worrying about our children and their passage through life. Sometimes we must step back and painfully watch them struggle hoping someone or something will touch their lives in a positive way. Michael is entering a new passage in his life's journey. I like what I see and feel relief. It pleases and excites me to know my son has found his passion and feels alive and focused. How fortunate that Michael has found you, a man of character, to be his mentor. I want you to know that you have touched his life in a powerful way that is not transitory but deep and lasting. He admires and respects you. I can see why.
Thank you for being my son's serendipity.
Sincerely,
Carolyn Hinrichs
(A mother who visited her son's acting class and observed him and other students working.)
John Turtorro: "I am a graduate of Yale Drama School and SUNY New Paltz and have worked with many gifted acting teachers who influenced my work... But no one has had the impact that Mr. Modica had on my life and work as an actor. Whenever there is a character I am struggling with, he is the first person I turn to for advice. I encourage all young actors to take the opportunity to study with Mr. Modica, a master acting teacher of great dedication, passion, and insight..."
David Duchovney: "Modica's integrity, passion, and acute eye for what's true and what is not are standaards that I try to live up to every time I try to act. He is an instigator and an inspiration. He had a profound influence on both my acting and my life."
John Doman: "Studying with Bob Modica is about giving yourself the freedom to respond truthfully to the circumstances of the moment. He is a master at helping an actor find that freedom, and his dedication to the art of acting is an inspiration for me."
Aida Turturro: "Sometimes in life you feel like an angel is by your side guiding you. This was true when I started taking class with Robert X. Modica. I don't look at my years of studying with Mr. Modica as just a "class." I look at that time as a life experience, a huge learning experience and the catalyst that brought me to understand the heart and soul of my acting.
I've never been one to explain acting. I think it's a very different experience for each person. But studying Meisner (technique) with Mr. Modica did bring one very universal lesson to us all - the lesson of honesty. This lesson was and is my foundation. So I can never forget Mr. Modica for being my finest teacher. Mr. Modica is an original person and a gem."
Rachel Ward: "I remember being in his class very fondly. More than fondly as it was the beginning of a journey that, all in all, has served me very well. Those evenings spent viewing and participating in Mr. Modica's class was one of the most exciting, most involving, most satisfying times of my young life. I think the greatest value of his classes was that, as an actor, I learned to listen and, hopefully (most of the time), how to respond truthfully.
Louise Lasser: "He is a master teacher... a man who has tried to help so many find their way to their truth as actors and human beings. He has an unerring talent for knowing what is true and what is not true...By far the best teacher I could ever imagine in this whole wide world."
Scott Cohen: "Robert X. Modica... To those of us who have had the honor and privilege of studying with him, a man with enormous empathy, keen insight into the elusive human condition, and a strong will to help create actors of depth and individuality. Not a day goes by when his words do not come into my head. He is there when I first sit down to look at an audition. He is there when a director says, "Action!" or when the lights go up."
Marian Seldes: "Over the years, when asked by actors where they should study, I tell them about an extraordinary teacher, Robert X. Modica. Without a single exception, these actors report to me of the importance of his classes to their life as well as their work. The teaching of acting, of finding a way to allow each student-and the class as a whole-to work with freedom from the fear of failure is such a delicate task. Bob Modica has the gift of turning his studio into a laboratory where experiment is welcome and process is more important than result. They know how fortunate they are to have found such a teacher."
Louise Lasser: "He is a master teacher... a man who has tried to help so many find their way to their truth as actors and human beings. He has an unerring talent for knowing what is true and what is not true...By far the best teacher I could ever imagine in this whole wide world."
Scott Cohen: "Robert X. Modica... To those of us who have had the honor and privilege of studying with him, a man with enormous empathy, keen insight into the elusive human condition, and a strong will to help create actors of depth and individuality. Not a day goes by when his words do not come into my head. He is there when I first sit down to look at an audition. He is there when a director says, "Action!" or when the lights go up."
Marian Seldes: "Over the years, when asked by actors where they should study, I tell them about an extraordinary teacher, Robert X. Modica. Without a single exception, these actors report to me of the importance of his classes to their life as well as their work. The teaching of acting, of finding a way to allow each student-and the class as a whole-to work with freedom from the fear of failure is such a delicate task. Bob Modica has the gift of turning his studio into a laboratory where experiment is welcome and process is more important than result. They know how fortunate they are to have found such a teacher."
Olinda Turturro: "Robert X. Modica is, by far, one of the most valuable teachers I have had the good fortune to study with. He taught me a way of working which has never let me down. Perhaps I learned as much as I did from him because he's relentless! He knows exactly where the best in each student lies, and he won't give up if you don't. Mr. Modica also loves teaching and he gives all of himself to it. As an actress and a teacher myself, I always aspire to the standard I have learned from Mr. Modica."
Nick Turturro: "Robert Modica is someone who has affected me personally and professionally on a very positive level. He brings a true love to his teaching that had a tremendous effect on my life. A true original is how I would describe Robert. Not every day does one get the chance to work with someone as special as Robert Modica.
William Alderson:
(Senior teacher at The Neighborhood Playhouse for 20 years, currently teaching in Hollywood)
"I have known Bob Modica for over 30 years. I have never met a more honorable man. When I began teaching acting, I was fortunate to be able to sit in on his classes at the neighborhood Playhouse. I was a Junior teacher and he was a Senior teacher. I was able to observe and work under his guidance for a period of a year. His teaching always came from the heart. He had great concerns for his students and their development. His knowledge and expertise were always exceptional. I learned so much as he was solidly grounded in the Meisner Technique.
"I have known Bob Modica for over 30 years. I have never met a more honorable man. When I began teaching acting, I was fortunate to be able to sit in on his classes at the neighborhood Playhouse. I was a Junior teacher and he was a Senior teacher. I was able to observe and work under his guidance for a period of a year. His teaching always came from the heart. He had great concerns for his students and their development. His knowledge and expertise were always exceptional. I learned so much as he was solidly grounded in the Meisner Technique.
When he worked as a Director, some of the scenes in the play, (Murphy's Canyon), were so moving that in production, even he had to step outside the theater to collect himself. His work was always clear, crisp and moving. I often reflect on that year with Bob, and I do so with fond memories. He helped establish me as a teacher. I couldn't have asked for a better beginning. Thanks Bob, and I wish you the best."
Testimonials
