JILL ABUSCH

My first real memory of public speaking is from 11th grade. We had to present a memorized speech from Hamlet in English class. When it was my turn, I started reciting the text, as everyone else had done. To be or not be...blah blah blah... My teacher, the formidable Mrs. Davis, stopped me mid-sentence: "Aren't you an actress? Don't you do all those plays?" She expected more from me. I was mortified. This wasn't the stage, it was school. And I wanted to rush through it and get it done with, like everyone else. But I really liked this teacher, and I wanted her to like me. I was that kid. So, I started again, like she asked. I focused on delivering ideas rather than just words, as I was learning to do in the theatre. I got an A. I succeeded in becoming Mrs. Davis' favorite that year and began to understand that the public speaking arena is a natural extension of the theatre.

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I went on to NYU Tisch School of the Arts, where I earned a BFA in Drama. While there, I studied acting and directing at the Stella Adler Conservatory and the Classical Studio. This is where I first learned the foundation of acting technique that I still ascribe to today and from which I base my public speaking work.

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The basic tenet of acting technique that I return to in my work is: Acting is creating truth within the given circumstances. We often think of acting (and therefore actors) as disingenuous, but in reality, actors - and by extension, public speakers - need to be the ultimate truth tellers, revealing a part of themselves while tapping into greater truths about their audience and the world at large. When using this technique in acting, we get great theatre. When using this technique in public speaking, we get a dynamic speech that gets results.

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In 1995, I co-founded The Play Group Theatre (PGT), a non-profit children's theatre in White Plains, NY. As Artistic Director of PGT, I direct several shows each year, teach classes, develop new programs, oversee the curriculum for all of our in-house and school residency programs, and manage and train the artistic staff in our unique educational and artistic philosophy. It is my privilege to fill the Play Group Theatre's state-of-the-art performing arts complex with consistent quality arts programming for the families of the Westchester community.

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I have guided and coached dozens of students through the complicated process of applying to Conservatories and arts programs at Colleges and Universities. From auditions to interviews to portfolio reviews, I have taken students - and their parents! - step-by-step through the process. I am proud to say that my students have been admitted to their top choices and some of the best programs in the country. But I'm even prouder to say that in our college-crazy culture that often makes our kids so stressed out, my students and I have had a great time getting there!

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While I have been unofficially coaching for as long as I can remember (my parents used to say I should hang a shingle outside our front door; my students tell me I should write an advice book), my first official foray into professional coaching was when a student's parent asked me to work with him; having seen what we accomplish at The Play Group Theatre with young, sometimes inexperienced, students, he had a sense that an adult professional could benefit from the same training. At the same time, I was developing a public speaking curriculum for our school residency program. I adapted the residency curriculum for real world application...and my coaching career was launched!

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I have coached professionals in a number of different industries, for a variety of speaking engagements. I have prepared authors, entrepreneurs, shop owners, consultants, and teachers on an ongoing basis, and for individual projects, such as speeches, workshops, TV and radio appearances - even the auction house. I have worked with Mothers-of-the-Bride on their toasts, and Bar/Bat Mitzvah kids on their speeches.

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I love learning about different industries, the speaker's strengths and personality, and the unique requirements of the occasion. These are the backdrop that will determine the most effective tools for creating a great speech. It all goes back to that basic precept: creating truth within the given circumstances. I love learning all the details of the given circumstances so that we can begin to choose which aspects of the speakers own personality, physical vocabulary, style, and energy to bring to the surface; that is the truth that will generate the desired results.

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I am married to my PGT co-founder and Executive Director, Steven Abusch, who I met before I even set foot into Mrs. Davis' english class. It was a high school "showmance" and we've been together ever since!

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We have two gorgeous daughters: Ilana, a senior at The Solomon Schechter High School, and Aviva, a senior at Yale University. We always say that they are our best productions!