HI, I’M RAY THOMAS
I’ve been coaching Actors for over three decades.
MY APPROACH
I am here to help enhance and sharpen your acting skills and my approach is two-fold. First, to get good scripts in your hands and second, start the rehearsal process immediately. Among other things, you will analyze the script, break down the scene, create a character, explore various choices and ultimately make decisions in preparation to perform for an audience.
TRAINING
To act, means to do! When you train with me you will work in a two-character play or perform solo. You will not just sit and talk about acting. Remember, although an art, acting is a skill and the more you do it the better you will become. While training you will learn various techniques that all actors need to know, such as, how to develop a character, ways to memorize lines, how to manipulate an audience, understand concepts like space, rhythm timing and much much more. You will learn and practice these skills while working in a play.
AUDITION COACHING
Whether you are doing an in-person audition or submitting a self- tape, you need to be believable, and your piece needs to have a beginning, middle and end. I am here to coach you through that process, and you will be sure to give the best possible performance with a well thought out, well-rehearsed audition
ADVANCED ACTING SOLO PERFORMANCE
Some actors prefer to train and or perform alone. Whether you are interested in performing a script already written or something original, I can help you rehearse and develop it and help to prepare you for an audience. Do you have an idea or a script in mind? If so, keep in mind that your script needs to be between 30-45 minutes. Contact me and let’s talk about it.
About Ray:
Ray began his acting career in Philadelphia at the Franklin Learning Center high school in 1986 under the tutelage of Mel Williams. That summer, Ray was accepted to the Pennsylvania Governor’s School of the Arts and the following year won Best Actor at the Bucks County Theatre Festival in Philadelphia.
In 1989 Ray performed in Freedom Theatre’s production of Under Pressure, directed by John Allen that was selected to perform at the 1989 Black National Theatre Festival in North Carolina. In 1990 Ray became a member of the Actors Equity Association after being cast in August Wilsons’ award-winning play, Fences that premiered at the Philadelphia Drama Guild. That year Ray appeared in James Baldwin last written play, The Welcome Table at The University of the Arts. In 1992 Ray earned a BFA in
Theatre from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia.
In 1993, Ellen Stewart of the La Ma Ma Theatre invited Ray to be an Artist in Residence in New York where he performed the critically acclaimed one-man show, Keep Back 200 FT. Under the tutelage of Mel Williams and Ellen Stewart, Ray began turning his attention to coaching actors and producing plays throughout New York City.
For over 30 years, Ray has performed and produced numerous showcases in venues such as: Lincoln Performing Arts Center, Theatre For The Forgotten, Ripley Grier Studios, The Producers Club, La Ma Ma, Theatre, The Billie Holiday Theatre, The Paul Robeson Theatre, Theatre In The X, Theatre For A New Generation, The Harold Clurman Theatre, Theatre For the New City, The Frank Silvera Workshop, Point Breeze Theatre, The Round About Theatre, The People Light & Theatre Company to name a few. From 2015 -2018 Ray worked as an acting consultant with Richard Lyons for STAR featuring Queen Latifah and Benjamin Bratt. He coached Michael Kenneth Williams in the role of Jack Gee in HBO’s production of BESSIE, leading to a nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor. Rays’ final acting work with the late Michael K Williams led to a Critics Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2022. Ray resides in Philadelphia and works out of New York where he teaches advance acting courses and produces acting showcases. Currently he is working with Cam Newton, Erika Alexander, and Eric Carter.
